Summary

• Capt. Herbert Sobel, portrayed by David Schwimmer in Band of Brothers, was a despised training commander known for his unnecessarily harsh and petty behavior.
• In real life, Sobel served in the Army during World War II, became an accountant after the war, and even rejoined active duty for the Korean War.
• Sobel's life after Band of Brothers took a tragic turn as he became estranged from his family, attempted suicide, and lived in an assisted living facility until his death.

HBO's Band of Brothers famously told the mostly true stories of Easy Company's 101st Airborne, but fans wonder what happened to the David Schwimmer Band of Brothers character of Cpt. Herbert Sobel in real life. The war drama series, which would eventually become immortalized as one of the most well-executed TV projects focused on American military involvement during World War II, first hit the air in 2001. With an impressive cast, including Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg at the creative helm as executive producers, the show chronicles some events from the real-life service of subsequently well-known Army veterans including the David Schwimmer Band of Brothers character of Herbert Sobel.

Sobel is a character intended for viewers to loathe. He's more than just a tough commanding officer for the men of Band of Brothers' Easy Company, as the series depicts him as being unnecessarily harsh while training his recruits in many ways - even by military wartime standards. He also famously butts heads with Damian Lewis' Dick Winters, eventually leading to a fan-favorite scene where the aforementioned character rightfully insists that Sobel salutes him in passing after he's been promoted (via the memorable line, "You salute the rank, not the man.").

Who Capt. Sobel Was In Real Life

In real life, Schwimmer's Band of Brothers character, Herbert Sobel, was an Illinois native who volunteered as an Army paratrooper in 1941, not long before entering his thirties. A former college graduate with a degree in architecture, he began ascending through the military branch's ranks fairly quickly. As Band of Brothers' story depicts, he became an unpopular training commander at Camp Toccoa in Georgia.

Though many people who've looked back on what's said about Sobel, including some of the men who were under his command, believe he was truly trying to sufficiently prepare Easy Company for the horrifying, trying reality of war, there's a consensus that some of his behavior was rather petty and unnecessarily harsh. Even so, he served in the war until 1945, when he returned to the US and eventually received an honorable discharge.

Capt. Sobel's Life After Band Of Brothers

Though Herbert Sobel is said to have been a clothing salesman prior to his college days, before he majored in architecture during his higher education, he seems to have switched career fields post-World War II. The veteran became an accountant and eventually married his wife, with whom he had three children. In addition, Sobel's military service didn't end in the '40s. He rejoined Army active duty for the Korean War in the following decade. Sobel was a member of the Army National Guard for years, even retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel before he and his wife started their family.

Unfortunately, what's publicly known about the rest of the Band of Brothers' character's life is quite tragic. He and his wife eventually divorced, and Sobel is said to have become estranged from his family. He also attempted to take his own life in the late '60s or early '70s. Though he survived, this event left him blind in both eyes for the rest of his days. Because of this, he lived in an Illinois assisted living facility until his death - which was supposedly caused by malnutrition and neglect - in 1987. The Band of Brothers veteran was 75 years old at the time of his passing.

Capt. Sobel Is A Controversial Figure

The David Schwimmer Band of Brothers character of Herbert Sobel was certainly meant to be something of a villain in the series but there is some controversy over the even more negative depiction of him in the book 'Band of Brothers' by Stephen E. Ambrose. The book goes into detail about Easy Company's hatred for Sobel due to his harsh training regime while also acknowledging that it was common for some of the men to make derogatory comments about Sobel being Jewish behind his back. However, others have suggested Ambrose's description of Sobel in the book adds to the antisemitic tone as it reads: "His eyes were slits, his nose large and hooked."

Other Band of Brothers controversy around Sobel comes from the description of his abilities as a solider. Some accounts suggest Sobel was unfit for field exercises and in worse shape than any of the men in Easy Company. However, such descriptions are likely an exaggeration as it is unlikely Sobel would reach such a high rank but be unable to perform the basic exercises. The point is also contradicted by the fact that Sobel participated in Easy Company's regular jogs up Currahee Mountain. Also, while it was generally agreed that Sobel was an effective leader in training camp and ill-suited to take Easy Company into battle, the show and the book ignore his battle achievements during the D-Day invasion.