Band of Brothers (TV Mini Series)

Currahee (2001)

David Schwimmer: Herbert M. Sobel

Photos 

Quotes 

• Herbert M. Sobel : Three miles up, three miles down! Currahee!

• Old Man on Bicycle : You've done it now, yanks. You've captured me.

  Herbert M. Sobel : Hi-Ho, Silver!

  Old Man on Bicycle : Would that be the enemy?

  Richard D. Winters : As a matter of fact, yes.

• Richard D. Winters : [Upon receiving his letter of court marshal]  No sir, I do not understand. Your orders to me were to inspect the latrines at 1000 hours. From 0930 to 0955 I was censoring the enlisted men's mail by order of Colonel Strayer. At 1000 hours I followed your orders to the minute.

  Herbert M. Sobel : I changed that time to 0945

  Richard D. Winters : No one told me, sir.

  Herbert M. Sobel : I telephoned.

  Richard D. Winters : I'm quartered with a family that has no telephone.

  Herbert M. Sobel : And sent a runner.

  Richard D. Winters : No runner found me, Captain.

  Herbert M. Sobel : Irregardless, when given a task by a ranking officer you should have delegated your task of latrine inspection to another officer. You failed to do so. Were I to let such a failure of duty by my own XO go unpunished what kind of message is that to the men?

  Richard D. Winters : I performed my duty as I was ordered, sir

  Herbert M. Sobel : And I disagree. So, your options are quite simple, Lieutenant. Punishment for your offences will be denial of a 48-hour pass for 60 days. Stand before me at attention!

  [Winters walks up to Sobel's desk and snaps to attention] 

  Herbert M. Sobel : Or you may initiate a letter of appeal and request a trial by court-martial. You spend your weekends on the base anyway, Dick, be a man and take the punishment.

  Richard D. Winters : May I borrow your pen, sir?

  [He doesn't even wait for Sobel to answer before reaching across the desk and grabbing the pen. He then signs the court-marshal order and hands it to Sobel] 

  Richard D. Winters : My endorsement, sir. I request trial by court-martial.

  [He snaps back to attention, salutes and leaves without being dismissed, leaving a very stunned Sobel behind] 

• Herbert M. Sobel : [Easy Company is standing outside, awaiting the arrival of their CO, who comes in yelling]  You people are at the position of attention!

  [Everyone straightens up as Sobel marches up and down the columns, looking for infractions. He stops in front of one of them] 

  Herbert M. Sobel : Private Perconte have you been blousing your trousers over your boots like a paratrooper?

  Frank Perconte : No, sir.

  Herbert M. Sobel : Then explain the creases at the bottom.

  Frank Perconte : No excuse, sir.

  Herbert M. Sobel : Volunteering for the Parachute Infantry is one thing Perconte, but you've got a long way to prove that you belong here. Your weekend pass is revoked.

  [He walks up to another solidier] 

  Herbert M. Sobel : Name?

  George Luz : Luz, George

  Herbert M. Sobel : [He inspects Luz's rifle]  Dirt in the rear side aperture, pass revoked.

  [He picks out another soldier and begins picking at his arm] 

  Herbert M. Sobel : When did sew on these chevrons, Sgt. Lipton?

  C. Carwood Lipton : Yesterday, sir.

  Herbert M. Sobel : Long enough to notice this?

  [He holds up a small piece of lint or thread] 

  Herbert M. Sobel : Revoked.

  C. Carwood Lipton : Sir.

  Herbert M. Sobel : [Continues walking through the columns]  Name?

  Donald G. Malarkey : Malarkey, Donald G.

  Herbert M. Sobel : Malarkey, Malarkey's slang for 'bullshit', isn't it?

  Donald G. Malarkey : Yes, sir.

  Herbert M. Sobel : [He examines Malarkey's gun]  Rust on the butt plate hinge spring, Private 'Bullshit", revoked.

  [He continues on to the next soldier] 

  Herbert M. Sobel : Name?

  Cpl. Joseph Liebgott : Liebgott, Joseph D., sir.

  Herbert M. Sobel : [Pulling out Liebgott's bayonet point]  Rusty bayonet, Liebgott. You want to kill Germans?

  Cpl. Joseph Liebgott : Yes, sir

  Herbert M. Sobel : [He smacks him on the helmet with his bayonet]  Not with this.

  [He walks away from the troops, holding up the bayonet] 

  Herbert M. Sobel : I would not take this rusty piece of shit to war, and I will not take you in your condition. Now thanks to these men and their infractions, every man in the Company who had a weekend pass has lost it. Change into your PT gear, we're running Currahee.

• Herbert M. Sobel : [Colonel Sink and Captain Sobel are discussing the mutiny of Easy Company's NCOs]  I can only speculate, sir, most of the men would never do this. But I believe just a few of the sergeants may have felt their loyalty more to the platoon than to the company.

  Col. Robert F. Sink : And these few sergeants convinced all of the other NCOs in your company to turn in their stripes?

  Herbert M. Sobel : As Staff Sergeants they have a great amount of influence, sir, but as I say the rest are good men. I know them, I can work with them.

  Col. Robert F. Sink : This business with the Winters court marshal has been an unpleasant distraction.

  Herbert M. Sobel : Indeed, indeed it has, sir.

  Col. Robert F. Sink : However, your command of Easy Company has been exemplary.

  Herbert M. Sobel : Thank you, sir.

  Col. Robert F. Sink : In fact, except for the actions of some of your non-coms, I believe you've fielded one of the finest companies of soldiers I've ever seen.

  Herbert M. Sobel : Yes, sir.

  Col. Robert F. Sink : Herbert, Division has established a parachute training school at Chilton Foliat. The idea is for non-infantry types who are vital to the coming invasion such as doctors and chaplains to take jump training there. Frankly I can't think of anyone more qualified to command such a school than you are.

  Herbert M. Sobel : Sir?

  Col. Robert F. Sink : I'm reassigning you to Chilton Foliat.

  Herbert M. Sobel : [Looking absolutely stunned]  I'm losing Easy Company?

  Col. Robert F. Sink : The war effort needs you elsewhere.

  Herbert M. Sobel : Permission to speak, sir?

  Col. Robert F. Sink : Granted.

  Herbert M. Sobel : Is... who will be replacing me?

  Col. Robert F. Sink : Lieutenant Meehan from Baker Company is senior. Good luck at Chilton Foliat, Herbert. Don't let us down, now.

  Herbert M. Sobel : [Still in a state of shock, he stands to shake Sink's hand]  No, sir.