How to join the National World War II Museum’s celebration for ‘Band of Brothers’ 25th annivesary
“Band of Brothers” had the unfortunate timing to premiere just two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. It took a significant rating hit, dropping from 10 million viewers for its first episode to little more than half of that by its last. HBO stopped marketing the series because audiences were not ready for a series filled with war violence.
In the 25 years that followed, however, the series became one of the most iconic World War II stories ever told, and one that still continues to find new audiences. It is also widely considered to be one of the best series HBO has ever made.
In celebration of those 25 years, the National World War II Museum in New Orleans is holding a special symposium for the show, a two-day event featuring members of the cast and creative team behind HBO’s epic miniseries. From Jul. 31 to Aug. 1, 2026, guests can hear behind-the-scenes insights from the actors, stories about the making of the series, and firsthand accounts from real Easy Company veterans through preserved oral histories.
There will also be the opportunity to meet and get autographed memorabilia from the cast, whose lives have been changed by their work on the show.
A key part of “Band of Brothers'” enduring legacy is the dedication Executive Producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg had to creating an accurate retelling of Easy Company’s story. The source material was historian Stephen Ambrose’s (a founder of the World War II Museum) book, “Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne: From Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.”
Ambrose was a co-executive producer for the series, and the veterans of Easy Company were deeply involved with its production, and, of course, provided first-hand interviews that were shown in every one of the series’ 10 episodes.
Beyond historical accuracy, the story of the men of the 506th resonates because each one of them was a real person, sometimes flawed, but deeply human. And though Easy Company might be gone, their memory persists in the cast of “Band of Brothers,” who often met and worked with the veterans or their surviving family members, to understand these men, what drove them, and how they interacted with each other.
Actor Mark Lawrence, who portrayed William Dukeman, Jr. in the series, told the documentary filmmakers of “Band of Brothers Legacy” that, though he didn’t get to meet Dukeman, he was forever changed by the man’s memory—and his family.
“I wanted to be honest. It is a real person, somebody’s grandson—or should have been,” Lawrence said. “It’s something that I carry with me every day… he’s responsible for a lot of things in my life. I met my wife through the show. She was a fan, and I came to the US and ended up getting married and ended up living in Colorado where he was from, which is crazy.”
“And then our wedding anniversary is D-Day, June the 6th, which was kind of planned, but she’s pissed off because I never get to see her on that day anymore,” Lawrence continued. “I just feel that I’m indebted to him for a lot of things. He’s first on my pray list, I do thank him and I talk to him. I know it sounds crazy, but I do… I asked the family if I could get his service number tattooed and they said yeah, and I was just honored.”
For more behind-the-scenes talk from the men of Easy Company and the actors who got to know them in the 25 years since the premiere of HBO’s “Band of Brothers” (or to register for the symposium), check out the National World War II Museum’s “Band of Brothers” website.
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