7 June 1944 U.S. paratroopers (front row) of 'Easy Company' 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division

7 June 1944 U.S. paratroopers (front row) of 'Easy Company' 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division with soldiers from the Army’s 4th Infantry Division that came from Utah Beach, France, Sainte-Marie-du-Mont.

A couple of days ago, I received the gut wrenching news that Brad Freeman, the last living member of Easy Company (“Band of Brothers”) had passed away.

These past couple of weeks have been especially devastating for the WW2 community - having lost the last MOH recipient (post coming on Woody Williams as well) and also the last member of E Company.

I was taken aback when I heard the news and instantly reflected on how the story of Easy Company and their men had altered the course of my life forever. When I was still in middle school, I watched “Band of Brothers” on Amazon Prime - having begged my father to allow my to do so for years.

Having always been interested in the Second World War, the series captured me in a way no television show has before or since.

I felt this inextinguishable burning in my soul (and I mean that without hyperbole) to do something with this passion for World War 2 I was feeling. So at 5 in the morning one early November day in 2015, I made this Instagram and initially had it dedicated to Easy Company and the 101st Airborne.

That didn’t last for long and I quickly expanded to covering the war in its entirety - improving my writing and my knowledge as the years went by. Although its been over half a decade now (which is utterly terrifying to admit!), that interest hasn’t left me.

I can’t be as active here as I once was - but I’ll always look up to the men in Easy Company as heroes who inspired a kid to do something very out of the ordinary and stick with it no matter what.

Now I am honored and incredibly grateful to be able to say I’m able to share the stories of the Second World War to thousands of you as the largest WW2 focused Instagram page on the platform.

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