Noah Halili - Interior Journey to Vengeance

  While some soldiers changed in WWII by growing tired and depressed over the war, Corporal Joseph Liebgott’s journey involved him growing from a bloodthirsty paratrooper into a vengeful jew. In the past blogs, I have discussed how soldiers experience an interior journey that often changes their mental state. In the case of Corporal Liebgott, he experiences a mental shift that changes his motivation for fighting. 

Throughout the miniseries, Liebgott is shown as a violent individual who solely focuses on his ability to kill enemy troops. One scenario in episode 5: Crossroads shows Corporal Liebgott continuously firing his rifle into a pile of German bodies after a battle. It isn’t until Lieutenant Richard Winters grabs Liebgott that he stops shooting. Winters orders Liebgott to escort a small group of Nazi prisoners back to headquarters. However, he expresses doubt in Liebgott’s ability to control himself, choosing to empty Liebgott’s ammo and leave him with a singular shot. It was no secret that Liebgott enjoyed killing, but he was seemingly just a generally violent soldier. He never expresses any hatred specifically for the Nazi forces during this part of the war and seems to simply lack discipline.

It is later in the war when Liebgott’s interior journey takes a turn. Episode 9: Why We Fight, involved Easy Company’s entrance into Germany. It is during this time that a scouting patrol discovers a Nazi concentration camp hidden in the forest. The audience comes to learn that Liebgott is Jewish and upon seeing the concentration camps, he is filled with grief and disgust. Later on in the series, the viewers witness Easy Company after their success in Europe as they await their orders after the German surrender. During this time, Corporal Liebgott, along with two other soldiers, invade a man’s home who Liebgott believes is a Nazi sympathizer. This is the most uncontrolled we see Liebgott as he is completely blinded by his vengeance and chooses to ignore one of his fellow soldiers who tries to deescalate the situation. Liebgott ultimately shoots the German man and orders one of the other troopers to finish the job as the man attempts to flee. 

Unlike other soldiers we have discussed, Liebgott’s interior journey takes him from a place of violence to a place of vengeance and hatred. When we first meet Liebgott, he seems to simply hate the situation of the war and just wants to punish anyone in his way. However, his interior journey comes to its climax as he begins hunting anyone who could potentially support the Nazi forces. He begins to justify his actions by arguing that they failed to show mercy to his people. Whereas other soldiers grew tired of the conflict and entered a depressed state, Corporal Liebgott’s journey resulted in him growing hateful and less merciful. His story serves as an alternative to the interior journey we see often with the other members of Easy Company. 

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