Band of Brothers: A Return to Easy Company's Battlefields with Sgt. Forrest Guth.
Easy Company, the “Band of Brothers” came to us in 2001, just a few days prior to the 9/11 tragedy. There have been many books that grace the shelves in bookstores, all written by a variety of veterans and historians. This one, by Larry Alexander, is a little different in its layout and method. While others relay their stories of the war, who did what, where and why, this one is slightly different. It is a retrospective journey for Sgt. Guth who accompanied the author on the fulfilment of the authors dream.
For the author, it’s part travelogue, part historical perspective and a definitive memorial to Easy.
For Sgt. Guth, it was a chance to revisit old memories.
Larry Alexander, like many before him, and many who will walk the same path after him, found he had a story. That story was the battles of Easy, and it had reached into his soul. He knew he had to visit the battlefields. Step on the soil and see where it all happened. He made the decision that he had to walk the path, but with an Easy Company veteran. This would enable not only his own emotions and personal impressions, to make the pages of his book, but those of Sgt. Forrest Guth to be weaved together in the pages too.
The book is Toccoa to Amsterdam. They weren’t able to get to The Eagles Nest as it was closed for the season. For our author, his words say it all. He quotes how the trip fulfilled his dreams as he visited several places. The book is beautifully written with the utmost respect given to the places they visited and the events that had occurred there.
Easy Company and Camp Toccoa was their start. The authors words easily plunge you into Band of Brothers and picturing Herbert Sobel training the men. Captain Sobel has been credited by many of Easy with the excellent training of Easy Company and forging them into an above average fighting unit. Sgt. Guth does point out however that all units did their job well, but ‘HBOs Band of Brothers’ elevated the status of these men.
Larry Alexander and Sgt. Guth walk through the battlegrounds, literally and figuratively as they discuss different aspects of what happens. This is not like Stephen Ambrose’s book ‘Band of Brothers’. This is a personal narrative. Walking the battlefields together, our author who loves the history, standing beside a veteran who lived it.
While Sgt. Guth never lived to see this book published, it serves as his gift to the Band of Brothers community and a special memory to Larry Alexander.
