Noah Halili - Paratroopers Refusing the Return

    One of the consistent themes among the paratroopers in Easy Company is their willingness to continue fighting against all odds. In some cases, this involves what Campbell describes as a refusal of the return. Two examples in Band of Brothers can be found in Sergeant Robert “Popeye” Wynn and Staff Sergeant Joe Toye. Both paratroopers were wounded during the war and given the opportunity to leave Easy Company. However, both men completed their service during WWII as a part of Easy Company. 

Easy Company saw some of the most deadly action during WWII and played an extremely crucial role in the Allied victory in Europe. Both Popeye and Toye were a part of the original Easy Company and jumped alongside their fellow paratroopers during the D-Day invasion. In the case of Popeye, he ended up connecting with the then Lieutenant Richard Winters and participated in the attack on Brecourt Manor along with Joe Toye. During this battle, Popeye was wounded and eventually sent to a military hospital. However, while he recovered, he received word that Easy Company was going to continue moving into Europe which would result in them leaving him behind. When given the opportunity to return home or even rejoin the war effort with a different company, Popeye chose to reunite with Easy Company on the front lines. Despite his injury, he refused to leave the journey that the company was embarking on and refused his opportunity to potentially return home. 

Similar to Popeye, Joe Toye was shown as having a wounded arm at one point in the war. In Episode 7: The Breaking Point, Toye returns to Easy Company with his arm in a sling. Some of the men express concern and surprise at seeing the injured Staff Sergeant rejoining their ranks. When asked how he had returned, Toye explained that he had left the military hospital secretly so that he could rejoin them before they moved on. Staff Sergeant Toye had the opportunity to heal and potentially leave the war effort for a time but instead chose to return to the frontlines with his injured arm, thus refusing the return. These two men represent a number of Easy Company soldiers who would refuse their chance to return home because they desired to be with their brothers-in-arms on the frontline. As such, they embody this aspect of the Hero’s Journey described in Campbell’s writing.

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