Blithe actually survived, he was sent back to the States in October of 44, and never rejoined the company, he went on to serve on Korea, the reason he was assumed to have died was due to him never even reaching out to any of the men from Easy Company
I know! It's so cool they accidentally got it wrong, mainly because his story went on and he was able to return a veteran. I watched the interview where Winters discusses Blithe and his continued service.
The man severely injured at 9.25 was Ed Tipper. Many of the veterans had believed he'd died of his wounds until he turned up for a reunion after the war. He lost the sight of one eye, and his legs took years to heal, but he walked with a cane. He went on to be a teacher for 30 years, became a father at the age of 61, and lived to the grand old age of 95, dying in 2017 ....
It was hysterical blindness that Blithe had. He got so scared his mind told him "no more, you're blind". Winters telling him he was ok was all he needed.
Indeed it was a mental response to what we now know as PTSD or what they called at the time Combat Fatigue. This rare state is contributed to the brain being over whelmed by stress and will shut down 1 or more senses to limit the information processing. Some go completely numb others like Blithe go blind others experience hearing loss or loss of taste
I've personally experienced loss of taste in battle, but it wasn't complete loss. There was just an overpowering taste of something in my mouth@@goaway152
It just pays testimony to who Winters was as their commanding officer. Instead of chastising or interrogating his men, he lets them know that he’s still proud of them and that it’s going to be okay. For all we know, Blithe may have been faking it, Winters may have even suspected that. But he still held back his judgement and simply encouraged Blithe to take it easy and that it was going to be okay.
@@thesaltyengineer6086 Hysterical blindness isn't PTSD. It's a form of panic. PTSD is something else entirely. Hysterical blindness is usually temporary, while PTSD is long term, sometimes lasting the entire remaining life of a person.
One interesting thing about this episode is seeing the different types of leadership and the different ways of coping with the horror of war -- all seen though the eyes of Private Blithe. Winter's professonalism: "You take it easy" Harry's cynicism: "It's all a game. Have a drink" Speir's nihilism: "You're already in dead and in hell. What's to fear?"
To some degree Spiers attitude is the "buda" attitude of Japanese Samurai, if you consider yourself to be already dead then you will perform better as a warrior and are in fact less likely to die because of it. From the Kagakure: "The Way of the Samurai is found in death. Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one's body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears, and swords. Being carried away by surging waves. Being thrown into the midst of a great fire. Being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake. Falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease, or committing seppuku at the death of one's master. And every day, without fail, one should consider himself as dead. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai."
@@aikighost Interesting. Thanks for sharing that. It would not surprise me to find a similar ethos among ancient Spartan warriors. There seems to be something universal in this kind of warrior archetype.
@@citizenghosttownI don't know about Spartans, but vikings longed for death in battle believing that if you died in battle you would go to Valhalla, but if you died in nearly any other way you weren't sent to Valhalla, but another realm where your skill as a warrior wouldn't matter of be applicable. It's part of why vikings were so feared, they wanted to die in battle because any other death was "dishonorable" in a sense, so they fought like madmen.
In later research, after the movie was made, they found out that Blythe lived until 1967. He died from a perforated ulcer in Germany while on active duty. Buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full honors. Service 1942-1967 Final Rank Master Sargeant
@@LUR1FAX Same with Sobel - even the Easy veterans credited their survival to his hardass attitude in training. Also, while he certainly wasn't a leader of Winters' caliber, he did his fair share of combat. They also gloss over a lot in the portrayal of Dike who they painted as a spineless coward that cracked under pressure - instead of the, if uninspirational, leader that he was. But then again, it's Ambrose. The guy is about as much a historian as the Ancient Aliens dude.
@@agp11001the issue is with getting accounts from these men is sometimes things being said can be said with the goggles of being biased. Winters and a few other men openly just didn’t like Dike on a personal level. So they weren’t going to find anything positive to say about him. It’s left out in the episode of Foy that he was actually wounded and that’s why he stopped his forward movement. Not that he was some incompetent loser. He was awarded a bronze star twice for heroics, he pulled wounded men out of harms way to safety in Bastogne. In holland he rounded up scattered paratroopers in and attacked enemy positions.
Quick note about this episode...the makers of the show could not portray the terrain around Carentan the way it really was, so it is really hard for people to understand why the troops went straight up the road to get into the town. The Germans had flooded all the areas around Carentan, and the only ways into the town were across the few raised causeways...which the Germans defended heavily. There was no option for the Americans trying to get into the town but to get across the causeways as fast as possible, there was no way to approach the town under cover or concealment. The makers of the show did the best they could, but there was just no way for them to show how really constrained the access points to the town were. It is one of the reasons I recommend that channel The Operations Room to folks....because they show the real battles so you can see the few important things they could not get historically correct show in the series.👍
@brudnick39 you don’t know me but I have inadvertently followed you across so many reactions to Hacksawridge, Saving Private Ryan, The Pacific & best of all Band of Brothers! Keep doing what your doing man! Love seeing your info under these vids
Love that channel man. Their content is top notch. The one they made about Desert Storm with all the animations is outstanding. ( not that the others are not )
@@hubbabubba8083 Wow...thank you...that is a huge compliment and I hugely appreciate your kind words. It is amazing to get confirmation that my information is actually getting to folks on the platform.💯😊
Makes sense. Night was not an option or smoke? I also read it was critical that they keep moving because it was a multi-prong attack to put maximum pressure call to the germans. I think they were supposed to be attacked from multiple directions simultaneously.
Ron Livingston who played Capt.Nixon went to a actors boot camp with the other actors, and HBO gave him a personal camera to document his and the other actors experiences. It’s something fun to check out after you finish the series
They really did Blithe dirty in this. I saw an interview with Winters and he was really angry about it. Blithe went back into the Airborne and jumped behind enemy lines in Korea as a Master Seargent. He earned the bronze star with 2 oak leaf clusters and a silver star. He never left the military. He died in 1967 from complications from a perforated ulcer and was buried in Arlington National Cemetary with full honors.
The mix-up initially happened because two of the veterans went to the funeral of an Albert Blythe in Philadelphia in 1948. They didn't realise it wasn't the same guy. The story was then told to Stephen Ambrose later and he put it into the book without fact checking.
@@Dana001Later revisions corrects this mistake. This is what happens when you collect data from soldiers who might not know the story themselves. People criticize Ambrose about that but I didn't see any problem with the book. If anyone is on the fence about reading the book after watching the HBO series I recommend it, there is a short section about Shifty Powers that they don't show in the TV series that was fun to read.
This series amped up my interest in WWII history and started my collection of WWII veterans autographs. At last count 67 members of Easy Company. Sadly, they've all passed.
I was thinking the same. Our hostess has such emotional honesty in reacting to the awful reality of warfare; you can tell her imagination is working to put her in the scene.
I always enjoy seeing the contrast of Winters, Welsh, and Speirs. Each one of them brought something to the table that was truly valuable. Winters calm demeanor and the constant statement of “follow me.” Speirs understanding that in life no one makes it out alive, so all you can do is move forward. Welsh never taking any situation so seriously where you can’t crack some jokes and knowing that gallows humor is important in these scenarios. Each of these men had characteristics that all leaders should embrace and embody if they want to be successful.
So while Blithe and the terrain around Carentan were explained, I've got a bit about Blithe and his 'hysterical blindness'. The moment when it happens in the alleyway leaves out what actually caused it, frankly probably because it was too gruesome (yes, even compared to the wounds they've showed this episode). The men who ran by him in the alley and into the road... Ran right into the blast of an artillery shell in a relatively narrow road. I don't want to use the term for the state they were supposedly in, I'll simply say if they could be identified, it was probably dog tags and anyone who knew who exactly was in that group... So essentially what he saw was so much to process that his brain temporarily shut down the source of the overstimulation. It can happen to some people under extreme stress, often when there is a sudden jump in the intensity/stimulation of the stressor.
Sensory overload is a common descriptor (idk how accurate it is) but in certain extremely stressful situations your brain can't process every sense and will just "turn off" any sense that it thinks isn't necessary in that exact moment. One of the most common examples in modern war is that many soldiers report that during assault on buildings their machine guns (which are normally extremely loud, especially in enclosed spaces) sound very muffled if they even hear them at all. It's a defense mechanism of our brains, but it can be flawed and "choose" the wrong sense to turn off, or at least choose an inadvantagous sense to disable, being able to still hear could save your life in combat, although so could every other sense, so it's a crap shoot.
I was a medic in the 80s who - thankfully - never saw action. But we had to study, simulate, and war-game real-world wounds and tactical situations that medics encounter and treat - and try to survive. This episode did a good job of illustrating some of a medic's experience. Troops take good care of their medics and try to protect you because you are the only doctor they have in a firefight. But you're also a huge target for the enemy because of that. I know a corpsman who was in Iraq who survived multiple IEDs and received a medal for treating a marine in a humvee under fire - when everyone else had been forced to evacuate it. He owns a software engineering firm now yet still moonlights as a deputy sheriff. Part of him is still in the war and he uses the hyper vigilance to keep protecting people. It was a privilege to be a sounding board for him when no one else understood the professional medical work he had to do under insane circumstances. He had to start IVs on guys while under constant fire and he told about a time when he screwed up and the IV didn't infuse properly and he lost the guy. I have never been shot at. But I did know exactly what starting IVs was like and I was able to reassure him that any mistakes he might have made were absolutely understandable and totally not his fault. Even in perfect conditions in a hospital setting, mistakes can be made by seasoned nurses. To have only a handful of errors while in a chaotic nightmare scenario was a hell of an achievement. I let him know that.
The main reason I've come to enjoy this episode involves its exploration of perspective from the soldiers' points of view and just how many perspectives there are. Blithe frames the episode almost as a POV character. But through Blithe, and his very relatable struggles with fear, we also see Perconte and Talbert collecting war trophies with amusement and enthusiasm, Winters as steadfast as ever (even under machine gun fire, standing in the middle of a road trying to get his men to move out of the killzone; even after getting shot, he doesn't slow down), Luz with his undying sense of humor, Malarky and Penkala who divert themselves with rumors about the shadowy LT Speirs, Nixon who despite being in war torn France can't help but show off his Ivy League education, LT Welsh whose cynicism moves him to view war more as sadistic sport than anything, Speirs who coldly recommends abandonment of sentiment and hope for full lethal efficiency - all of these soldiers are portrayed as dealing with the gravity of their duties and experiences in their own ways. None of the perspectives are portayed as "wrong" exactly, and it is left to the audience to judge them. In this way, Blithe as a protagonist of the episode is another perspective among many on the horrors of war, and perhaps the most relatable to the audience, for as Tim O'Brien once said "it is against all we are taught in society to kill... yet in war it is expected without question." So it's extra emotional when Blithe finally overcomes, faces the enemy alongside his brothers, and then confirms his kill, because even though he does finally take a war trophy of his own, it's just a flower - nothing valuable - it's sentimental, and Blithe is ponderous rather than exultant, making the moment almost as tragic as it is victorious. It's very clever writing, and I appreciate how diversely they portray soldiers, as none are typified "tough guys" and all come across as very human.
I like that you get several mindsets about war. You get Blithe who is scared out of his mind. Harry who says it's just a game. Then Speirs who says you have to act like you're already dead. With Winter's helping Blithe to finally face his fear and find his courage. Everyone has to figure their own way to handle fear.
9:12 makes me cry almost every time When Tipper gets clipped by a mortar. Sad kind of stuff. One of the many super depressing and disturbing moments of Band of Brothers
I’ve seen several reaction channels and find myself enjoying yours the most. Your reactions are genuine, and your appreciation of the art and craft of storytelling is very much apparent. You also have the rare ability to let the story speak for itself without a lot of forced chatter. Great work. Subscribed.
I have to agree. I've seen your reaction videos to "The Godfather" series and being a fan of both that series and this and having watched both countless times, I found that you showed a better understanding of and appreciation for these movies.
I think this episode really does a great job at showing how at this point winters was the heart and sole of easy company. He is always there to lead and uplift his men not just sending them off to battle. He's literally in the field with them in every battle.
I'm glad people like yourself are watching this series. You likely never knew this generation but I did . Msybe they were your grandparents. They were my parents , my uncle's and aunts. So few are left now and the Greatest Gen and Silent Generations are different in that they really valued very basic things...church , family , friends .. doing a good job....being a stand up person in your community. I'm not saying it doesn't still exist with some people but it's wand and not really the same. I wish I'd taken the time to really get to know these people more. However this generation (just like with the soldiers coming back from war ) pretty much shared what they wished and that was it. I have immense respect for this whole era of Americans .They had to endure the depression and WW2 and those just a little older served in WW1 and lead in WW2. I'm not saying just church makes you a good person. I'm just stating their values . And they lived them.. I love them all. They gave us the opportunity to still have a future . How can you ever say thank you enough?
As a film maker myself, I love to see your reactions to all these movies and episodes. You have a clear view of what it takes to tell a good story. Your comments on acting, camera and editing are usually spot on. Love your channel. Keep it up.
This series always makes my eyes water and I am not that emotional. I am not a robot but I have been hardened with life events or experiences. I like Band of Brothers because I myself have had a Band of Brothers. I served in the U.S. Army and my job or MOS was 11 Bravo or Infantry. I joined the Army before 9/11 and I may have taken a job where seeing combat was more likely to see combat, it was how I wanted to serve my country. I served in the 25 ID and my brigade deployed to Iraq in 2004. We were told we were going to be peacekeepers there, we were anything but peacekeepers. We didn't know an insurgency or a second war was going to start after the initial invasion. I got my Band of Brothers that I fought side by side with. I didn't fight for medals or money I fought for my brother in arms, the ones that were fighting for me.
I have 3 sons in the USARMY, two went to war for a long time. I remember the time a PBS reporter was interviewing a USARMY General. This guy had two sons, both career army, and a daughter in law - career army. They were all deployed into combat situations. I suspect this reporter had never met a general. They really aren't fluffy. Reporter: "Sir, do you believe the American public understands the level of sacrifice of your family and all military families?" General: "No, no they don't. They have no clue." When you are watching the news and live combat, and you know one of your sons is in the middle of it. Then, and only then will you have an opportunity to understand. BoB is very accurate. IT scares the hell out of me how common folk just don't understand. I'm not judging HDA. I just think more veterans need to visit schools to remove the ignorance.
Well that’s true. But you know that scene in Lord of The Rings The Two Towers where Aragorn kicks the helmet? Viggo Mortensen broke his toe doing that, and his pained scream was real! Bet you didn’t know that. J/K, there are certain reaction video traditions. Everyone pointing out the same thing in certain reactions is one of them, and the Blithe error is a first ballot hall of fame example.
To be fair, it is a pretty glaring error in an otherwise very carefully-researched series. Especially because it involves the life and reputation of a real person, not just a fictional character.
At 15:48 what he tells him brought me back to when I asked my Dad about the Korean War he said something similar to this, I can't imagine the stress and horror he went through. God bless all those who served and the ones who never came back we are forever grateful 🙏🇺🇸
By the end of this journey you're going to remember all of their names. Every time I watch this series I get more and more attached to every one of these men. I can't explain it, but it's like they're family.
Also, most of the episodes revolve around a single "main character", which lets us get to know more about the main cast and their story through his eyes. Blythe serving that function in this ep, Winters for D-Day, arguably Sobel for Currahee even though that's more of an intro to everyone.
I really enjoy how deeply you get involved with anything you watch - good or bad - the lack of aloofness/detachment is refreshing. I look forward to your next video!!
The thing that always will strike me is how young they were when they went to war. Just teens if not young adults, most barely out of High School. I know it is repeated often, but to say they were “The Greatest Generation” is truly an understatement. My Mother’s Uncle was part of that Generation. The things they bore witness to and what they dealt with is something nobody can fathom.
I’ve spent about 7 hours watching movies with you over the past few days. Movies I’ve seen multiple times. I love watching movies with you. 1. You’re super clever, you see ahead, you interpret on the fly, you get nuances, clues and references. 2. Your appreciation of cinematography, of the art of the director of photography and the director is above the mere watcher into the realm of the expert. 3. Your empathy with and understanding of characters. 4. Your acknowledgment and appreciation of acting greatness. 5. With older movies your shock at representations of casual misogyny that belong(ed) in times past and would/should not be accepted today. 6. Your authenticity - especially you swearing and then outrage at outrageous things, rather than just laughing as many desensitised young people do - violence in art (movies) is supposed to shock, confront, create thoughts and visceral reactions and not simply be laughed off or cheered on. 7. You see things I missed, no matter it’s a movie I’ve seen many times. So, thank you. I’m enjoying your reactions immensely
I've been to Carentan several times, was there again this year. We travel to France every year from Ireland. Carentan is such a lovely lively bustling town today, you can still the bullet pock marks left in the middle of the town and around the church, just outside town is where Bloody Gulch was fought, Dead Man's corner and purple heart lane is just outside the town.
Blithe's turn around was amazing to watch. Seeing Winters standing tall firing at the Germans gave him the confidence he needed, also you know that Stug driver was obliterated taking that bazooka shell
The spades painted on the helmets made it easier for members of the 506th PIR to regroup after the drops. Other units used other shapes or symbols to identify themselves as well. Also the wide line on the back of Winters' helmet makes it easy for troops to identify him as a Lieutenant. And since it's on the back, it makes it more difficult for enemy troops to single out officers.
My grandfather was a paratrooper in WW2 & told me a few stories, like when some West point dipsh't would tell them to fix bayonet's, out came the fingers along with their shovels, the bayonet would screw up their aim & sometimes get stuck in an enemy soldier were as the shovel, if you put an edge on it would cleave an enemy's head right off with no fuss. West pointer's back then had something to prove at the expense of other people's lives, most of them had 0 combat experience but wanted to make their bones.
"That's Edelweiss. Mark of a true soldier." The edelweiss, otherwise known as Leontopodium alpinum, is a flower native to the Alps and is a national icon in Switzerland. The name, in German, is a combining of the words for ‘noble’ and ‘white.’ It’s beautiful, unique, and it grows more than 10,000 feet above sea level, so finding one means you’ve made quite the hike. Daring German troops would haul their gear straight up the mountain, reach the top of the tree line, and search for the precious little, white flower. If you saw someone who managed to bring one back down, you know they’d climbed mountains for it.
I know there are other comments that detail the general themes of this episode, but as I watch your reactions I start noticing these themes more and more. The obvious overarching point of episode 3 is fear. As FDR said "We have nothing to fear but fear itself". Band of Brothers creatively encapsulates this saying through its characters and how each approaches and subsequently deals with fear. The officers and enlisted each have a unique way of handling their own fear and the constant flow of war. Captain Winters faces the situation and with unwavering resolve presses forward, becoming an ensign of calm to his men. Spears is indifferent to fear and actively accepts his fate which can distill fear for himself. Blithe can't seem to overcome his fear but desperately doesn't want to let others down. He is afraid of either consequence of his choices, thrusting him into a paralyzed state that, with the help of Winters, eventually snaps out of and confronts his fears. I'm impressed by the way the creators and writers are able to present this theme and tell a mostly historically accurate story that is entertaining. For this, Band of Brothers is an excellent show that deserves the praise you are giving. Thankyou
They all did training. The guy who plays Major Sink is a veteran who has a company that basically trains actors in military combat. Some of the instructors, the dude on the horse are all part of his company too. Also, Ron Livingston has a behind the scenes video of them training for the series. It’s fantastic !
I stayed at the "Café De Normandy" in 1998 - decent accommodation, they do mini-bus tours of the battlegrounds - and Omaha beach military cemetery, a place any full-grown man would shed a tear as he pays his respects.
It also illustrates individual soldiers mentality or response to war. It also brings to light leadership styles that conjoin with the personality archetypes.
The little exchange between Spiers and Winters the night before the ridgeline fight is interesting. In contrast to the growing legend around him as being a bloodthirsty killer, Spiers is friendly, chatty, and empathetic with Winters, his peer officer from next company over. Kind of an early tell as to what his true character is behind the image that he puts on in front of the enlisted men.
The M4 Sherman was a great tank for its time, and a huge part of the successes we saw in WWII. There were many variations. It was an M4 that was featured in the movie “Fury”.
Yeah, at the cost of many tank crews lives. I know what tank I'd rather be in, and it's not the Sherman. They even got the nickname Tommy cookers, which says it all really.
Blithe had a condition known as Hysterical blindness, where you are under so much stress your body just stops accepting visual data. The condition is usually temporary ang goes away by itself when you calm down.
Yes, Blithe survives. One of the few mistakes Band of Brothers makes. Then went on to serve, with distinction in the Korean War. "The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it.” - Captain Ronald Speirs. He's more than a man of his word and will soon prove it for the entire company. Currahee ♠
So, in LOTR, in the scene where Aragorn is at the burned pile of Orcs in The Two Towers, and he kicks a helmet (or whatever), the actor (Viggo Mortensen) actually broke his toe, and his cry of pain was very genuine. :> I'm joking, I know you know, I just wanted to reference the inevitable flow of comments on Blithe's destiny.
Apparently in that scene if you look hard enough you can spot his Habs jersey (hockey team in Montreal) under his armor. I haven't spotted it yet but according to him it's there.
I was good friends with the Late William T. Wingett who was close friends with Blithe, Martin, Dukeman, Hoobler, Christiansen, and Gray and Dittrich and trained with them at Taccoa as a member of Easy. He said Blithe was depicted very wrong and they took film liberties with his friend because he wasn’t there to have an input. This really ticked him off. He vouched for Blithe and expressed how “sharp and fierce he was in combat”. And how he was “100% reliable”.
This is an amazing series that reflects almost every side of American volunteers... wish a native was on Easy but we have one of the highest volunteer rates and although i chose the med field... Ive heard countless stories ranging from Iwo Jima (my code talker Uncle), to Vietnam (both my Marine Mom and Navy dad) to enduring freedom, desert storm (my Marine brother, Navy, Army and Air force cousins). Some of my younger cousins/nephews got deployed recently to address the current overseas conflict.
Pay close attention to the "old guys" at the beginning of each episode - you 'll appreciate it when you get to the last episode. Thank You for the genuine reaction. God Bless!
I just realized that you'd said something about the sound editing? I believe the impact sounds from gunshot wounds are the same that they used for saving Private Ryan. Dale dye (he also plays Colonel sink in this) is a marine, I Believe, but was also in saving Private Ryan, and had legitimate complaints about how unrealistic the sound effects were for a body impact sound, as opposed to bullets hitting maybe a patch of dirt or rock. He took them to a gun range, and had them set up recording equipment to catch the impact sounds from the bullets as he shot at different cuts of meat of different weights, from different distances. The impact sounds are actually the recordings from that. Pretty freaking cool, huh?
You are the best! Thank you for making the journey through these films and with the stories of all the brave (and some who weren't so brave) men who fought in that terrible but heroic war (like my Dad)!
The counter attack featured elite versus elite. Both paratrooper groups were considered elite as well the small element of German armor from the 2SS panzer division. It was the vanguard of the US 2nd Armor that that finally drove the Germans back.
I think the term you were looking for is called hysterical blindness, it is a very real psychological affliction thought to be brought on by extreme fear, the subconscious starts turning off certain senses to escape the cause. It's subconscious, not controllable.
It's such a blast watching along with you, thank you. Some background information for what happend between the end of this episode and the next : Lip announces the Company that they're moving out, they had another combat jump planned behind german lines, but as they were getting ready to go, General Patton's forces in mainland Europe overran their drop zone (which was then no longer behind German lines) and the whole operation was canned. Rince and repeat three or four times, and you get to the beginning of episode 4.
This is just an incredible series. The battle scenes are so realistic that they make you feel like you're in the middle of it. I'm really enjoying your reactions to it! There are tough, sometimes heart-wrenching times ahead, but it'll be worth it in the end. This series should be mandatory viewing in every high school in the country. We owe so much to our greatest generation. Great reaction, young lady. 👍👍
You have a fine insight into the feelings and emotions of the actors. Who will ever know what the actual troops went trough. If you saw Private Ryan the massacre on the beach was due to Eisenhower foolishly listening to the air generals that they would take out the Atlantic Wall. (Not One of their bombs hit within a 1/4 mile of the wall. They did wakeup the Germans though , who hammered our forces.) Navy Ships afraid of short drops by air units stayed 11 miles offshore! They could not see the beach, and also accomplished nothing. If you want to learn more see my detailed works, (12yrs R&W), FATAL FLAWS 1-3
Ames - You're holding up pretty well though these. This stuff is so real. Regarding the actors, the ones portraying members of Easy Company went thru rigorous training with Dale Dye (who plays Colonel Robert Sink in this, and also trained the men of Saving Private Ryan). Other men did not go through that training purposely so that you could feel the difference between them and the camaraderie of the men in Easy on the screen. Several of the original members of Easy Company were also present for the actors to learn from. Also, I know that others have mentioned that Blithe actually survived. But, the reason mistakes like this were made in the script, is because the original sources (the men who told these stories) didn't know at the time. After the documentary came out, family members reached out and filled in the missing pieces. I can imagine it's hard to keep track of everyone in such a chaotic situation, but I'm so glad they told their stories anyway.
There's a great scene in this episode where the chaplain is praying over the fallen men but in the next scene, two easy company soldiers clear a table with a cross on it to set up a machine gun. Very symbolic of the reality of war.
Another artistic liberty the show took is how Easy Company won the battle. While the 2nd Armored Division did relieve E Company later in the day, it wasn’t like they showed up in the nick of time. It was actually mortars that drove off the German attack.
Mark Warren is a British actor, and he had difficulty mimicking the South Philly accent of the real Blythe, so they made him a southern boy. He did an amazing job. The scene in the last episode where Spiers kills all those prisoners reflects the rumors that were growing about him, not reality. He did kill prisoners on D-Day, but under very different and understandable circumstances
The actors who did have interactions with the actual vets said the vets did not give up their personal stories but would give reliable accounts of the other vets. They had difficulty telling their horrific story with anyone who never experienced war.
A few of the actors actually got to meet the people they played. I want to say the person who played Bill Guarnere were great friends till Bill eventually passed away in 2014. These actors did SO well playing all these men, and how they portray the emotions each episode. Anytime I see Donnie Walhberg in any of his other roles I instantly think of him playing Sergeant Lipton.
My brother was a tank gunner in the first gulf war in ‘91. He said the thing that gives him nightmares is running over bodies. He said you can feel the crunch as you go over the body.
I knew this was the episode where a solider went under the treads. I was wondering what she would say about it, her reaction alone said it all. An absolutely horrific thing to witness.
I was career tanker (1977 to 1999) and had the opportunity (more than once) to talk to German tank veterans. I remember one telling me "Every time I knocked out a Sherman, there were 4 more right behind it." Shermans were crappy tanks, but we made 49, 234 of them, compared to 10,086 StuG III tanks (what the vehicles depicting the German tanks are supposed to be) that the Germans built. Of course, throw in the 84, 070 T-34 tanks the Soviets cranked out and the Germans never really had a chance.
The bit with that poor guy to get crushed by the tank always gets to me... hearing his scream get suddenly cut short and followed by that sickening crunch sound... it's so viscerally horrifying.
Marc Warren (Blithe) also played Mr Teatime in Terry Pratchett's The Hogfather. Definitely worth a watch. He's a terrific actor and comparing these two roles really shows his range. Love the reactions. Much love!
Love your reaction to this episode! About Blithe. I think the TV series claim he never recovered from being shot in the collar bone, and died in 1948. According to Wikipedia, he recovered, but not in time to serve again in WW2. But he did serve in Korea, including jumping behind enemy lines there, and got a Bronze Star and a Silver Star for his service in Korea. He never retired from active service, and died in December 1967 from an acutely perforated ulcer, in Germany. While still on active duty. All according to Wikipedia. So he lived for 23 more years after getting shot in France. Hopefully enjoying life, as anyone alive should.
When I was young I had "The Sound of Music" on repeat on the newly purchased VHS. Having not seen it in over 30 years I watched it a few years back and was stunned that I could still sing along to every single song. It also reminded me of Blithe, one of the songs in the movie was Edelweiss.
Thanks for your reaction - love it :) The city of Carentan, which was the key to controlling the peninsula, was captured after two days of heavy fighting and had to be defended by the division against a German counterattack for another two days. Its not heroic enough to show that the 101st AD lost near 66% strenght in the first two days. So the scene with the Shermans is also nonsense. They standig cool af at the 50cal. The anti-tank scene is also just hollywood or heroic stuff. Stand on the open field an no one hits them - sure :)
The actors met with the men they were portraying and actually had the ability to change scenes if their counterparts didn't agree with what was happening. For example, if an actor was going to be in a scene at a farm but his counterpart said he wasn't there, he could go to the director and ask to not be in the scene. There is a great podcast about the series where each episode focuses on an individual and they go into great detail about the veteran they portray.
Another outstanding reaction! .......For much, much more background on BofB, there is a series of podcasts that HBO did on the 20th anniversary of the series release. Each episode of the podcast is just a wealth of information from the actors, writers, directors who worked on the series. Pretty certain you'd enjoy it. In any case, thanks for posting.............
Considering that Blythe actually passed away in 1967 (not 1948), and sort of fell out of communication with Easy company in the years following WW2, its sort of crazy that Speilberg and Hanks formed an entire epi of this great series around him. It was still a great episode.
Great reactions. I truly appreciate your insights and understanding of the stories and men involved, in addition to the appreciation for the work done behind the camera.
patton would have called that man a coward...he is clearly suffering from shell shock..war is no picnic...any man who faces the business end of a gun has my utmost respect.
Great reactions... Just like actually being in combat, this movie depicts things that you just can't unsee. You would think that with all of the horrors of war, it would never happen but I believe it's human nature to destroy and kill that has to be fulfilled by politicians that never have to do it themselves.
He did a great job in a minor recurring role in a season or two on The Good Wife. He also plays the title role in the British show Van Der Valk (sp?) I never cease to be amazed how well many actors from the UK do American accents so well.
if you ever find the time, read Band of Brothers or listen to the audiobook. There was a reason this series was made and that was it. It's just more in depth and not necessarily violence. Great anecdotes and a little more about after the war than this series covers.
As already commented Blithe didn't pass away, but live on after WW2. However as far as being a correct representation to the battle around Carentan it was different then represented. The battle is called Bloody Gulch and there's several good videos around properly breaking down and walking thru the actual battle.
I was in the 101st from 06 to 12. I meet maj. Winters a few times. A great man. Soft spoken. I have a 101st flag signed by him right before he passed. I would suggest to watch the pacific and generation kill next.
The scene where Winters talks to Blithe about losing his sight was almost exactly as it actually happened. Certain people who were there confirmed it (I don't want to reveal too much for future episodes).
Just shows how great Winters was as a leader. For all we knew, he may have suspected that Blithe was faking it. But he held back his judgement and didn’t interrogate or chastise Blithe. He just wants to make sure his men were fit enough to carry on.
Loved your reactions to this episode, Ames. And despite the inaccuracies regarding Blithe, this episode is brought to life by a superb performance from British actor Marc Warren.
Jup, even though D-Day was a hell too, this is where "Sh*t hit the fan* so to speak. More of that, later in "Nuenen." Where Winters and Nixon say "Old men and boys huh..." It would turn out the German resistance, even though their losses in the East, would turn out far more resilient and capable than anticipated. This is truly a 10/10 series just like The Pacific (a recommender, Ames) and i keep re-watching it from time to time as a Dutch former Red beret
One of the earliest previews shown on network TV prior to the initial BOB HBO debut in Sept 2001 were scenes from this Carentan episode encounter with German armor. It may have been on the Tonight show, but I remember watching the clips and thinking to myself, "This is gonna be good!" The series certainly did not disappoint..
The entirety of the 506th Regiment had spades on their helmets. Other regiments had clubs, diamonds, and hearts. You’re right, it was for easily identifying one from another and who to regroup with
So, for the next 9 months, The Allies and "Easy" company would have to fight their way from the coast to Berlin and into Germany.. The worst is yet to come ..... Loved the reaction Ames!
this young lady watching the film is having a true reaction to war conflict ,she will never forget what she has just seen ,although its a film ,its reality based
I've had to deal with hysterical blindness twice. First was my sister and the high school frog dissection. Second was a woman I pulled out of a car wreck. The blindness scares them as much as whatever scared them originally. Once they calm down their sight comes back.
Blithe actually survived, he was sent back to the States in October of 44, and never rejoined the company, he went on to serve on Korea, the reason he was assumed to have died was due to him never even reaching out to any of the men from Easy Company
He died in 1967. He was career military, and died while still a part of the army.
Heard he even won military awards while serving in the Korea war.
He made Master Sergeant before he died. He was a hard SOB!
True
I know! It's so cool they accidentally got it wrong, mainly because his story went on and he was able to return a veteran. I watched the interview where Winters discusses Blithe and his continued service.
The man severely injured at 9.25 was Ed Tipper. Many of the veterans had believed he'd died of his wounds until he turned up for a reunion after the war. He lost the sight of one eye, and his legs took years to heal, but he walked with a cane. He went on to be a teacher for 30 years, became a father at the age of 61, and lived to the grand old age of 95, dying in 2017 ....
That's inspiring as hell! I never knew that.
Airborne all the way!! Hooah
I remember reading about that! Holy hell, what a legend!
Yep! Tipper is the man in the intro who says that he expected to either be killed instantly or he'd get through without a scratch.
Wow, I'm glad to know tipper made it through, and a full life
It was hysterical blindness that Blithe had. He got so scared his mind told him "no more, you're blind". Winters telling him he was ok was all he needed.
Indeed it was a mental response to what we now know as PTSD or what they called at the time Combat Fatigue. This rare state is contributed to the brain being over whelmed by stress and will shut down 1 or more senses to limit the information processing. Some go completely numb others like Blithe go blind others experience hearing loss or loss of taste
yep it can happen with taste and hearing as well. the brain shuts down anything you can go without for a short time to preserve itself.
I've personally experienced loss of taste in battle, but it wasn't complete loss. There was just an overpowering taste of something in my mouth@@goaway152
It just pays testimony to who Winters was as their commanding officer. Instead of chastising or interrogating his men, he lets them know that he’s still proud of them and that it’s going to be okay. For all we know, Blithe may have been faking it, Winters may have even suspected that. But he still held back his judgement and simply encouraged Blithe to take it easy and that it was going to be okay.
@@thesaltyengineer6086 Hysterical blindness isn't PTSD. It's a form of panic. PTSD is something else entirely. Hysterical blindness is usually temporary, while PTSD is long term, sometimes lasting the entire remaining life of a person.
One interesting thing about this episode is seeing the different types of leadership and the different ways of coping with the horror of war -- all seen though the eyes of Private Blithe.
Winter's professonalism: "You take it easy"
Harry's cynicism: "It's all a game. Have a drink"
Speir's nihilism: "You're already in dead and in hell. What's to fear?"
To some degree Spiers attitude is the "buda" attitude of Japanese Samurai, if you consider yourself to be already dead then you will perform better as a warrior and are in fact less likely to die because of it.
From the Kagakure:
"The Way of the Samurai is found in death. Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one's body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears, and swords. Being carried away by surging waves. Being thrown into the midst of a great fire. Being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake. Falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease, or committing seppuku at the death of one's master. And every day, without fail, one should consider himself as dead. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai."
@@aikighost Interesting. Thanks for sharing that. It would not surprise me to find a similar ethos among ancient Spartan warriors. There seems to be something universal in this kind of warrior archetype.
@@citizenghosttownI don't know about Spartans, but vikings longed for death in battle believing that if you died in battle you would go to Valhalla, but if you died in nearly any other way you weren't sent to Valhalla, but another realm where your skill as a warrior wouldn't matter of be applicable.
It's part of why vikings were so feared, they wanted to die in battle because any other death was "dishonorable" in a sense, so they fought like madmen.
In later research, after the movie was made, they found out that Blythe lived until 1967. He died from a perforated ulcer in Germany while on active duty. Buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full honors.
Service 1942-1967
Final Rank
Master Sargeant
Yep. He also volunteered to fight in Korea after WWII. Blithe was no coward. As good as the show is, they did take some liberties when writing it.
*Sergeant
@@LUR1FAX Same with Sobel - even the Easy veterans credited their survival to his hardass attitude in training. Also, while he certainly wasn't a leader of Winters' caliber, he did his fair share of combat.
They also gloss over a lot in the portrayal of Dike who they painted as a spineless coward that cracked under pressure - instead of the, if uninspirational, leader that he was.
But then again, it's Ambrose. The guy is about as much a historian as the Ancient Aliens dude.
@@LUR1FAX He wasn`t coward, he was shellshocked. But overcame it somehow.
@@agp11001the issue is with getting accounts from these men is sometimes things being said can be said with the goggles of being biased. Winters and a few other men openly just didn’t like Dike on a personal level. So they weren’t going to find anything positive to say about him. It’s left out in the episode of Foy that he was actually wounded and that’s why he stopped his forward movement. Not that he was some incompetent loser. He was awarded a bronze star twice for heroics, he pulled wounded men out of harms way to safety in Bastogne. In holland he rounded up scattered paratroopers in and attacked enemy positions.
Quick note about this episode...the makers of the show could not portray the terrain around Carentan the way it really was, so it is really hard for people to understand why the troops went straight up the road to get into the town. The Germans had flooded all the areas around Carentan, and the only ways into the town were across the few raised causeways...which the Germans defended heavily. There was no option for the Americans trying to get into the town but to get across the causeways as fast as possible, there was no way to approach the town under cover or concealment. The makers of the show did the best they could, but there was just no way for them to show how really constrained the access points to the town were.
It is one of the reasons I recommend that channel The Operations Room to folks....because they show the real battles so you can see the few important things they could not get historically correct show in the series.👍
@brudnick39 you don’t know me but I have inadvertently followed you across so many reactions to Hacksawridge, Saving Private Ryan, The Pacific & best of all Band of Brothers! Keep doing what your doing man! Love seeing your info under these vids
Love that channel man. Their content is top notch. The one they made about Desert Storm with all the animations is outstanding. ( not that the others are not )
@@hubbabubba8083 Wow...thank you...that is a huge compliment and I hugely appreciate your kind words. It is amazing to get confirmation that my information is actually getting to folks on the platform.💯😊
@@iKvetch558 very welcome minion man! Have a great day!
Makes sense. Night was not an option or smoke?
I also read it was critical that they keep moving because it was a multi-prong attack to put maximum pressure call to the germans. I think they were supposed to be attacked from multiple directions simultaneously.
Ron Livingston who played Capt.Nixon went to a actors boot camp with the other actors, and HBO gave him a personal camera to document his and the other actors experiences. It’s something fun to check out after you finish the series
They really did Blithe dirty in this. I saw an interview with Winters and he was really angry about it. Blithe went back into the Airborne and jumped behind enemy lines in Korea as a Master Seargent. He earned the bronze star with 2 oak leaf clusters and a silver star. He never left the military. He died in 1967 from complications from a perforated ulcer and was buried in Arlington National Cemetary with full honors.
I read in one of the vets' books that they thought Blithe was quite the badass, in fact.
The mix-up initially happened because two of the veterans went to the funeral of an Albert Blythe in Philadelphia in 1948. They didn't realise it wasn't the same guy. The story was then told to Stephen Ambrose later and he put it into the book without fact checking.
@@Dana001Or his fact checking could have been was an WW2 vet that was airborne named Blythe that funeralized that day.
They got Pike wrong too.
@@Dana001Later revisions corrects this mistake. This is what happens when you collect data from soldiers who might not know the story themselves. People criticize Ambrose about that but I didn't see any problem with the book. If anyone is on the fence about reading the book after watching the HBO series I recommend it, there is a short section about Shifty Powers that they don't show in the TV series that was fun to read.
This series amped up my interest in WWII history and started my collection of WWII veterans autographs. At last count 67 members of Easy Company. Sadly, they've all passed.
As a former airborne infantryman….. I appreciate her commentary and reactions. Restores my hope in humanity.
I was thinking the same. Our hostess has such emotional honesty in reacting to the awful reality of warfare; you can tell her imagination is working to put her in the scene.
The reaction videos are fun to watch, but you have to keep in mind she's running an entertainment channel, so she's playing to her audience.
@@angusmcculloch6653 Which is you
I always enjoy seeing the contrast of Winters, Welsh, and Speirs. Each one of them brought something to the table that was truly valuable. Winters calm demeanor and the constant statement of “follow me.” Speirs understanding that in life no one makes it out alive, so all you can do is move forward. Welsh never taking any situation so seriously where you can’t crack some jokes and knowing that gallows humor is important in these scenarios. Each of these men had characteristics that all leaders should embrace and embody if they want to be successful.
So while Blithe and the terrain around Carentan were explained, I've got a bit about Blithe and his 'hysterical blindness'. The moment when it happens in the alleyway leaves out what actually caused it, frankly probably because it was too gruesome (yes, even compared to the wounds they've showed this episode). The men who ran by him in the alley and into the road... Ran right into the blast of an artillery shell in a relatively narrow road. I don't want to use the term for the state they were supposedly in, I'll simply say if they could be identified, it was probably dog tags and anyone who knew who exactly was in that group...
So essentially what he saw was so much to process that his brain temporarily shut down the source of the overstimulation. It can happen to some people under extreme stress, often when there is a sudden jump in the intensity/stimulation of the stressor.
Sensory overload is a common descriptor (idk how accurate it is) but in certain extremely stressful situations your brain can't process every sense and will just "turn off" any sense that it thinks isn't necessary in that exact moment.
One of the most common examples in modern war is that many soldiers report that during assault on buildings their machine guns (which are normally extremely loud, especially in enclosed spaces) sound very muffled if they even hear them at all.
It's a defense mechanism of our brains, but it can be flawed and "choose" the wrong sense to turn off, or at least choose an inadvantagous sense to disable, being able to still hear could save your life in combat, although so could every other sense, so it's a crap shoot.
"You hid in that ditch because you think there's still hope." One of the heaviest lines I've ever heard in a war story.
That's what I tell guys that haven't been married very long
@@donaldshotts4429 I thought I was the only guy who did that!
A lot of truth to that statement
@@ralan350 I wouldn’t know. But, damn.
I’m loving that I get to see her learning military jargon and tactics just by watching. I’m in love with Ames from this.
I was a medic in the 80s who - thankfully - never saw action. But we had to study, simulate, and war-game real-world wounds and tactical situations that medics encounter and treat - and try to survive. This episode did a good job of illustrating some of a medic's experience. Troops take good care of their medics and try to protect you because you are the only doctor they have in a firefight. But you're also a huge target for the enemy because of that. I know a corpsman who was in Iraq who survived multiple IEDs and received a medal for treating a marine in a humvee under fire - when everyone else had been forced to evacuate it. He owns a software engineering firm now yet still moonlights as a deputy sheriff. Part of him is still in the war and he uses the hyper vigilance to keep protecting people. It was a privilege to be a sounding board for him when no one else understood the professional medical work he had to do under insane circumstances. He had to start IVs on guys while under constant fire and he told about a time when he screwed up and the IV didn't infuse properly and he lost the guy. I have never been shot at. But I did know exactly what starting IVs was like and I was able to reassure him that any mistakes he might have made were absolutely understandable and totally not his fault. Even in perfect conditions in a hospital setting, mistakes can be made by seasoned nurses. To have only a handful of errors while in a chaotic nightmare scenario was a hell of an achievement. I let him know that.
The main reason I've come to enjoy this episode involves its exploration of perspective from the soldiers' points of view and just how many perspectives there are. Blithe frames the episode almost as a POV character. But through Blithe, and his very relatable struggles with fear, we also see Perconte and Talbert collecting war trophies with amusement and enthusiasm, Winters as steadfast as ever (even under machine gun fire, standing in the middle of a road trying to get his men to move out of the killzone; even after getting shot, he doesn't slow down), Luz with his undying sense of humor, Malarky and Penkala who divert themselves with rumors about the shadowy LT Speirs, Nixon who despite being in war torn France can't help but show off his Ivy League education, LT Welsh whose cynicism moves him to view war more as sadistic sport than anything, Speirs who coldly recommends abandonment of sentiment and hope for full lethal efficiency - all of these soldiers are portrayed as dealing with the gravity of their duties and experiences in their own ways. None of the perspectives are portayed as "wrong" exactly, and it is left to the audience to judge them. In this way, Blithe as a protagonist of the episode is another perspective among many on the horrors of war, and perhaps the most relatable to the audience, for as Tim O'Brien once said "it is against all we are taught in society to kill... yet in war it is expected without question." So it's extra emotional when Blithe finally overcomes, faces the enemy alongside his brothers, and then confirms his kill, because even though he does finally take a war trophy of his own, it's just a flower - nothing valuable - it's sentimental, and Blithe is ponderous rather than exultant, making the moment almost as tragic as it is victorious.
It's very clever writing, and I appreciate how diversely they portray soldiers, as none are typified "tough guys" and all come across as very human.
I like that you get several mindsets about war. You get Blithe who is scared out of his mind. Harry who says it's just a game. Then Speirs who says you have to act like you're already dead. With Winter's helping Blithe to finally face his fear and find his courage. Everyone has to figure their own way to handle fear.
Well done with the reactions. These men are absolutely heroes. The episodes don't get any easier but are so worth it.
9:12 makes me cry almost every time When Tipper gets clipped by a mortar. Sad kind of stuff. One of the many super depressing and disturbing moments of Band of Brothers
I’ve seen several reaction channels and find myself enjoying yours the most. Your reactions are genuine, and your appreciation of the art and craft of storytelling is very much apparent. You also have the rare ability to let the story speak for itself without a lot of forced chatter. Great work. Subscribed.
I have to agree. I've seen your reaction videos to "The Godfather" series and being a fan of both that series and this and having watched both countless times, I found that you showed a better understanding of and appreciation for these movies.
I think this episode really does a great job at showing how at this point winters was the heart and sole of easy company. He is always there to lead and uplift his men not just sending them off to battle. He's literally in the field with them in every battle.
I'm glad people like yourself are watching this series. You likely never knew this generation but I did . Msybe they were your grandparents. They were my parents , my uncle's and aunts. So few are left now and the Greatest Gen and Silent Generations are different in that they really valued very basic things...church , family , friends .. doing a good job....being a stand up person in your community. I'm not saying it doesn't still exist with some people but it's wand and not really the same. I wish I'd taken the time to really get to know these people more. However this generation (just like with the soldiers coming back from war ) pretty much shared what they wished and that was it. I have immense respect for this whole era of Americans .They had to endure the depression and WW2 and those just a little older served in WW1 and lead in WW2. I'm not saying just church makes you a good person. I'm just stating their values . And they lived them.. I love them all. They gave us the opportunity to still have a future . How can you ever say thank you enough?
As a film maker myself, I love to see your reactions to all these movies and episodes. You have a clear view of what it takes to tell a good story. Your comments on acting, camera and editing are usually spot on. Love your channel. Keep it up.
Wow, thank you! Appreciate that! thanks for being here!
This series always makes my eyes water and I am not that emotional. I am not a robot but I have been hardened with life events or experiences. I like Band of Brothers because I myself have had a Band of Brothers. I served in the U.S. Army and my job or MOS was 11 Bravo or Infantry. I joined the Army before 9/11 and I may have taken a job where seeing combat was more likely to see combat, it was how I wanted to serve my country. I served in the 25 ID and my brigade deployed to Iraq in 2004. We were told we were going to be peacekeepers there, we were anything but peacekeepers. We didn't know an insurgency or a second war was going to start after the initial invasion. I got my Band of Brothers that I fought side by side with. I didn't fight for medals or money I fought for my brother in arms, the ones that were fighting for me.
I have 3 sons in the USARMY, two went to war for a long time. I remember the time a PBS reporter was interviewing a USARMY General. This guy had two sons, both career army, and a daughter in law - career army. They were all deployed into combat situations. I suspect this reporter had never met a general. They really aren't fluffy.
Reporter: "Sir, do you believe the American public understands the level of sacrifice of your family and all military families?"
General: "No, no they don't. They have no clue."
When you are watching the news and live combat, and you know one of your sons is in the middle of it. Then, and only then will you have an opportunity to understand.
BoB is very accurate. IT scares the hell out of me how common folk just don't understand. I'm not judging HDA. I just think more veterans need to visit schools to remove the ignorance.
Alright guys, the Blithe mistake has already been explained. We wont need 100 more comments saying the same thing
Well that’s true. But you know that scene in Lord of The Rings The Two Towers where Aragorn kicks the helmet? Viggo Mortensen broke his toe doing that, and his pained scream was real! Bet you didn’t know that.
J/K, there are certain reaction video traditions. Everyone pointing out the same thing in certain reactions is one of them, and the Blithe error is a first ballot hall of fame example.
Exactly!
Also, it hasn't been pointed out yet, but Blithe actually lived!
😁😇
Thank you!! My day hadn't been going so well, so I really needed this! @@stt5v2002
To be fair, it is a pretty glaring error in an otherwise very carefully-researched series. Especially because it involves the life and reputation of a real person, not just a fictional character.
Something happen to blithe?
At 15:48 what he tells him brought me back to when I asked my Dad about the Korean War he said something similar to this, I can't imagine the stress and horror he went through. God bless all those who served and the ones who never came back we are forever grateful 🙏🇺🇸
By the end of this journey you're going to remember all of their names. Every time I watch this series I get more and more attached to every one of these men. I can't explain it, but it's like they're family.
Also, most of the episodes revolve around a single "main character", which lets us get to know more about the main cast and their story through his eyes. Blythe serving that function in this ep, Winters for D-Day, arguably Sobel for Currahee even though that's more of an intro to everyone.
I really enjoy how deeply you get involved with anything you watch - good or bad - the lack of aloofness/detachment is refreshing.
I look forward to your next video!!
The thing that always will strike me is how young they were when they went to war. Just teens if not young adults, most barely out of High School. I know it is repeated often, but to say they were “The Greatest Generation” is truly an understatement. My Mother’s Uncle was part of that Generation. The things they bore witness to and what they dealt with is something nobody can fathom.
I'd say the "greatest generation" is the one that did both world wars, those poor dudes must have hated their lives.
I’ve spent about 7 hours watching movies with you over the past few days. Movies I’ve seen multiple times. I love watching movies with you. 1. You’re super clever, you see ahead, you interpret on the fly, you get nuances, clues and references. 2. Your appreciation of cinematography, of the art of the director of photography and the director is above the mere watcher into the realm of the expert. 3. Your empathy with and understanding of characters. 4. Your acknowledgment and appreciation of acting greatness. 5. With older movies your shock at representations of casual misogyny that belong(ed) in times past and would/should not be accepted today. 6. Your authenticity - especially you swearing and then outrage at outrageous things, rather than just laughing as many desensitised young people do - violence in art (movies) is supposed to shock, confront, create thoughts and visceral reactions and not simply be laughed off or cheered on. 7. You see things I missed, no matter it’s a movie I’ve seen many times. So, thank you. I’m enjoying your reactions immensely
I've been to Carentan several times, was there again this year. We travel to France every year from Ireland. Carentan is such a lovely lively bustling town today, you can still the bullet pock marks left in the middle of the town and around the church, just outside town is where Bloody Gulch was fought, Dead Man's corner and purple heart lane is just outside the town.
Blithe's turn around was amazing to watch. Seeing Winters standing tall firing at the Germans gave him the confidence he needed, also you know that Stug driver was obliterated taking that bazooka shell
When he said in the beginning"we all had fear but we had training handle it. Captain sobel deserves credit
The spades painted on the helmets made it easier for members of the 506th PIR to regroup after the drops. Other units used other shapes or symbols to identify themselves as well. Also the wide line on the back of Winters' helmet makes it easy for troops to identify him as a Lieutenant. And since it's on the back, it makes it more difficult for enemy troops to single out officers.
I'm glad you're continuing with this series. What can I say? I appreciate your appreciation of these men and what they went through and accomplished.
My grandfather was a paratrooper in WW2 & told me a few stories, like when some West point dipsh't would tell them to fix bayonet's, out came the fingers along with their shovels, the bayonet would screw up their aim & sometimes get stuck in an enemy soldier were as the shovel, if you put an edge on it would cleave an enemy's head right off with no fuss. West pointer's back then had something to prove at the expense of other people's lives, most of them had 0 combat experience but wanted to make their bones.
"That's Edelweiss. Mark of a true soldier."
The edelweiss, otherwise known as Leontopodium alpinum, is a flower native to the Alps and is a national icon in Switzerland. The name, in German, is a combining of the words for ‘noble’ and ‘white.’ It’s beautiful, unique, and it grows more than 10,000 feet above sea level, so finding one means you’ve made quite the hike.
Daring German troops would haul their gear straight up the mountain, reach the top of the tree line, and search for the precious little, white flower. If you saw someone who managed to bring one back down, you know they’d climbed mountains for it.
I know there are other comments that detail the general themes of this episode, but as I watch your reactions I start noticing these themes more and more. The obvious overarching point of episode 3 is fear. As FDR said "We have nothing to fear but fear itself". Band of Brothers creatively encapsulates this saying through its characters and how each approaches and subsequently deals with fear. The officers and enlisted each have a unique way of handling their own fear and the constant flow of war. Captain Winters faces the situation and with unwavering resolve presses forward, becoming an ensign of calm to his men. Spears is indifferent to fear and actively accepts his fate which can distill fear for himself. Blithe can't seem to overcome his fear but desperately doesn't want to let others down. He is afraid of either consequence of his choices, thrusting him into a paralyzed state that, with the help of Winters, eventually snaps out of and confronts his fears. I'm impressed by the way the creators and writers are able to present this theme and tell a mostly historically accurate story that is entertaining. For this, Band of Brothers is an excellent show that deserves the praise you are giving. Thankyou
They all did training. The guy who plays Major Sink is a veteran who has a company that basically trains actors in military combat. Some of the instructors, the dude on the horse are all part of his company too. Also, Ron Livingston has a behind the scenes video of them training for the series. It’s fantastic !
I forget where I saw it but he was giving a tour near Normandy along with some of the actors from this series. It's on youtube somewhere.
*Colonel Sink
I stayed at the "Café De Normandy" in 1998 - decent accommodation, they do mini-bus tours of the battlegrounds - and Omaha beach military cemetery, a place any full-grown man would shed a tear as he pays his respects.
I like the contrast between Lt Winters conversation with Blithe and Lt Spiers conversation with him. Each speech really illustrates their characters.
It also illustrates individual soldiers mentality or response to war. It also brings to light leadership styles that conjoin with the personality archetypes.
The little exchange between Spiers and Winters the night before the ridgeline fight is interesting. In contrast to the growing legend around him as being a bloodthirsty killer, Spiers is friendly, chatty, and empathetic with Winters, his peer officer from next company over. Kind of an early tell as to what his true character is behind the image that he puts on in front of the enlisted men.
The M4 Sherman was a great tank for its time, and a huge part of the successes we saw in WWII. There were many variations. It was an M4 that was featured in the movie “Fury”.
Yeah, at the cost of many tank crews lives. I know what tank I'd rather be in, and it's not the Sherman. They even got the nickname Tommy cookers, which says it all really.
The Stuart was even worse than the Sherman.....give me a Panzer...lol...
Blithe had a condition known as Hysterical blindness, where you are under so much stress your body just stops accepting visual data. The condition is usually temporary ang goes away by itself when you calm down.
Yes, Blithe survives. One of the few mistakes Band of Brothers makes. Then went on to serve, with distinction in the Korean War. "The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it.”
- Captain Ronald Speirs. He's more than a man of his word and will soon prove it for the entire company. Currahee ♠
So, in LOTR, in the scene where Aragorn is at the burned pile of Orcs in The Two Towers, and he kicks a helmet (or whatever), the actor (Viggo Mortensen) actually broke his toe, and his cry of pain was very genuine.
:>
I'm joking, I know you know, I just wanted to reference the inevitable flow of comments on Blithe's destiny.
Apparently in that scene if you look hard enough you can spot his Habs jersey (hockey team in Montreal) under his armor. I haven't spotted it yet but according to him it's there.
An American officer in WW2 coined the phrase Urban warfare is like a knife fight in a phone booth, and it's been used to describe it ever since.
I was good friends with the Late William T. Wingett who was close friends with Blithe, Martin, Dukeman, Hoobler, Christiansen, and Gray and Dittrich and trained with them at Taccoa as a member of Easy. He said Blithe was depicted very wrong and they took film liberties with his friend because he wasn’t there to have an input. This really ticked him off. He vouched for Blithe and expressed how “sharp and fierce he was in combat”. And how he was “100% reliable”.
This is an amazing series that reflects almost every side of American volunteers... wish a native was on Easy but we have one of the highest volunteer rates and although i chose the med field... Ive heard countless stories ranging from Iwo Jima (my code talker Uncle), to Vietnam (both my Marine Mom and Navy dad) to enduring freedom, desert storm (my Marine brother, Navy, Army and Air force cousins). Some of my younger cousins/nephews got deployed recently to address the current overseas conflict.
Pay close attention to the "old guys" at the beginning of each episode - you 'll appreciate it when you get to the last episode. Thank You for the genuine reaction. God Bless!
I just realized that you'd said something about the sound editing?
I believe the impact sounds from gunshot wounds are the same that they used for saving Private Ryan.
Dale dye (he also plays Colonel sink in this) is a marine, I Believe, but was also in saving Private Ryan, and had legitimate complaints about how unrealistic the sound effects were for a body impact sound, as opposed to bullets hitting maybe a patch of dirt or rock.
He took them to a gun range, and had them set up recording equipment to catch the impact sounds from the bullets as he shot at different cuts of meat of different weights, from different distances.
The impact sounds are actually the recordings from that.
Pretty freaking cool, huh?
You are the best! Thank you for making the journey through these films and with the stories of all the brave (and some who weren't so brave) men who fought in that terrible but heroic war (like my Dad)!
The counter attack featured elite versus elite. Both paratrooper groups were considered elite as well the small element of German armor from the 2SS panzer division. It was the vanguard of the US 2nd Armor that that finally drove the Germans back.
Still my favorite Band of Brothers episode. Gets me everytime.
I’m sad they’re all gone now. Rip heroes
The blindness caused by shock or trauma is a real thing and sadly in WW1 many men were exicuted as deserters/cowards for similar reactions.
I think the term you were looking for is called hysterical blindness, it is a very real psychological affliction thought to be brought on by extreme fear, the subconscious starts turning off certain senses to escape the cause. It's subconscious, not controllable.
@@DRAONWEED thankyou
It's such a blast watching along with you, thank you.
Some background information for what happend between the end of this episode and the next :
Lip announces the Company that they're moving out, they had another combat jump planned behind german lines, but as they were getting ready to go, General Patton's forces in mainland Europe overran their drop zone (which was then no longer behind German lines) and the whole operation was canned. Rince and repeat three or four times, and you get to the beginning of episode 4.
This is just an incredible series. The battle scenes are so realistic that they make you feel like you're in the middle of it. I'm really enjoying your reactions to it! There are tough, sometimes heart-wrenching times ahead, but it'll be worth it in the end. This series should be mandatory viewing in every high school in the country. We owe so much to our greatest generation. Great reaction, young lady. 👍👍
You have a fine insight into the feelings and emotions of the actors. Who will ever know what the actual troops went trough.
If you saw Private Ryan the massacre on the beach was due to Eisenhower foolishly listening to the air generals that they would take out the Atlantic Wall. (Not One of their bombs hit within a 1/4 mile of the wall. They did wakeup the Germans though , who hammered our forces.) Navy Ships afraid of short drops by air units stayed 11 miles offshore! They could not see the beach, and also accomplished nothing. If you want to learn more see my detailed works, (12yrs R&W), FATAL FLAWS 1-3
Ames - You're holding up pretty well though these. This stuff is so real. Regarding the actors, the ones portraying members of Easy Company went thru rigorous training with Dale Dye (who plays Colonel Robert Sink in this, and also trained the men of Saving Private Ryan). Other men did not go through that training purposely so that you could feel the difference between them and the camaraderie of the men in Easy on the screen. Several of the original members of Easy Company were also present for the actors to learn from. Also, I know that others have mentioned that Blithe actually survived. But, the reason mistakes like this were made in the script, is because the original sources (the men who told these stories) didn't know at the time. After the documentary came out, family members reached out and filled in the missing pieces. I can imagine it's hard to keep track of everyone in such a chaotic situation, but I'm so glad they told their stories anyway.
There's a great scene in this episode where the chaplain is praying over the fallen men but in the next scene, two easy company soldiers clear a table with a cross on it to set up a machine gun. Very symbolic of the reality of war.
Another artistic liberty the show took is how Easy Company won the battle. While the 2nd Armored Division did relieve E Company later in the day, it wasn’t like they showed up in the nick of time. It was actually mortars that drove off the German attack.
Great watch, Winters coaching Blithe to fire his weapon is fantastic, Thanks for sharing 😊👍✌️🇺🇸
Mark Warren is a British actor, and he had difficulty mimicking the South Philly accent of the real Blythe, so they made him a southern boy. He did an amazing job. The scene in the last episode where Spiers kills all those prisoners reflects the rumors that were growing about him, not reality. He did kill prisoners on D-Day, but under very different and understandable circumstances
He also killed his own subordinate, when the man became hysterical and eventually pointed his rifle at Speirs.
I have watched this series about 20 times or more, I even got the VHS set back in 2001-2002 as a prize.
There are a few perfect scenes in this series. The scene with Malarkey in the laundry is one of them.
The actors who did have interactions with the actual vets said the vets did not give up their personal stories but would give reliable accounts of the other vets. They had difficulty telling their horrific story with anyone who never experienced war.
A few of the actors actually got to meet the people they played. I want to say the person who played Bill Guarnere were great friends till Bill eventually passed away in 2014.
These actors did SO well playing all these men, and how they portray the emotions each episode. Anytime I see Donnie Walhberg in any of his other roles I instantly think of him playing Sergeant Lipton.
I don't know how much further ahead she is on Patreon but easy with the spoilers, friend.
That one quick shot of the spinning shell casing is gorgeous.
My brother was a tank gunner in the first gulf war in ‘91. He said the thing that gives him nightmares is running over bodies. He said you can feel the crunch as you go over the body.
I knew this was the episode where a solider went under the treads. I was wondering what she would say about it, her reaction alone said it all. An absolutely horrific thing to witness.
I was career tanker (1977 to 1999) and had the opportunity (more than once) to talk to German tank veterans. I remember one telling me "Every time I knocked out a Sherman, there were 4 more right behind it." Shermans were crappy tanks, but we made 49, 234 of them, compared to 10,086 StuG III tanks (what the vehicles depicting the German tanks are supposed to be) that the Germans built. Of course, throw in the 84, 070 T-34 tanks the Soviets cranked out and the Germans never really had a chance.
BoB is my favorite TV series! Glad you are watching it.
The bit with that poor guy to get crushed by the tank always gets to me... hearing his scream get suddenly cut short and followed by that sickening crunch sound... it's so viscerally horrifying.
Marc Warren (Blithe) also played Mr Teatime in Terry Pratchett's The Hogfather. Definitely worth a watch. He's a terrific actor and comparing these two roles really shows his range. Love the reactions. Much love!
Ive been waiting for what seems half a year for the next episode! Was hoping it would be soon!
Love your reaction to this episode! About Blithe. I think the TV series claim he never recovered from being shot in the collar bone, and died in 1948. According to Wikipedia, he recovered, but not in time to serve again in WW2. But he did serve in Korea, including jumping behind enemy lines there, and got a Bronze Star and a Silver Star for his service in Korea. He never retired from active service, and died in December 1967 from an acutely perforated ulcer, in Germany. While still on active duty. All according to Wikipedia. So he lived for 23 more years after getting shot in France. Hopefully enjoying life, as anyone alive should.
When I was young I had "The Sound of Music" on repeat on the newly purchased VHS. Having not seen it in over 30 years I watched it a few years back and was stunned that I could still sing along to every single song. It also reminded me of Blithe, one of the songs in the movie was Edelweiss.
this is weird, but i lost my virginity with edelweiss playing in the background. lol.
Thanks for your reaction - love it :)
The city of Carentan, which was the key to controlling the peninsula, was captured after two days of heavy fighting and had to be defended by the division against a German counterattack for another two days. Its not heroic enough to show that the 101st AD lost near 66% strenght in the first two days.
So the scene with the Shermans is also nonsense. They standig cool af at the 50cal.
The anti-tank scene is also just hollywood or heroic stuff. Stand on the open field an no one hits them - sure :)
The actors met with the men they were portraying and actually had the ability to change scenes if their counterparts didn't agree with what was happening. For example, if an actor was going to be in a scene at a farm but his counterpart said he wasn't there, he could go to the director and ask to not be in the scene. There is a great podcast about the series where each episode focuses on an individual and they go into great detail about the veteran they portray.
Another outstanding reaction! .......For much, much more background on BofB, there is a series of podcasts that HBO did on the 20th anniversary of the series release. Each episode of the podcast is just a wealth of information from the actors, writers, directors who worked on the series. Pretty certain you'd enjoy it. In any case, thanks for posting.............
“I’m Roger Bennet. I say ‘Flash’, you say ‘Thunder’”. Loved that podcast!
Considering that Blythe actually passed away in 1967 (not 1948), and sort of fell out of communication with Easy company in the years following WW2, its sort of crazy that Speilberg and Hanks formed an entire epi of this great series around him.
It was still a great episode.
Great reactions. I truly appreciate your insights and understanding of the stories and men involved, in addition to the appreciation for the work done behind the camera.
The edelweiss represents the flower of youth, plucked in its prime.
patton would have called that man a coward...he is clearly suffering from shell shock..war is no picnic...any man who faces the business end of a gun has my utmost respect.
Great reactions...
Just like actually being in combat, this movie depicts things that you just can't unsee. You would think that with all of the horrors of war, it would never happen but I believe it's human nature to destroy and kill that has to be fulfilled by politicians that never have to do it themselves.
Marc Warren is an incredible actor who does not get the attention he deserves.
He did a great job in a minor recurring role in a season or two on The Good Wife. He also plays the title role in the British show Van Der Valk (sp?) I never cease to be amazed how well many actors from the UK do American accents so well.
@@Ernwaldo Simon Peg and Jimmy Fallon had cameos or small parts in the show. Colin Hanks and Tom Hardy are a little more noticeable.
@@hillsane9262stop spoiling!
When they were talking about Lt. Speirs killing all the prisoners they were talking about the scene where Malarky meets the Nazi from Oregon.
if you ever find the time, read Band of Brothers or listen to the audiobook. There was a reason this series was made and that was it. It's just more in depth and not necessarily violence. Great anecdotes and a little more about after the war than this series covers.
As already commented Blithe didn't pass away, but live on after WW2. However as far as being a correct representation to the battle around Carentan it was different then represented. The battle is called Bloody Gulch and there's several good videos around properly breaking down and walking thru the actual battle.
It's always different than depicted. But truthful? Yes.
I was in the 101st from 06 to 12. I meet maj. Winters a few times. A great man. Soft spoken. I have a 101st flag signed by him right before he passed.
I would suggest to watch the pacific and generation kill next.
The scene where Winters talks to Blithe about losing his sight was almost exactly as it actually happened. Certain people who were there confirmed it (I don't want to reveal too much for future episodes).
Just shows how great Winters was as a leader. For all we knew, he may have suspected that Blithe was faking it. But he held back his judgement and didn’t interrogate or chastise Blithe. He just wants to make sure his men were fit enough to carry on.
Loved your reactions to this episode, Ames.
And despite the inaccuracies regarding Blithe, this episode is brought to life by a superb performance from British actor Marc Warren.
Jup, even though D-Day was a hell too, this is where "Sh*t hit the fan* so to speak. More of that, later in "Nuenen." Where Winters and Nixon say "Old men and boys huh..."
It would turn out the German resistance, even though their losses in the East, would turn out far more resilient and capable than anticipated.
This is truly a 10/10 series just like The Pacific (a recommender, Ames) and i keep re-watching it from time to time as a Dutch former Red beret
One of the earliest previews shown on network TV prior to the initial BOB HBO debut in Sept 2001 were scenes from this Carentan episode encounter with German armor. It may have been on the Tonight show, but I remember watching the clips and thinking to myself, "This is gonna be good!" The series certainly did not disappoint..
The fact that these men went into war a war. not knowing when they are going to finish or go home. Boggles my mind. Lest we forget!
Just thinking, you are the type of person that I love watching movies with. Keep them coming.
this series was incredible..ive watched it probably 10 times
The entirety of the 506th Regiment had spades on their helmets. Other regiments had clubs, diamonds, and hearts. You’re right, it was for easily identifying one from another and who to regroup with
So, for the next 9 months, The Allies and "Easy" company would have to fight their way from the coast to Berlin and into Germany..
The worst is yet to come .....
Loved the reaction Ames!
this young lady watching the film is having a true reaction to war conflict ,she will never forget what she has just seen ,although its a film ,its reality based
I've had to deal with hysterical blindness twice. First was my sister and the high school frog dissection. Second was a woman I pulled out of a car wreck. The blindness scares them as much as whatever scared them originally. Once they calm down their sight comes back.