Band of Brothers: Symbols

Patches and Paratrooper Wings

One of the driving factors for every man of Easy Company is to be counted among the best of the best. They are driven by a desire for recognition, and a part of that recognition is the patches and emblems the Army awards the men. Such awards are the physical representation of each man’s worth in the company. In the beginning, each man is driven to collect the silver wings that mark him as a certified paratrooper. Later, each man feels tremendous pride in being a part of the 101st Airborne and wears his Screaming Eagle patches proudly. Some even fight other enlisted men when they disparage their company. The men of Easy Company earn medals for their bravery, their wounds, and their achievements as well. In the end, it is a compilation score of all these different emblems that allows the men to exit the war early.

The Tiger Tank

The German Tiger tank symbolizes the extreme challenges Easy Company faces in their missions. The image of foot soldier versus tank has a David versus Goliath resonance. Added to this seeming power imbalance, an experimental paratrooper battalion goes up against weaponry unknown during their training. The Germans’ technologically advanced Tiger Royal tank had a high-velocity 88-caliber gun. As a point of reference for their lethality, Dick Winters compares them to the Allied forces' 30-caliber Sherman tanks, less than half of the Tiger's firepower. They represent the ultimate adversarial encounter. Tiger tanks bully infantry and maul Allied armor, and they can change the course of battle simply by showing up. The fact that, despite lacking such advanced weaponry, Easy Company stands its ground against the Germans reflects the bravery, grit, and creativity that the company embodies. During the liberation, Dick Winters oversees a group of prisoners that includes the man responsible for the design of the Tiger tank, Ferdinand Porsche, whose sons would go on to design luxury high-performance sports cars.

Currahee

Easy Company took inspiration for their group identity from Mount Currahee at Camp Toccoa where they did their basic training. Their leaders use Currahee to sort the recruits and ship out men who washed out. Climbing its 1,000-foot-high, three-mile face at a run represents the ultimate test of endurance. The name of the hill comes from a Native American word that means “standing alone.” Easy Company takes “Currahee” as a battle cry. They understand as paratroopers they will be going into battle situations where they will be on their own, the odds against them. They memorialize the hill where they learned to endure and prevail. When they graduate from jump school and the regimental commander Colonel Sink presents them with their wings, he interprets their motto as “standing alone together.” This dedication to each other marks their fighting as a band of brothers and becomes a lifelong loyalty. The regimental scrapbook that documents their movements, accomplishments, and feelings about their service immortalizes their motto, Currahee.

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