Cobb
What ever happened to PTE Cobb?
The last we see of him is in Ep 8 - The Last Patrol being driven away with MP's in a Jeep after being arrested I'm assuming for being drunk.
You're right; in the miniseries, Cobb isn't seen again after his arrest at the end of episode 8.
In reality, he was arrested and court-martialed after his drunken incident in Haguenau; however, he was allowed to remain with his unit until the end of the war. He can be seen in this company photo taken in June, 1945 in Zell am See, Austria (Cobb is in the second row, close to the center).
http://old.506infantry.org/images2/wwii/e2506pirlg.jpg
I don't have any information regarding the exact terms of his discharge. And as you're probably already aware (but for those who aren't), his portrayal in the miniseries as a bitter, abrasive pr!ck doesn't square with the accounts of Easy Company soldiers David Webster and Clancy Lyall; they both remembered him as good-natured and professional, though out-of-control when drunk.
Well to be honest, I only remember Cobb being drunk during 'Last Patrol'...then again he was hazing the new guys in 'replacements'.
Why can't you wretched prey creatures understand that the Universe doesn't owe you anything!?
The miniseries only shows Cobb VISIBLY drunk in episode 8 ("The Last Patrol"). When he harasses Miller in episode 4 ("Replacements") he doesn't appear drunk at all; he just comes off like an abrasive a$$hole.
But I was referring to what David Webster and Clancy Lyall said about the real Roy Cobb in their memoirs (respectively, "Parachute Infantry" and "Silver Eagle").
And there's no question the miniseries presents a predominantly negative portrait of Cobb, one that's at odds with the way his fellow Easy Company members (like Webster and Lyall) remembered him.
Its not that negative. Yes, he acted like a prick against Miller, but after landing in the Netherlands he gave Miller and the other replacements some drinks which Cobb had received from the Dutch residents.
And that "being a prick" against replacements was a pretty common thing, and still is, in the military. Any other trooper of Easy Company could have acted like that.
But I agree that probably most people will remember Cobb as the drunk idiot.
Look at my post again; I said the portrayal of Cobb was predominantly negative, not entirely negative. True, he's seen passing out bottles to the company before they enter Eindhoven, but the scene makes it appear Hoobler was the driving force in that moment of generosity by giving him most of the dialogue.
And what many don't remember is that Cobb, after initially saying he has no intention of going back into Nuenen to look for Bull, is glimpsed in the next scene taking part in the the search operation (indicating he'd had a change of heart). But when they eventually encounter Randleman and Cobb greets him with a hearty "Bet you thought we'd given up on you," Heshey cuts him off with a quick "Shut up, Cobb." The impression is clear; Heshey is reminding him he showed no interest in looking for Bull - not at first, anyway.
And while there's no denying replacements were sometimes given a hard time by company members, there's no record of Cobb ever acting that way towards one.
But if you felt the portrayal of Cobb wasn't that negative, then that's how you felt. Nonetheless, one of the criticisms leveled at the show was the way Cobb was characterized in "Band of Brothers." Roy Cobb's Wikipedia page notes that he comes off "very unfriendly, bitter and, at some moments, a cowardly person" even though he'd been described in Stephen Ambrose's book as "invariably good natured." And the "Band of Brothers" Wikia page confirms the portrayal of Cobb was the subject of some controversy; it's in the link below under "Personality" -
http://wikiofbrothers.wikia.com/wiki/Private_Roy_W._Cobb
It should also be pointed out that in "Parachute Infantry," David Webster identified Cobb as being one of the men who wanted to put the wounded German soldier (who was moaning on the river bank in Haguenau) out of his misery - and in the end, that's exactly what he did. They all tried to kill him by tossing grenades across the river, but Cobb had the best aim & the best arm; he was the one who succeeded.
But in the show, Cobb was indifferent to the German's suffering. When the other soldiers talk about putting him out of his misery, Cobb only says "Fu*k his misery" and walks away.
It's moments like this that made some people feel Cobb was treated unfairly in "Band of Brothers."
And that "being a prick" against replacements was a pretty common thing, and still is, in the military.
Yes, it's called 'hazing'; it's also a defense mechanism-nobody wants to get too close to guys who, in all probability, will be dead in a little while....but once they prove themselves (and show they can fight & survive) it will change.
Why can't you wretched prey creatures understand that the Universe doesn't owe you anything!?
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Nice picture with the names.
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