How You Can Help the 'Band of Brothers' Cast Recreate Easy Company's Drop into Normandy 80 Years Later

Capt. Herbert Sobel may not be leading their training this time, but the memory of Easy Company is ready to make at least one more jump into Normandy.

On March 25, 2024, several actors from the beloved 2001 HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers" traveled to Camp Toccoa, Georgia, to begin airborne qualification training. It was the first part of "Currahee to Normandy," a nonprofit effort to honor the courage and sacrifices of all the men and women who fought to liberate Nazi-occupied Europe eight decades ago that will see the cast make a jump into Normandy during the 80th anniversary commemoration of Operation Overlord, which began with D-Day, June 6, 1944.

While the "Band of Brothers" cast members underwent a significant amount of training for the series, they never actually made a jump from an aircraft. Now fully trained and qualified just as their real-world counterparts from Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division were, the actors plan to make two jumps into Normandy wearing authentic uniforms and gear. Even better, they want to do it from "Placid Lassie," a Douglas C-47 Skytrain that actually participated in the D-Day invasion.

But the event organizers need your help. Donations to the nonprofit event will cover the cost of the "Placid Lassie" C-47 Skytrain, equipment for the jump and capturing the moment to help preserve the memories of the real-life soldiers who made the famous jump into history.

Organizers say the real "Band of Brothers," the men of Easy Company, have all passed on. This project is about carrying on their legacy from one generation to the next.

"A lot of these guys never came home," actor Alex Sabga-Brady, who played Cpl. Francis J. Mellet in the series, said in a video about the event. "And as time moves along on its course, their stories can disappear. Their names can disappear ... and that shouldn't happen because of what they did.

"That's what it's all about," he added. "If I can keep one memory of one man going, I'll do it."

In the shadow of Currahee Mountain, eight actors trained like the real-world men they once portrayed on screen, even wearing their name tapes emblazoned on their training uniforms). It was the first time in 82 years that Camp Toccoa, a former basic training camp, trained paratroopers.

The entire cast of "Band of Brothers" has remained close since the production of the series, both because of the impact it had on their lives and their shared commitment to honoring the legacy of those who gave their lives during World War II or have died since the war ended nearly 80 years ago.

Cast members joining Sabga-Brady in the jump include Christian Black (Walter Hendrix), George Calil (James M. Alley), Nolan Hemmings (Charles E. Grant), Mark Lawrence (William H. Dukeman), Rene Moreno (Joseph Ramirez), Pete O'Meara (Norman S. Dike) and Douglas Spain (Antonio C. Garcia). Other cast members may not be jumping, but intend to participate in various commemoration events in Normandy in June.

The training was conducted by the All Airborne Battalion, a nonprofit dedicated to conducting airborne operations to educate the public and support veteran mental health, among other causes. The actors not only completed the requirements to make the jump into Normandy, their training included regular runs up Currahee Mountain, a punishing three-mile up and three-mile down trail -- just like the men of Easy Company.

"It's been said you die two deaths: your physical death and the final death when the last person speaks your name," Sabga-Brady said in a statement. "We are committed to continuing to speak their names so no one forgets what they sacrificed for us. My family will never stop saying Frank's name."

"Currahee to Normandy" is a nonprofit, grassroots project. Along with the All Airborne Battalion, it's supported by the Tunison Foundation, which preserves aircraft in tribute to the memory of World War II, and Walk Among Heroes, which provides medical, housing, educational and rehabilitation support to veterans. It is funded entirely through tax-deductible donations.

To learn more about "Currahee to Normandy" or support the project by donating to the cause, visit https://www.curraheetonormandy.com/donate. You can even sponsor one of the actors' parachutes.

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