# Band of Brothers question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972 "2004-12-03T22:14:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/1 "2004-12-03T22:14:52Z")
I was recently rewatching \*Band of Brothers \* on the History Channel. If it is on TV I will watch it. I have no idea how many times I have seen it. However, I have read the book only once. There is one part that I remember differently from the book to the miniseries. I seem to remember that the character “Foxhole Norman” had a different (presumably his real) name in the book. He is LT Dykes on the show but I remember it different from the book. My copy happens to be a couple of thousand miles away right now so I can’t check. In the book he is relived by Winters and CPT Spears takes over during the battle. He lives and the men later see him as the aide to the Division Commander. On the show he is blown up while cowering behind a haystack. As far as I know this was the only part that was significantly fictionalized from the book. Was there a libel problem? Was “Foxhole Norman” still alive and they were afraid he would sue? Why could they use his real name in print but not on TV? I know they didn’t have the same problem with CPT Sobel since he killed himself long ago. So whats the deal, did I remember it right? Why did they change it? ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/2 "2004-12-04T01:50:14Z")
I don’t have the answer for you off the top of my head but I didn’t think Lt Dike (in the series) died while behind a haystack, I thought he survived. ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/3 "2004-12-04T02:40:46Z")
He was definitely not killed in the miniseries. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/4 "2004-12-04T03:14:43Z")
Lt Dyke was the one who was always absent during the battle of the bulge correct? I could swear he did die, on the episode right after the battle of the bulge when they are leaving the woods and going into the town. From what I remember, he died, and the Lt who shot the POWs during D-Day ran through town to link the two platoons of Easy together. He then was the commander of Easy till the end of the show. ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/5 "2004-12-04T03:24:54Z")
I’m pretty sure he just gets relieved by the guy who does the suicide run through town - Steele, I think. Dyke stays behind the haystack and hides. If he gets blown up after this, I have no idea. It’s been awhile since I watched them, so I’ll have to check the DVD again. ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/6 "2004-12-04T03:35:45Z")
> [@velveeta](#): > > I’m pretty sure he just gets relieved by the guy who does the suicide run through town - Steele, I think. Whoops, that would be Captain Speirs. ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/7 "2004-12-04T03:47:25Z")
I did find this little piece of info: > [@](#): > > In real life Dyke wasn’t killed at Foy as in the TV series, he actually got promoted. He failed leading the charge on Foy and Spiers did take over and save the day, but Dyke survived, he didn’t get killed behind the haybale. So I guess he does die behind the haybale in the series, but not the book. Funny, I don’t remember his death scene at all. Now I’m going to have to go check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/8 "2004-12-04T06:17:32Z")
I too don’t remember Dyke getting killed in that scene…I’ll have to pop in my DVDs and take a look. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/9 "2004-12-04T14:32:14Z")
It is very quick. I didn’t notice him getting blowed up real good the first couple of times I watched. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/10 "2004-12-06T19:52:22Z")
I was going to come up with something clever to disguise the bump, but decided against it. ::BUMP:: ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/11 "2004-12-06T20:00:38Z")
I watched this episode several times, and at the end, they specifically say Dyke was killed. However, I have yet to see _where_ in the episode he dies. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/12 "2004-12-06T20:18:46Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I watched this episode several times, and at the end, they specifically say Dyke was killed. However, I have yet to see _where_ in the episode he dies. Huh. I do not remember it saying that. FWIW, there’s a FAQ on the show at [http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0185906/board/nest/9187222](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0185906/board/nest/9187222), one of the questions is: > [@](#): > > Q: Was Lieutenant Dike killed in the fighting for Foy? > A: No. Nope. Nada. He survived; the dead guy usually mistaken for Dike is a private, Webb, who was shot by a sniper. He was relieved of command and kicked upwards, becoming an aide of General Taylor on the divisional staff. Now I understand there are some factual differences between the show and real life, the most egregious error being the one about Albert Blithe. But I really don’t think that the epsiode showed Dyke being killed. Man, I had the whole weekend to research this with both the book and the DVDs, and I didn’t . . . ---
**Author:** ![Phelan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Phelan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phelan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/13 "2004-12-06T20:32:56Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I watched this episode several times, and at the end, they specifically say Dyke was killed. However, I have yet to see _where_ in the episode he dies. I think it was just a quick scene after the assault on the village where there are 2 soldiers standing over a body and saying something about less Americans getting killed now. I could be wrong though. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/14 "2004-12-06T21:09:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Man, I had the whole weekend to research this with both the book and the DVDs, and I didn’t . . . Now we know who to blame. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/15 "2004-12-07T18:12:57Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Now we know who to blame. OK, you can’t hold it against me anymore! I did a quick check of the book this morning and Lt Norman Dike is, in fact, depicted pretty much exactly as he is in the DVD. He did fail in his assault on Foy, he did survive it, and he did get kicked upstairs to the rank of Captain and served as an aide to a general. And he is mentioned by name. So unless Ambrose changed the name when he wrote the book (and I didn’t see any footnote to that effect), Lt Norman Dike was a real person. So there. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/16 "2004-12-07T19:45:58Z")
> [@Airblairxxx](#): > > OK, you can’t hold it against me anymore! I did a quick check of the book this morning and Lt Norman Dike is, in fact, depicted pretty much exactly as he is in the DVD. He did fail in his assault on Foy, he did survive it, and he did get kicked upstairs to the rank of Captain and served as an aide to a general. > > And he is mentioned by name. So unless Ambrose changed the name when he wrote the book (and I didn’t see any footnote to that effect), Lt Norman Dike was a real person. > > So there. Except he died on the DVD. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/17 "2004-12-07T19:53:15Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Except he died on the DVD. Sigh, now you’re gonna make me check the DVDs . . . well, it’ll have to wait until after work. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/18 "2004-12-07T19:54:57Z")
Which episode? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/19 "2004-12-07T19:57:24Z")
Still researching but I came across this interesting interview with [Dick Winters.](http://www.thehistorynet.com/ah/bldwinters/index3.html) Off topic but what the hell, it’s my thread. > [@](#): > > _Two of the stories that have circulated about Speirs were that he shot some German prisoners in Normandy and, later, one of his own sergeants._ > > Winters:The stories about him are true. When I first heard, I was speechless. What he did was unbelievable, inexcusable. If you talk to somebody in today’s Army, they would say, well, how come he wasn’t court-martialed? Well, you needed every man you had. Those guys that goofed up, didn’t measure up, you couldn’t just get rid of them. You needed the body, because if you lose that body, then somebody else has to shoulder twice the burden. You needed every body you could get. At Foy, he was the first officer I saw when I turned around. It could have been anybody, but it was Speirs. I didn’t ask, “OK, would you mind taking over?” No, I just turned around, saw him and said take over. It was just a roll of the dice that he was standing there when I needed someone. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972/20 "2004-12-07T20:11:19Z")
> [@pokey](#): > > Which episode? I think it’s called _Breaking Point_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers-question/277972.md?page=2)