Herbert M. Sobel Sr. (26 January 1912 – 30 September 1987) was a commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Sobel was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by David Schwimmer.
Sobel returned to the United States in 1945, and worked as an accountant before being recalled to active duty during the Korean War. He remained in the Army National Guard, eventually retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel. He later married, and had three children.
In 1970, Sobel attempted suicide when he shot himself in the head with a small-caliber pistol. The bullet entered his left temple, passed behind his eyes, and exited out the other side of his head. This severed his optic nerves and left him blind. He entered a VA assisted living facility in Waukegan, Illinois. He resided there for his last seventeen years until his death due to malnutrition on 30 September 1987. No services were held for him after his death.
Sobel volunteered for the paratroopers soon after the outbreak of World War II and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Promoted to first lieutenant, Sobel commanded Company E for all of their basic training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. He trained his men intensely, and was eventually promoted to the rank of captain in recognition of his ability as a trainer. Yet for all of that – Sobel was despised by his Soldiers for being petty and vindictive.
