Band of Brothers

Located at Camp Toccoa, Currahee serves as the site of the men’s training and their coalescing into a unified group. Ambrosetranslates the Indian (Cherokee) name of the mountain to mean “stands alone” (19). The mountain and Easy Company’s conquering of it during their training underscore the company’s elite status, which is achieved both through their physical strength and their camaraderie and commitment to each other. The name of the mountain is therefore an appropriate motto for the company.

The eagle and the silver wings are symbols of the 101st. Both symbols are associated with flight, appropriate considering that the 101st is an airborne unit. These symbols also reflect the elite status of the members of the 101st and the innovative nature of the roles as paratroopers. 

Part of the items taken from Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest at Berchtesgaden, Hitler’s champagne is consumed by the men as Allied troops pacify Germany. The act of drinking the champagne signals the symbolic defeat of Hitler and the end of the war for the men. The men’s indulgence in the champagne and other fine liquors is also a reflection of the large-scale looting that they take part in once they arrive in Germany, one of the rights they