Herbert Sobel - Biography

Lieutenant Colonel Herbert M. Sobel Sr. (January 26, 1912 – September 30, 1987) was a commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Sobel was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by David Schwimmer.

Youth

Sobel was born in Chicago, Illinois, to a Jewish family. He was a clothing salesman after attending military school at the Culver Military Academy in Indiana. He graduated from the University of Illinois. Sobel volunteered for the paratroopers soon after the outbreak of World War II and was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

Military service

Promoted to first lieutenant, Sobel commanded Company E for all of their basic training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. He was known to be overly strict, earning the hatred of his men. Because of the intense training he gave his men, he was credited with having the finest company in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to the rank of captain in recognition of his ability as a trainer.

After a period of training in the United Kingdom before the Normandy invasion, Captain Sobel was removed from command of Easy Company. Despite popular belief, he did jump into Normandy and earned a CIB as part of Regimental Headquarters Company. This is verified by official regimental records. He was later transferred to command the Chilton Foliat jump school. First Lieutenant Thomas Meehan replaced Sobel, and was one of several officers (including Richard Winters) to succeed him in that post before the war was over.

Shortly before Easy Company took part in the invasion of Normandy, Sobel was assigned to the 506th once again, this time replacing Salve Matheson as the regimental S-4 (logistics) officer for Operation Market Garden.

Later years

Sobel returned to the United States after the war, and worked as an accountant before being recalled to active duty during the Korean War. He remained in the Army National Guard, eventually retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was later married, and had three children.

In the late 1960s, Sobel shot himself in the head with a small-caliber pistol. The bullet entered his left temple, passed behind his eyes, and exited out the other side of his head. This severed his optic nerves and left him blind. He was later moved to a VA assisted living facility in Waukegan, Illinois. Sobel resided there for his last seventeen years until his death due to malnutrition on September 30, 1987. No services were held for Sobel after his death.

Legacy

Sobel was negatively portrayed as inept in the television series Band of Brothers, a depiction which has proved controversial. Since the series, his son Michael has spoken out on his behalf. Veterans from the company acknowledge that Sobel's training and input contributed to its later success.

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