[August 29, 2001] Steven Spielberg with my father’s D-Day sketch at the Band of Brothers premiere, Hollywood Bowl. Dad was the second person to exit behind Dick Winters on D-Day.

T/Sgt. Pat Christenson, who served in Easy Company, 506th PIR, was known for his drawing skills. Major Winters had some of Christenson’s artwork and shared them with Playtone while they were developing the Band of Brothers series. In a letter to the Christenson family written in 1999, Winters mentioned that he had received several copies of Christenson’s drawings over the years and had shared them with Playtone to help with the series’ background. During a visit to Playtone headquarters, Winters was pleased to see that Christenson’s paintings were displayed prominently.

At the Band of Brothers premiere, 45 of Christenson’s drawings were shown. A family member attended the event in his place and noted being next to Spielberg during the premiere. This individual believed that Christenson’s drawings contributed to the series’ realistic feel.

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