My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A Company of Heroes is a collection of stories and memories from the families of the Easy Company men. Men such as Alex Penkala and Skip Muck who were killed in Bastogne, several of the prominent Easy Company soldiers (Ron Speirs, Carwood Lipton, Joe Liebgott, Eugene Roe, Floyd Talbert, etc.) and lesser known men who didn't have the opportunity to tell their stories.
As the title points out, 'the legacy they left us,' fits quite well. These families show great pride in the service that their fathers, grandfathers, uncles and brothers gave to the world. And many of these stories tell of the primary aftereffects of the war and the adjustments theses veterans went through.
Just like all families are different, all their stories are different. Some are hopeful, others are heartbreaking. Many men suffered from PTSD that led to alcoholism and broken families. While others were able to move on the enjoy the successes of their labors and honor the sacrifices of those who didn't come home. Also, several of these families corrected the inaccuracies that were made in both the Band of Brothers book and miniseries.
Reading the men's stories from the families point of view brought a better understanding to the men that are revered as heroes. These men were heroic, but they were still human. Susceptible to falling and failing. They could save the world, but some couldn't save their own marriages. The hardest story to get through was Joe Liebgott's. While a popular, well loved and comic presence in the miniseries, Joe had nothing to do with the book or the series. The war damaged Joe greatly and he was never the same. The show took great artistic liberties with the life of Joe Liebgott, but in reality, the man was very different.
Duty and sacrifice make a soldier. Moving on from trauma and shock can create a hero. Regardless of what path the men of Easy Company went down after the war, each created a legacy for their families to remember and honor.
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