Hey!! Sorry about the dramatic title! This episode is just too good to miss!! Hope you all enjoy and can't wait to see you back for Episode 4 The Replacements! Also, Braveheart will be up soon but working on the edits now!! SO VERY APPRECIATIVE FOR YOU ALL. As always the full version is on Patreon if you'd like to see that!
Just want to say thank you recently found your channel. Absolutely LOVE your reactions. You seem to be very authentic and genuine. Love the emotions and f-bombs. 😂😂. I have only seen Forest Gump and Shawshank so far but more are coming. I have seen both of those movies numerous times and you picked out things that I never noticed. For example Shawshank - bar of soap. Like duh. I felt so dumb. And Freebird in Forest. Very perceptive of you. I am going to watch movies differently from now on. If I may suggest movies to react to … The Sting. (My personal favourite) The Imitation Game ( for the historian in you) 12 Angry Men - 1956 I believe. One of the best movies ever. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Thank you for the reaction. I can second "12 Angry Men". It is a prime exampel of masterful writing. Truly one of the greatest drama's ever made. I can actually second all three movies Rickm8443 mentioned. "The Sting" has, in my humble opinion, some of the catchiest music to ever grace the Silver Screen :)
Great stuff, as always. Pro tip: Turn off the captions on your version (not ours though). First time through, captions can spoil scenes and cause you to miss things you're supposed to see. :)
Just so you know, Blithe survived. It was thought he died because he got transferred so easy company lost track of him. He went on to serve in the Korean War, and he passed away in 1967 from kidney failure.
@@LiteWeightReacting Just the underbite? (which, you're right, the casting was spot on!) Accent didn't do any of the lifting there? hahaha The Edelweiss story about your Great Grandfather made my face leak, I need to get that patched... ❤🩹*hugs*
@@LiteWeightReacting The actors actually met their surviving counterparts and got their looks and mannerisms. The ones that survived at least. *Spoiler Alert*
@@LiteWeightReacting ngl, you're an absolute legend for that! trust me when i say that i have, bare minimum, watched dozens of reactions to this awesome series and i have never seen anyone spot that before.🙂
@@LiteWeightReacting the real Guarnere and their friends said he did a really good job, Guarnere was exactly like this. Ironic, sour, tough, funny and a really cool guy.
If you haven’t already seen or read it, look up what Winters says about “Sparky” when he & Ambrose were writing/researching this book Lol fucking classic
This is the obligatory Blithe survives mention. One of the few mistakes Band of Brothers makes. They had the wrong guy, like Saving Private Ryan. He then went on to serve, with distinction in the Korean War proving he was a true soldier further. "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- Easier said than done. He will soon more than put his money where his mouth is.
@@LiteWeightReacting It's really only been the last couple of years that studios have started editing already released content to change things (like removing the Starbucks cup from Game of Thrones). Once it was released, that was what it was unless they decided to re-release it like they did with the Star Wars special editions, but that used to be fairly rare.
Yes, taking souvenirs was very common. The enemy would sometimes booby trap items they felt the Americans would pick up so that they would be killed or wounded by the explosives. Author William Manchester, a WWII veteran, famously wrote in his book "Goodbye Darkness", "We used to say the Japanese fight for the emperor, the British fight for glory, and the Americans fight for souvenirs".
The soldier who got hit when the shell blew up the pharmacy was Ed Tipper. He lost and eye and both his legs were broken, but he survived. You won’t see him again in the series, so I guess it’s okay to mention this (others have to other reactors)… he was the one wearing the salmon colored shirt and wearing glasses during the pre-episode interviews. He married for the first and only time in his life in 1983 at the age of 61. His only daughter was born later that year and she became a representative to the Colorado state House of Representatives. He passed away in February, 2017 at the age of 95. God rest his soul. 🙏🏻✝️ Also… you will grow to love Spiers even more. ‘Nuff said on that… for now.
Others have pointed out the mistake regarding Blithe having died in 1948 when he really died in 1967. I will try to explain why there was an error. Blythe was wounded in the shoulder and not the neck but still his war was over. He stayed in the hospital in England and then in the States before he was discharged from the Army. In 1946 he either attended the first reunion of Easy Company or the first reunion of the 101st Airborne Association (stories varied) but then never attended another reunion again. Easy Company has several members from Pennsylvania Winters, Welsh, Guarnere, Blythe and others are from Pennsylvania. In 1948 two members of Easy Company’s Pennsylvania contingent came across an obituary for an Albert Blythe of Pennsylvania, member of 506 PIR of 101st Airborne Division, who died from injuries received in Normandy that he never fully recovered from. Believing that it was “their” Albert Blithe from Easy Company they attended the funeral. They then dutifully informed the rest of Easy Company at their next reunion that Blithe had died. However the Albert Blythe whose funeral they attended was not “their” Albert Blithe but a different Blythe who coincidentally was also from Pennsylvania, was in the 101st Airborne Division 506 PIR and was wounded in Normandy. The only difference is that he spelled his name with a ‘y’ instead of an ‘i’. Blythe never attended another reunion, never kept in contact with any Easy Company member and, being in the Army, never crossed paths with another Easy company member. The mini-series is based on the book written by Stephen Ambrose which is based on the memories of the Easy Company men. This belief that Blithe was dead is what Easy Company reported to Ambrose in the various interviews he conducted with the men or in written recollections submitted to Ambrose. Unfortunately Ambrose never fact-checked anything that Easy told him. Blithe dying in 1948 is what was written in the book and subsequently the miniseries. It wasn’t until the miniseries came out that Blithe’s family stepped forward and said that Blithe really died in 1967.
It's such a shame they keep fighting you on these videos! You do such a great job with these reaction vids that it enhances the experience and further emphasizes how good this series is. That edelweiss story was so good! Thanks for sharing that! I believe shock could cause these guys to go temporarily blind with all the stress they were under and the things they saw. Not the same as being at war like these guys but my mom had pulmonary fibrosis when I was in college. She had been on oxygen for several months and I knew her time was running out, but hearing a doctor say she had less than 2 months left to live caused my vision to get spotty and my hearing got dim like I was under water. I had to go to the hallway, take some deep breaths, and think that she needed me to be stronger for her and then my vision and hearing went back to normal.
It’s a shame but at the same time I’m not even fazed because my only goal is to do justice to the men of Easy company! I’m proud of the work I’ve created so far and can’t wait to continue with the rest of the series!! Also, thank you for sharing your personal story about your mother. Can’t imagine receiving news like that. The brain is a powerful thing. Your whole world was turned upside down and couple that with the added stress of being a student athlete! It had to have been so difficult. 😞
“Was the spoils of war a thing back then?” From my Granddad, who was Navy in WW2…if you could get it on a ship or plane, you could get it home. The taking of knives, pistols, flags, parts of uniforms was everywhere. There was also a vibrant market among everyone for trading the souvenirs. Taking jewelry, gold, silver, other valuables was very common.
When one of my relatives stepped off the boat back to England after the war a fellow soldier had a pram. Hard to believe they still had to go through customs at Southampton. The customs officers all fell about laughing and asked why he had a child's pram. He explained a family member was expecting a baby, so a quick look and they waved him through. The soldier in question had the last laugh, the pram had a false bottom and it was full of his "Spoils of War".
My grandfather fought in the Pacific in WW2, a front-line machine gunner. I learned after he died that at one point his gun jammed during a Japanese banzai charge and he ended up fighting a man hand-to-hand. My grandfather won (obviously, since I exist) and took a lot of the Japanese soldier's kit--the only thing that made it back to the states in his gear without getting pilfered by other soldiers/navy boys was the Arisaka Type 99 rifle (chrysanthemum symbol intact) he'd taken. That is still in my possession to this day.
Spoils taking policy was pretty much left up to the CO. Winters was fine with it-he figured if his men didn’t take something, the next person coming through would. As long as you weren’t outright stealing big-ticket items that the highers-up would get complaints about. Then, you could get prosecuted, which did happen to those whose theft got into big profit levels.
Thx for sharing your Alzheimer’s story. I’m a retired USAF Vietnam era vet & my Dad is a Korean War vet & going through it now. It’s heartbreaking to watch them fade away.
"I'm gonna cry at some point." Yep. Happens every time during the opening sequence. Happens every time during the interviews. And happens in every single episode. We are all with you. That Edelweiss story of yours is absolutely heart warming and heart breaking at the same time. Thank you for sharing that.
2:14 Funnily enough, Doug Cockle (Geralt's English VA) plays the chaplain giving last rites under fire in the Carentan assault. Edelweiss was associated more with German mountain troops (Gebirgsjäger) than paratroopers (Fallschirmjäger). It's possible those FJs were either Bavarian, Austrian, or Carpathian Germans, as the flower is significant within those cultures. Ed Tipper would survive, becoming a school teacher in Colorado. He got married and became a father late in life and passed away in 2017. Albert Blithe would recover and remain in the Army for the rest of his life. He won a Silver Star in Korea and was stationed in West Germany until his death in 1967. According to his family he drank heavily to cope with his trauma, which led to his death.
The actual Chaplain was John Maloney. A Catholic priest, he jumped into Normaly as part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and in the midst of the heavy fighting in Carentan, he fully exposed himself as he ministered to the wounded and dying. For his acts, Chaplain Maloney received the Distinguished Service Cross - second only to the Medal of Honor.
When I listened to your story about edelweiss, I shed a tear. Those touches and personal details you add to these does this justice and shows you care. Don't ever doubt if you're doing the series justice. Thanks for sharing the story and once again it was a great reaction as always. Hope HBO doesn't block you anymore going forward Teagean. Love your videos.
This! Ptsd was well known in WW2, yet they Hadnt maybe the right Word for it, but the 1000yard Stare, Shellschock, Kriegszittern (War tremor) was widely known due to WW1. Command on both Sides tried to rotate soldiers as much as possible to ensure everyone got some time to wind down.
It goes back even farther - there are stories of men who suffered from "The Soldier's Heart" after the American Civil War. They may not have known how to treat it, but it's always been there in some fashion or other.
I havent had a TV in twenty years and lived alone almost that long so i appreciate watching these videos with you. Its like having someone with you sharing this time. Thank you for the work you put into your channel. It means alot.
Thought you might like to know that Tipper (the man who was blown up in the shop in Carentan) did survive. In the book "We Who are Alive and Remain", Tipper tells the story of visiting Talbert's parents after he got back to the states. Talbert's parents wrote him about the visit, and Tab didn't believe them because he "saw Tipper die."
One thing I love is that I have seen videos of the actors from this show, years later, sharing their stories of how playing these people impacted and changed their lives. Good job on picking out Guarnere at the beginning interviews.
Ok...my rookie police year was 1986 in Texas, I retired in 2016 in Nottingham, England. I used to teach a police supervisors leadership course. I can say this about YOU, young Missy. You notice the right things at the right time, and understand soooo much more than 99% of the people I've seen react to this show. With you leading good lady, I would attack the gates of Hell armed with a bucket of water under your leadership🫡
Mind you, edelweiss was more a symbol for the mountain troops ("Gebirgsjäger") rather than the paratroopers ("Fallschirmjäger") - precisely because they have to climb the mountains to get them.
You made a comment about their ages and the ages of the actors. Most of the actors were about 10 years older than the soldiers they were portraying. Winters and Nixon were among the oldest and were 26-27 during the time they were in combat. Sobel was 31 when Easy Company was formed. Lipton was 24. Guarnere was 21. Many of the survivors were questioning the actors ability to portray them when most were so much older than they were.
Geezzz Lightweight, what a touching story about your grandad..Got me tearing up.. Know exactly where you are coming from.. Looking forward to the next episode.. Thank you Best wishes from France 🇨🇵
"How do you train for that?" The fear, you can't train for; as Winters says at the very beginning, "Each man must prepare himself mentally." My solution was exactly the same as Speers's: I accepted that I was already dead before I even got on the plane. When I first watched this, it resounded powerfully with me when he says that. I still get a bit of a chill every time. The Army's way to train to operate in fear is repetition: You learn each task thoroughly, then practice it over, and over, and over, so that when the fear comes and your higher brain functions cease, you default to doing the thing that's been drilled into you. Eventually, you become somewhat accustomed to it, and the fear subsides to a degree, so that you're able to start to function more normally. Think about when you were first learning to drive, how scary it was to be in control of that car. But now you do it every day without even thinking about it, even though driving on the interstate is not that much less dangerous than combat.
The two men riding the motorcycle were Don Malarkey and Alton Moore. They literally walked by it on the beach (with the side car) when they departed for England, and said “screw this we’re taking that”. They pushed through the surf on to a boarding craft, got it on the ship just to joy ride it during their time back there. I wanna say it was at least in part because they were like “keep me on the front for the entire month?”
Lite, I believe you nailed it when you talked about why soldiers collect certain items in war. My best friend did 2 tours of duty as a combat Marine in Vietnam. Between tours he talked me out of enlisting calling that war one big cluster fuck. Then he said something I didn't understand until after the war. He said, "Now I'm just collecting souvenirs." He came home with a flag, a Nagant revolver that looked like it had been through hell, and a compass plus some other items that I can't recall. He also brought home some dioxin in his body that eventually took his life in 1997.
Literally the most amazing thing I’ve done in life to this point and I’m not even kidding haha I’ve told ever gaming friend that I know that it happened haha
I have a lot to do today, but no way am I taking a chance on missing this reaction! The perspective of a history teacher is unique among reactors, and I am loving it.
7:30 Ed Tipper survived. He lost an eye and both his legs were broken. He went back to the States, became a schoolteacher, met a woman when he was in his 60s, and had a daughter, Kerry, who is a politician in Colorado. Tip was a very popular teacher and passed only a few years ago.
16:05 During the war, certain materials/items were rationed to the public. Silk, which was the parachute material, was one such thing. So, to get that much silk would have been a boon.
The thing I like about this episode is that it distinguishes Winters from the other officers. Not just that he's a good leader, but he stands out even among guys who are all good leaders. Welsh tries to help Blithe by telling him to just think of it all as a game. Speirs tells him to just accept he's "already dead." Neither are all that helpful though. Winters doesn't do any of that armchair psychology. Instead he just stands there with him, tells him to stand up, and fire his weapon. And in the end that's all he really needed. Sometimes it really is that simple.
They don’t talk about him again in the miniseries that I remember, but Ed Tipper, who was hit by the mortar fire in the scene with that altered volume after he was hit, did survive. He lost an eye and broke both his legs. He came home, got his bachelors and masters degrees in English, taught, married later in life to a younger woman, and their daughter was born in the 1980s. IIRC, he was the man in episode one who was with Sobel when he decided to cut the fence in England-he was restraining his laughing because he knew that “Major Horton” was George Luz.
Albert Blithe is one of the very few things that they got wrong in the series, he actually DID recover from his wounds in normandy, but his service in combat in WWII was over, he was transported back to the United States, and after several surgeries, he was finally released from the Army Hospital in October of 1945, and was discharged from active duty, he served again with the airborne during the Korean war being twice decorated (bronze Star) (Silver Star) for gallantry and valor, in December of 1967 while stationed in Germany, he participated in ceremonies about Bastogne and the battle of the bulge, he became sick and was rushed to the emergency room, where he was diagnosed and was being treated for a perforated ulcer, he died 7 days later in the ICU, his body was transported back to the United States where he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors before Christmas day of 1967
SPOILS OF WAR. A time-honored tradition. For centuries, soldiers have taken spoils from their defeated foes. At one time, it would be gold or slaves, better weapons and armor. Then (during the American Civil War) needed items, such as shoes and better rifles. First World War, Americans returned home with captured German helmets and assorted insignia. By the Second World War, American GIs brought home captured German/Japanese flags, pistols, uniforms, etc. Hanging in my 'man cave' are Iraqi helmets, uniforms, and field equipment I brought home from the '91 Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom - as well as a few assorted things from Somalia and Afghanistan.
Thank you for sharing that beautiful story about your grandfather. For your reactions, don't worry. You're presenting the stories of these incredibly brave and resilient men with heart and respect.
I am absolutely glad you are as intelligent as you are. It makes watching your videos so wonderful. You pick up things the first time around that most other people/YTReactors take 3 times to even catch. And you are such an incredibly empathetic person. It heals my heart to see such a caring person.
Music memories are one of the last to go. I run a small town museum and usually try to have time period music going for a special exhibit. It adds that little bit more even if people aren't really aware of it. The best, for me, is if they are walking out of the museum and humming, whistling or singing one of the songs because you can be certain they are taking a little bit with them.
Tipper (who got blown up in the building and walked out) survived those injuries and is the guy with big glasses and an orange polo at the beginning of episode 2. He also was one of the last to die from Easy Company, i want to say it was 2019 or 2020 when he passed.
"Spoils of War": My Uncle Kermit was an ordnance officer in the Pacific Theater. He brought back a Japanese officer's pistol and two Samurai swords. Plus an artillery shell with the gunpowder removed, which I have. There were anecdotes about soldiers mailing an entire Jeep piece by piece.
What I can say, is I've been to Carentan and they did an amazing job recreating the streets of the village. It still looks like this to this day. Normandy villages are very old country and are gorgeous. But they done their homework and it's mad how exact they got it. I remember watching this going "I walked down there!" haha
Another great one from you ! A couple things I’d like to mention. I’ve never understood how people can be so calm in all the chaos. I personally witnessed that from a shipmate once. A plane crashed and people died and this guy walked around like he was sedated or something. When the fires were finally out and we learned that we both lost a very good friend his demeanor remained unchanged! Like he really could care less. I held a grudge against him for a couple years. But I learned, they do care it’s just the way they’re wired I guess. I guess like you said in a reaction( can’t remember which one) but how you laugh in tragic situations and people tend to think you find humor in their nightmares. Obviously you don’t find humor in that it just your reaction. Thanks for sharing about your grandfather. The Alzheimer’s is personal to me also. When he called you by your name…. When my father was in his final stages of the terrible disease he called me out away from the kids and everyone else , said he needed to talk with me. My oldest brother was killed in a tractor accident with my dad at the age of 3. I was in diapers so I knew nothing about what actually happened and was told all my life nothing but lies on how it happened. I grew up wondering how my dad could be so careless but one week before he passed away he had that talk and explained exactly what took place. After that it made perfect sense. It’s almost like before they leave us they want to clear up things , I guess. Thank for the reaction. Can’t wait till the next.
@@LiteWeightReacting hopefully if the crowd is amenable and it seems like there's no advance play in patreon? (By the way, I need to up...) if the posting is in real time and there's no advance knowledge, I hope the community can cool its excited heels and say 🤫 🤐 zip nada as much as possible on "who lives who dies" because these men aren't going away from the story, live or die, until the series and post-series content wrap-up that in itself is something to must-see! So I hope the crowd can hold off on the tells of the lives of the men of Easy Company so YOU can experience all the emotions and the story and care for the people in BoB. It's all one story that needs to be told as one, in chapters, so there's no "one and done, we're not talking about it anymore" kinda thing. It all comes into play. Everything that's seen and reaction posted is always relevant for a... later time, Lieutenant Liteweight. The exception here on out is Blithe and what the episode means to convey! Currahee! Plus, would you consider quitting the show if you didn't know if a soldier survived or not? Of course not. Like, dudes know and they continue to tell you "so n so, don't worry"...need a crash Course here on out on rhetorical questions out loud by reactors for the show! Otherwise, you'll just be shrugging. Comments can be ruiners for reactions! Hopefully the uploads are actually later than the watch because the first time watch experience is essential, foremost! Mods, you need mods. Nothing's worse than seeing a reactor who of course had to be a girly already knowing things in advance all because of dude comments. Then it becomes an "oh well, next..." and then done. Don't let runners ruin the overall experience for you!
17:28: "Can you imagine surviving the battle and then dying in a motorcycle accident?" General George Patton, one of the greatest American generals of WW2 who pioneered the doctrine of tank warfare, was the US commander the Germans feared most, led the charge across France, rescued Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, and accepted the surrender of the German 1st Army -- then was hit by a truck while crossing a street in France days after the war ended.
Slight correction, he was in Germany and it was in December of 1945. Everyone else in the vehicle were relatively unharmed in the collision, but Patton essentially broke his neck. He died 12 days later.
Amazon used "Edelweiss" as its opening song for "The Man in the High Castle" series. It takes place in 1962 in an alternate history where the Axis powers won World War II, and the "what-if" of the story is really intriguing to me.
Talbert in the earlier part of the episode was showing off his ‘spoils of war’ which was the German poncho which what he was wearing when he woke up the soldier. That’s why he got confused as a German. 11:00
If I'm remembering correctly, "In the Mood," War Daddy's tank's real name, was at head of the armored column at Carentan. He basically invented the tactic of hosing hedge rows because the Germans were so good at disguising themselves. The Germans never regained the advantage in tank tactics.
"That was just a little tidbit about me...that you didn't ask for!" caught me off guard and I LOL'ed! And don't worry about "doing it justice". Your reactions are real, and from the heart, and THAT is doing it justice! Faking it would be the opposite. So keep it real. It's YOUR reaction, and won't be like mine, or someone else's. And THAT is what makes it good!
You do these so well! Yes it's a production , but you treat it like you're watching real time events. No one can fake that type of emotion. You're the prime example of what these reactions should be! Thank you. :)
This series did such a beautiful job of portraying the heartbreak of the men who didn't make it. There is another episode later that you'll definitely need tissue.
@RocketSurgn_ which winters said it's true. No prisoners were to be allowed for the first 24 hours according to all vets accounts on the matter. Was an actual order yall.
@@RocketSurgn_ wasn't a war crime. Those German soldiers, even though disarmed, were just a moment ago enemy combatants in the field and they weren't confined sequestered or imprisoned yet as POW's. It was in midst of an ongoing invasion in yet occupied enemy territory that needed to advance and they didn't yet have a paddy wagon system to round up prisoners. They weren't there to act as jailors, they were there as soldiers to fight and kill the enemy who were a moment ago intent on doing the same to them.
Great reaction Teegan like always. They really did Blithe dirty in this. I saw an interview with Winters and he was really angry about how the series depicted Blithe, in later research, after the series was made, they found out that Blythe lived. Albert Blythe in fact did recover and went on to have a very successful military career. 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. He had lost contact with all the men in Easy company There was an Albert Blithe who was also a veteran and from Pennsylvania who died in 1948. Heffron and Guarnere believed it was the same man from Easy Company and even went to the funeral. Ambrose and later the producers for the series took them at their word and didn’t research further. After BOB aired, it was found that Blythe did in fact survive. I really wish they had updated BoB to reflect what actually happened to Blithe. 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. One thing that you might have missed with Talbert being bayoneted by Pvt. Goerge Smith, he was wearing a German poncho that he had picked up as a souvenir. In the dark the other soldier thought he was a German from the outline. Earlier in the episode you see Talbert showing off the poncho, but it's easy to forget. FUN FACT: 7:52 The actor who plays the Priest is the same guy who voices Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher video games
I'm impressed by the way you address the audience so conversationally in these reaction videos Teegan. You've really become a top notch content creator! Also loved the "Wind's Howling" reference in the beginning and then Doug Cockle shows up.
Tipper would make it (the guy caught in the explosion in the building). He went home and lived a long life in school administration. He married very late in life and had a daughter who would become a representative in the Colorado legislature. She was so proud of her daddy and was often mistaken for his granddaughter!
*gives great big hugs* - Love the story about your grandfolks and the eidelweiss. Watching my grandmother deteriorate with Alzheimers was scary and difficult, so I feel that.
My Dad (1sr Infantry Division) said that when he shipped out to North Africa in early 1942 he just assumed that he’d never live to see the States again. But he served all through Africa and Europe and lived to the ripe old age of 94, despite being wounded in Algeria and carrying those shell fragments in his back and legs until the day he died.
Don't be nervous. Your reaction is perfect. Your heart, your compassion, your tears, your bright smile in the lighter moments. Also your knowledge and understanding of what's going on. All perfect. This has been my favorite reaction and I've seen dozens. Don't change a thing, and don't worry about doing justice to these men and their story; they'd love your for this reaction.
You've really become one of my favorite reactors. You're so genuine and honest, emotional but not to a point of distraction. The little things you pick up during a watch proves that you're really paying attention and are truly invested in whatever show you're watching. I already knew this from previous reactions, but the minute I saw your BoB episode 1 pop up, I knew this would be one of the best any of us had ever seen. You're already proving that to be right and it's only going to get better. This show has a way of making you feel like one with the men. You will draw a close personal connection with them all throughout the series. For us it's a combination of "i can't wait for you to see it" and "i really don't want it to end". Enjoy the ride and I'll enjoy sharing it with you.
I really liked what you said about people’s coping and leadership mechanisms. Harry with his gamification of the horror, Spears with his nihilistic certainty. What I think you failed to mention was Winters, and how it was only his encouragement and leadership through example that actually broke through to Blithe. Of all the soldiers to emulate, Winters was the best. It’s a beautiful scene.
Friendly fire happened all the time in WW2. In fact, the highest ranking American killed in WW2 (there were actually 2 of the same rank killed but the other was killed by enemy fire) was killed by friendly fire and that happened during the Normandy Campaign. This was Lt General McNair.
Souvenirs were HUGE during WWII. Germany and Albert Speer spent a lot of time making their cities, uniforms, weapons, and other items similar to the Roman Empire. Most uniforms were very classy and even down to the bayonets, everything had style. There are millions of items in the US taken home from American soldiers after the war.
Also side note: preachers (or ''Padres as we call them now in the military) were there to give the last rites of men who died or were dying on the battlefield.
Love your reactions to Band of Brothers! I absolutely love this series and watch it myself a couple times a year. You are absolutely doing it justice to the story and the men with your comments and observations and have me checking everyday to see if you’ve done another episode. I come from a very long line of military veterans and served in Germany in the 1980s. My grandpa was captured during the battle of the bulge and spent 92 days as a German POW but did make it home. Side note: the average age of the soldier in WWII was 26yrs old, in Vietnam it was 19yrs. Looking forward to more and keep up the GREAT job!
Thanks Chris! Honestly, this is so dramatic… but it feels like I’m fighting for the men of Easy everytime I need to fight to get a video back up. So it worth it to me!
@@LiteWeightReacting I re-watch the full series about once a year, usually around Christmas time, but it's great to see it through the fresh eyes of reactors. One of the things that keeps me coming back to your channel, though, is that you're particularly astute in your reactions and tend to pick up on things that a lot of reactors miss. Case in point, for some reason the laundry scene at the end of this episode seems to go over the heads of a lot of reactors. While there are many amazing performances throughout the series, there are some absolutely jaw-dropping moments from Scott Grimes (Malarkey) and Neal McDonough (Buck Compton) that you have to look forward to.
I am so very much enjoying your reaction(s) to BoB!!!! Do not fret about giving the proper respect to these men, because you are showing great respect and reverence to them and to all that have served!!! I am very much looking forward to the upcoming episodes. You are one of my favorite reactors here on YT. Off the wall question: I've seen (or at least I think that I have) your tattoo somewhere but can't place what it is or what it means. Would you mind sharing what it is and what it means??? Thanks!!!
One thing less often mentioned by people in the know about Edelwieß, is that is has particular significance to mountain troops in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Wearing it was THEIR thing, similar to how American paratroopers wore their distinct shiny jump boots. To quote the HistoryBuffs channel... "I don't think any Fallschirmjäger would've been cheeky enough to wear an Edelweiß... not unless he wanted his teeth knocked out by a Gebrigsjäger." In addition, "Hysterical Blindness" that Blithe was diagnosed with is an outdated term for what is now called Conversion Disorder. Essentially, the brain is so overwhelmed with stress and external stimulus that it shuts down the senses in an effort to regain control... sometimes permanently. It is one of the symptoms of shellshock, now referred to as PTSD. Also... fun fact... the scene of the tank running over the German soldier was a practical effect. No CGI. Apparently, the tank was stationary, and they pulled him under it using camera angle to simulate him getting curshed.
The Edelweiss story was super sweet. This episode is what introduced me to the flower, I thought it was such a cool concept climbing a mountain to retrieve it, and it's been in my head ever since. The song from Sound of Music song is used in the show Man in The High Castle as it's intro, except it's a very sad and erie cover, as the show explores what it might have been like if the Allies lost the war. A good show to check out in the future.
Hey!! Sorry about the dramatic title! This episode is just too good to miss!! Hope you all enjoy and can't wait to see you back for Episode 4 The Replacements!
Also, Braveheart will be up soon but working on the edits now!!
SO VERY APPRECIATIVE FOR YOU ALL.
As always the full version is on Patreon if you'd like to see that!
Braveheart's damn good. Also let us support you in this series, fear not they can't keep you blocked! On to Berlin! Curahee
Just want to say thank you recently found your channel. Absolutely LOVE your reactions. You seem to be very authentic and genuine. Love the emotions and f-bombs. 😂😂.
I have only seen Forest Gump and Shawshank so far but more are coming. I have seen both of those movies numerous times and you picked out things that I never noticed. For example Shawshank - bar of soap. Like duh. I felt so dumb. And Freebird in Forest. Very perceptive of you.
I am going to watch movies differently from now on.
If I may suggest movies to react to …
The Sting. (My personal favourite)
The Imitation Game ( for the historian in you)
12 Angry Men - 1956 I believe. One of the best movies ever.
Thanks and keep up the great work.
DON’T WATCH WITH SUBTITLES! Netflix accidentally spoils the show in a later episode via the subtitles.
Thank you for the reaction.
I can second "12 Angry Men". It is a prime exampel of masterful writing. Truly one of the greatest drama's ever made. I can actually second all three movies Rickm8443 mentioned.
"The Sting" has, in my humble opinion, some of the catchiest music to ever grace the Silver Screen :)
Great stuff, as always.
Pro tip: Turn off the captions on your version (not ours though). First time through, captions can spoil scenes and cause you to miss things you're supposed to see. :)
Just so you know, Blithe survived. It was thought he died because he got transferred so easy company lost track of him. He went on to serve in the Korean War, and he passed away in 1967 from kidney failure.
He was awarded the silver star in Korea.
3x Bronze stars, a Silver star and 3x Purple hearts.
I believe that some of the men in Easy also saw an obituary for a different Blithe and thought it was the same guy.
He died from a ruptured ulcer.
So crazy they haven’t gone back and just edited the final note about him! Seems like an easy fix!!
"That was Gonhorrea!!" Shhhhh, you're not supposed to know that yet! 😉
It was the underbite man! That actor frickin nailed it!
@@LiteWeightReacting Just the underbite? (which, you're right, the casting was spot on!) Accent didn't do any of the lifting there? hahaha
The Edelweiss story about your Great Grandfather made my face leak, I need to get that patched... ❤🩹*hugs*
@@LiteWeightReacting The actors actually met their surviving counterparts and got their looks and mannerisms. The ones that survived at least. *Spoiler Alert*
@@LiteWeightReacting Love that you picked up on that!
@@LiteWeightReacting ngl, you're an absolute legend for that! trust me when i say that i have, bare minimum, watched dozens of reactions to this awesome series and i have never seen anyone spot that before.🙂
You’re the first reactor I’ve seen who recognized Guarnere!
If that actor doesn’t actually have an underbite, he deserves an award!
I’ve seen one other to recognize Guarnere. Though I was surprised at the speed of recognition of @LiteWeightReacting
@@LiteWeightReactingno underbite in his other roles like Sopranos or Catch Me If You Can
@@LiteWeightReacting the real Guarnere and their friends said he did a really good job, Guarnere was exactly like this. Ironic, sour, tough, funny and a really cool guy.
I've seen many who picked out Guarnere, I mean it's hard not to the actor did such a good job.
Spiers is a gangster. You found out that he walks every bit of his talk.
If you haven’t already seen or read it, look up what Winters says about “Sparky” when he & Ambrose were writing/researching this book
Lol fucking classic
Tipper who was badly wounded in the shelling of Carentan and comforted by Joe Liebgott survived.
This is the obligatory Blithe survives mention. One of the few mistakes Band of Brothers makes. They had the wrong guy, like Saving Private Ryan. He then went on to serve, with distinction in the Korean War proving he was a true soldier further. "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- Easier said than done. He will soon more than put his money where his mouth is.
I don't blame the miniseries. I blame the author. He did shotty research.
This so so wild. Even more wild they never went back to correct the last end scene! Seems like it would be an easy fix to me!
@@LiteWeightReacting It's really only been the last couple of years that studios have started editing already released content to change things (like removing the Starbucks cup from Game of Thrones). Once it was released, that was what it was unless they decided to re-release it like they did with the Star Wars special editions, but that used to be fairly rare.
They made a lot more mistakes but people don’t like talking about those ones.
Your story about the edelweiss was touching and endearing. Thank you for sharing, I believe in keeping beautiful memories alive
Yes, taking souvenirs was very common. The enemy would sometimes booby trap items they felt the Americans would pick up so that they would be killed or wounded by the explosives. Author William Manchester, a WWII veteran, famously wrote in his book "Goodbye Darkness", "We used to say the Japanese fight for the emperor, the British fight for glory, and the Americans fight for souvenirs".
The soldier who got hit when the shell blew up the pharmacy was Ed Tipper. He lost and eye and both his legs were broken, but he survived. You won’t see him again in the series, so I guess it’s okay to mention this (others have to other reactors)… he was the one wearing the salmon colored shirt and wearing glasses during the pre-episode interviews. He married for the first and only time in his life in 1983 at the age of 61. His only daughter was born later that year and she became a representative to the Colorado state House of Representatives. He passed away in February, 2017 at the age of 95. God rest his soul. 🙏🏻✝️
Also… you will grow to love Spiers even more. ‘Nuff said on that… for now.
Speirs is a scary guy but he is on our side.
You said 3 episodes up, 3 episodes down.
You. Are. One. Of. Us.
Also 4:00 is god tier editing. Been cackling for 10 minutes
SHHHHHHHH
🤣
Okay I’ll shut up now 🤣🤣
Others have pointed out the mistake regarding Blithe having died in 1948 when he really died in 1967. I will try to explain why there was an error.
Blythe was wounded in the shoulder and not the neck but still his war was over. He stayed in the hospital in England and then in the States before he was discharged from the Army. In 1946 he either attended the first reunion of Easy Company or the first reunion of the 101st Airborne Association (stories varied) but then never attended another reunion again.
Easy Company has several members from Pennsylvania Winters, Welsh, Guarnere, Blythe and others are from Pennsylvania. In 1948 two members of Easy Company’s Pennsylvania contingent came across an obituary for an Albert Blythe of Pennsylvania, member of 506 PIR of 101st Airborne Division, who died from injuries received in Normandy that he never fully recovered from. Believing that it was “their” Albert Blithe from Easy Company they attended the funeral. They then dutifully informed the rest of Easy Company at their next reunion that Blithe had died.
However the Albert Blythe whose funeral they attended was not “their” Albert Blithe but a different Blythe who coincidentally was also from Pennsylvania, was in the 101st Airborne Division 506 PIR and was wounded in Normandy. The only difference is that he spelled his name with a ‘y’ instead of an ‘i’. Blythe never attended another reunion, never kept in contact with any Easy Company member and, being in the Army, never crossed paths with another Easy company member.
The mini-series is based on the book written by Stephen Ambrose which is based on the memories of the Easy Company men. This belief that Blithe was dead is what Easy Company reported to Ambrose in the various interviews he conducted with the men or in written recollections submitted to Ambrose. Unfortunately Ambrose never fact-checked anything that Easy told him. Blithe dying in 1948 is what was written in the book and subsequently the miniseries. It wasn’t until the miniseries came out that Blithe’s family stepped forward and said that Blithe really died in 1967.
It's such a shame they keep fighting you on these videos! You do such a great job with these reaction vids that it enhances the experience and further emphasizes how good this series is.
That edelweiss story was so good! Thanks for sharing that!
I believe shock could cause these guys to go temporarily blind with all the stress they were under and the things they saw. Not the same as being at war like these guys but my mom had pulmonary fibrosis when I was in college. She had been on oxygen for several months and I knew her time was running out, but hearing a doctor say she had less than 2 months left to live caused my vision to get spotty and my hearing got dim like I was under water. I had to go to the hallway, take some deep breaths, and think that she needed me to be stronger for her and then my vision and hearing went back to normal.
It’s a shame but at the same time I’m not even fazed because my only goal is to do justice to the men of Easy company!
I’m proud of the work I’ve created so far and can’t wait to continue with the rest of the series!!
Also, thank you for sharing your personal story about your mother. Can’t imagine receiving news like that. The brain is a powerful thing. Your whole world was turned upside down and couple that with the added stress of being a student athlete! It had to have been so difficult. 😞
“Was the spoils of war a thing back then?”
From my Granddad, who was Navy in WW2…if you could get it on a ship or plane, you could get it home. The taking of knives, pistols, flags, parts of uniforms was everywhere. There was also a vibrant market among everyone for trading the souvenirs. Taking jewelry, gold, silver, other valuables was very common.
This is awesome to know! Very cool first hand account thank you for sharing!!
Large part of pre 1940s European valuables in USA like silverware, paintings and jewelry have gotten there by soldiers looting during the WWII
When one of my relatives stepped off the boat back to England after the war a fellow soldier had a pram. Hard to believe they still had to go through customs at Southampton. The customs officers all fell about laughing and asked why he had a child's pram. He explained a family member was expecting a baby, so a quick look and they waved him through. The soldier in question had the last laugh, the pram had a false bottom and it was full of his "Spoils of War".
My grandfather fought in the Pacific in WW2, a front-line machine gunner. I learned after he died that at one point his gun jammed during a Japanese banzai charge and he ended up fighting a man hand-to-hand. My grandfather won (obviously, since I exist) and took a lot of the Japanese soldier's kit--the only thing that made it back to the states in his gear without getting pilfered by other soldiers/navy boys was the Arisaka Type 99 rifle (chrysanthemum symbol intact) he'd taken. That is still in my possession to this day.
Spoils taking policy was pretty much left up to the CO. Winters was fine with it-he figured if his men didn’t take something, the next person coming through would. As long as you weren’t outright stealing big-ticket items that the highers-up would get complaints about. Then, you could get prosecuted, which did happen to those whose theft got into big profit levels.
Thx for sharing your Alzheimer’s story. I’m a retired USAF Vietnam era vet & my Dad is a Korean War vet & going through it now. It’s heartbreaking to watch them fade away.
"I'm gonna cry at some point." Yep. Happens every time during the opening sequence. Happens every time during the interviews. And happens in every single episode. We are all with you.
That Edelweiss story of yours is absolutely heart warming and heart breaking at the same time. Thank you for sharing that.
That Doug Cockle pull was insane. Nice catch
Your story about your grandfather was beautiful. My grandfather suffered from Alzheimer’s too, it’s a horrible disease I wish no one to experience.
Holy fcking shit, I didnt even realize Geralt was playing a medic in BoB before you mentioned it! :O
Very good ear!
2:14 Funnily enough, Doug Cockle (Geralt's English VA) plays the chaplain giving last rites under fire in the Carentan assault.
Edelweiss was associated more with German mountain troops (Gebirgsjäger) than paratroopers (Fallschirmjäger). It's possible those FJs were either Bavarian, Austrian, or Carpathian Germans, as the flower is significant within those cultures.
Ed Tipper would survive, becoming a school teacher in Colorado. He got married and became a father late in life and passed away in 2017.
Albert Blithe would recover and remain in the Army for the rest of his life. He won a Silver Star in Korea and was stationed in West Germany until his death in 1967. According to his family he drank heavily to cope with his trauma, which led to his death.
The actual Chaplain was John Maloney. A Catholic priest, he jumped into Normaly as part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and in the midst of the heavy fighting in Carentan, he fully exposed himself as he ministered to the wounded and dying.
For his acts, Chaplain Maloney received the Distinguished Service Cross - second only to the Medal of Honor.
When I listened to your story about edelweiss, I shed a tear. Those touches and personal details you add to these does this justice and shows you care. Don't ever doubt if you're doing the series justice. Thanks for sharing the story and once again it was a great reaction as always. Hope HBO doesn't block you anymore going forward Teagean. Love your videos.
PTSD was known as "Battle Fatigue " in WWII. And "Shell Shock" during WWI.
This! Ptsd was well known in WW2, yet they Hadnt maybe the right Word for it, but the 1000yard Stare, Shellschock, Kriegszittern (War tremor) was widely known due to WW1. Command on both Sides tried to rotate soldiers as much as possible to ensure everyone got some time to wind down.
George Carlin has a funny bit on language, including both of those terms.
It goes back even farther - there are stories of men who suffered from "The Soldier's Heart" after the American Civil War. They may not have known how to treat it, but it's always been there in some fashion or other.
Oh I didn’t know they knew what it was yet!
I have seen it described in other media as “soldier’s heart”. I think that one goes back towards the civil war.
I havent had a TV in twenty years and lived alone almost that long so i appreciate watching these videos with you. Its like having someone with you sharing this time. Thank you for the work you put into your channel. It means alot.
Speirs was British and born in Scotland and emigrated to the U.S. when he was 4 years old.
Family is so important and to have your song trigger his memory is a beautiful moment. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
Happy to do so! Glad you enjoyed the story!
Thought you might like to know that Tipper (the man who was blown up in the shop in Carentan) did survive. In the book "We Who are Alive and Remain", Tipper tells the story of visiting Talbert's parents after he got back to the states. Talbert's parents wrote him about the visit, and Tab didn't believe them because he "saw Tipper die."
Tipper was the man who had all the letters that got Sobel so upset. He also handed Sobel the map when the barbed wire fence was cut.
We may not have asked for your story about your great grandpa, but it was beautiful ❤❤❤
One thing I love is that I have seen videos of the actors from this show, years later, sharing their stories of how playing these people impacted and changed their lives. Good job on picking out Guarnere at the beginning interviews.
Let's do this before it taken down!
YT is FUBAR
FUBAR
It’s so hard nowadays! I’m doing nothing different then normal 🤣
My obligatory mention that it is also SNAFU...
@SnaFubar_24 The perfect way to describe RUclips. You're right.
Ok...my rookie police year was 1986 in Texas, I retired in 2016 in Nottingham, England. I used to teach a police supervisors leadership course. I can say this about YOU, young Missy. You notice the right things at the right time, and understand soooo much more than 99% of the people I've seen react to this show. With you leading good lady, I would attack the gates of Hell armed with a bucket of water under your leadership🫡
hurray! Ep3 up and unblocked. RUclips STOP BLOCKING the Queen of Reactors!
Seriously! HBO leave me be this time haha
@ please, please, at some point tell us what the tattoos mean…driving me nuts not knowing 😁
The fact you mentioned The Witcher and then Geralts voice actor being in this episode is just great
I'm watching I'm watching!
*HBO approaches at fast speeds running at me*
"NO NO NO, WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT!!!!!!"
Hahahaha Tha HBO Hammer 🤣
I felt that Blithe taking the edelweiss was him becoming a “true soldier”
Yes!!!
Mind you, edelweiss was more a symbol for the mountain troops ("Gebirgsjäger") rather than the paratroopers ("Fallschirmjäger") - precisely because they have to climb the mountains to get them.
You made a comment about their ages and the ages of the actors. Most of the actors were about 10 years older than the soldiers they were portraying. Winters and Nixon were among the oldest and were 26-27 during the time they were in combat. Sobel was 31 when Easy Company was formed. Lipton was 24. Guarnere was 21. Many of the survivors were questioning the actors ability to portray them when most were so much older than they were.
Geezzz Lightweight, what a touching story about your grandad..Got me tearing up.. Know exactly where you are coming from..
Looking forward to the next episode..
Thank you
Best wishes from France 🇨🇵
"How do you train for that?" The fear, you can't train for; as Winters says at the very beginning, "Each man must prepare himself mentally." My solution was exactly the same as Speers's: I accepted that I was already dead before I even got on the plane. When I first watched this, it resounded powerfully with me when he says that. I still get a bit of a chill every time.
The Army's way to train to operate in fear is repetition: You learn each task thoroughly, then practice it over, and over, and over, so that when the fear comes and your higher brain functions cease, you default to doing the thing that's been drilled into you. Eventually, you become somewhat accustomed to it, and the fear subsides to a degree, so that you're able to start to function more normally. Think about when you were first learning to drive, how scary it was to be in control of that car. But now you do it every day without even thinking about it, even though driving on the interstate is not that much less dangerous than combat.
The two men riding the motorcycle were Don Malarkey and Alton Moore. They literally walked by it on the beach (with the side car) when they departed for England, and said “screw this we’re taking that”. They pushed through the surf on to a boarding craft, got it on the ship just to joy ride it during their time back there. I wanna say it was at least in part because they were like “keep me on the front for the entire month?”
Thank you so much for sharing that beautiful story about your great grandfather. I really have no other words, just thank you.
Lite, I believe you nailed it when you talked about why soldiers collect certain items in war. My best friend did 2 tours of duty as a combat Marine in Vietnam. Between tours he talked me out of enlisting calling that war one big cluster fuck. Then he said something I didn't understand until after the war. He said, "Now I'm just collecting souvenirs." He came home with a flag, a Nagant revolver that looked like it had been through hell, and a compass plus some other items that I can't recall. He also brought home some dioxin in his body that eventually took his life in 1997.
Yep that was Doug Cockle. Funny that you referenced Geralt's "wind's howling" in the episode that Doug makes an appearance haha.
Literally the most amazing thing I’ve done in life to this point and I’m not even kidding haha I’ve told ever gaming friend that I know that it happened haha
All these years and I learned today it was Doug Cockle?! I suck at this.
I have a lot to do today, but no way am I taking a chance on missing this reaction! The perspective of a history teacher is unique among reactors, and I am loving it.
THANK YOU RED MENACE! I appreciate you!
7:30 Ed Tipper survived. He lost an eye and both his legs were broken.
He went back to the States, became a schoolteacher, met a woman when he was in his 60s, and had a daughter, Kerry, who is a politician in Colorado.
Tip was a very popular teacher and passed only a few years ago.
Blyth didnt die! spent alot of time in the hospital and was assigned to a different unit. He eneded up highly decorated and went on to fight in Korea
16:05 During the war, certain materials/items were rationed to the public. Silk, which was the parachute material, was one such thing. So, to get that much silk would have been a boon.
Oh, I can’t imagine!
The thing I like about this episode is that it distinguishes Winters from the other officers. Not just that he's a good leader, but he stands out even among guys who are all good leaders. Welsh tries to help Blithe by telling him to just think of it all as a game. Speirs tells him to just accept he's "already dead." Neither are all that helpful though. Winters doesn't do any of that armchair psychology. Instead he just stands there with him, tells him to stand up, and fire his weapon. And in the end that's all he really needed. Sometimes it really is that simple.
Laundry scene always crushes me :(
They don’t talk about him again in the miniseries that I remember, but Ed Tipper, who was hit by the mortar fire in the scene with that altered volume after he was hit, did survive. He lost an eye and broke both his legs. He came home, got his bachelors and masters degrees in English, taught, married later in life to a younger woman, and their daughter was born in the 1980s. IIRC, he was the man in episode one who was with Sobel when he decided to cut the fence in England-he was restraining his laughing because he knew that “Major Horton” was George Luz.
Albert Blithe is one of the very few things that they got wrong in the series, he actually DID recover from his wounds in normandy, but his service in combat in WWII was over, he was transported back to the United States, and after several surgeries, he was finally released from the Army Hospital in October of 1945, and was discharged from active duty, he served again with the airborne during the Korean war being twice decorated (bronze Star) (Silver Star) for gallantry and valor, in December of 1967 while stationed in Germany, he participated in ceremonies about Bastogne and the battle of the bulge, he became sick and was rushed to the emergency room, where he was diagnosed and was being treated for a perforated ulcer, he died 7 days later in the ICU, his body was transported back to the United States where he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors before Christmas day of 1967
My grandfather also had Alzheimer's and had forgotten us by the end so I feel you on that, thanks for sharing x
SPOILS OF WAR. A time-honored tradition. For centuries, soldiers have taken spoils from their defeated foes. At one time, it would be gold or slaves, better weapons and armor. Then (during the American Civil War) needed items, such as shoes and better rifles.
First World War, Americans returned home with captured German helmets and assorted insignia. By the Second World War, American GIs brought home captured German/Japanese flags, pistols, uniforms, etc.
Hanging in my 'man cave' are Iraqi helmets, uniforms, and field equipment I brought home from the '91 Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom - as well as a few assorted things from Somalia and Afghanistan.
"We need Wardaddy from FURY" - Yes we do!!
Thank you for sharing that beautiful story about your grandfather. For your reactions, don't worry. You're presenting the stories of these incredibly brave and resilient men with heart and respect.
I am absolutely glad you are as intelligent as you are. It makes watching your videos so wonderful. You pick up things the first time around that most other people/YTReactors take 3 times to even catch.
And you are such an incredibly empathetic person. It heals my heart to see such a caring person.
Music memories are one of the last to go. I run a small town museum and usually try to have time period music going for a special exhibit. It adds that little bit more even if people aren't really aware of it. The best, for me, is if they are walking out of the museum and humming, whistling or singing one of the songs because you can be certain they are taking a little bit with them.
Tipper (who got blown up in the building and walked out) survived those injuries and is the guy with big glasses and an orange polo at the beginning of episode 2.
He also was one of the last to die from Easy Company, i want to say it was 2019 or 2020 when he passed.
OMG, you are such a gem! Appreciate how much of yourself you invest in these episodes. Thanks Ms. Lite!
"Spoils of War": My Uncle Kermit was an ordnance officer in the Pacific Theater. He brought back a Japanese officer's pistol and two Samurai swords. Plus an artillery shell with the gunpowder removed, which I have. There were anecdotes about soldiers mailing an entire Jeep piece by piece.
What I can say, is I've been to Carentan and they did an amazing job recreating the streets of the village. It still looks like this to this day. Normandy villages are very old country and are gorgeous. But they done their homework and it's mad how exact they got it. I remember watching this going "I walked down there!" haha
Another great one from you ! A couple things I’d like to mention. I’ve never understood how people can be so calm in all the chaos. I personally witnessed that from a shipmate once. A plane crashed and people died and this guy walked around like he was sedated or something. When the fires were finally out and we learned that we both lost a very good friend his demeanor remained unchanged! Like he really could care less. I held a grudge against him for a couple years. But I learned, they do care it’s just the way they’re wired I guess. I guess like you said in a reaction( can’t remember which one) but how you laugh in tragic situations and people tend to think you find humor in their nightmares. Obviously you don’t find humor in that it just your reaction.
Thanks for sharing about your grandfather. The Alzheimer’s is personal to me also. When he called you by your name…. When my father was in his final stages of the terrible disease he called me out away from the kids and everyone else , said he needed to talk with me. My oldest brother was killed in a tractor accident with my dad at the age of 3. I was in diapers so I knew nothing about what actually happened and was told all my life nothing but lies on how it happened. I grew up wondering how my dad could be so careless but one week before he passed away he had that talk and explained exactly what took place. After that it made perfect sense. It’s almost like before they leave us they want to clear up things , I guess.
Thank for the reaction. Can’t wait till the next.
Tipper did survive. He was the veteran who spoke about either getting through without a scratch or being killed outright.
That’s wild! What a crazy thing to live through!
They sent him straight back to the states. I think it took him a while to learn to walk again.
@ Plus he lost his sight in one eye
Son of a....
@@LiteWeightReacting hopefully if the crowd is amenable and it seems like there's no advance play in patreon? (By the way, I need to up...) if the posting is in real time and there's no advance knowledge, I hope the community can cool its excited heels and say 🤫 🤐 zip nada as much as possible on "who lives who dies" because these men aren't going away from the story, live or die, until the series and post-series content wrap-up that in itself is something to must-see! So I hope the crowd can hold off on the tells of the lives of the men of Easy Company so YOU can experience all the emotions and the story and care for the people in BoB. It's all one story that needs to be told as one, in chapters, so there's no "one and done, we're not talking about it anymore" kinda thing. It all comes into play. Everything that's seen and reaction posted is always relevant for a... later time, Lieutenant Liteweight. The exception here on out is Blithe and what the episode means to convey! Currahee! Plus, would you consider quitting the show if you didn't know if a soldier survived or not? Of course not. Like, dudes know and they continue to tell you "so n so, don't worry"...need a crash Course here on out on rhetorical questions out loud by reactors for the show! Otherwise, you'll just be shrugging. Comments can be ruiners for reactions! Hopefully the uploads are actually later than the watch because the first time watch experience is essential, foremost! Mods, you need mods. Nothing's worse than seeing a reactor who of course had to be a girly already knowing things in advance all because of dude comments. Then it becomes an "oh well, next..." and then done. Don't let runners ruin the overall experience for you!
17:28: "Can you imagine surviving the battle and then dying in a motorcycle accident?" General George Patton, one of the greatest American generals of WW2 who pioneered the doctrine of tank warfare, was the US commander the Germans feared most, led the charge across France, rescued Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, and accepted the surrender of the German 1st Army -- then was hit by a truck while crossing a street in France days after the war ended.
Slight correction, he was in Germany and it was in December of 1945. Everyone else in the vehicle were relatively unharmed in the collision, but Patton essentially broke his neck. He died 12 days later.
Amazon used "Edelweiss" as its opening song for "The Man in the High Castle" series. It takes place in 1962 in an alternate history where the Axis powers won World War II, and the "what-if" of the story is really intriguing to me.
Talbert in the earlier part of the episode was showing off his ‘spoils of war’ which was the German poncho which what he was wearing when he woke up the soldier. That’s why he got confused as a German. 11:00
Blythe didn't....oh nevermind.
Haha
If I'm remembering correctly, "In the Mood," War Daddy's tank's real name, was at head of the armored column at Carentan. He basically invented the tactic of hosing hedge rows because the Germans were so good at disguising themselves. The Germans never regained the advantage in tank tactics.
I'm so glad that another person realizes just how great the music in this show is.
Your story was so touching. Talking about deeply personal events often bring back sweet yet painful memories of days and people gone by.
"That was just a little tidbit about me...that you didn't ask for!" caught me off guard and I LOL'ed! And don't worry about "doing it justice". Your reactions are real, and from the heart, and THAT is doing it justice! Faking it would be the opposite. So keep it real. It's YOUR reaction, and won't be like mine, or someone else's. And THAT is what makes it good!
As I'm sure you'll hear 50 times: Blithe survived. But so did Tipper, the soldier caught in the shell explosion in that shop...
You do these so well! Yes it's a production , but you treat it like you're watching real time events. No one can fake that type of emotion. You're the prime example of what these reactions should be! Thank you. :)
To add about blithe, he served in Korea with distinction in Speirs company, won a bronze star and a silver star …
I’m really enjoying your reactions! Your emotions and personal stories make your reactions unique! Keep it up!
This series did such a beautiful job of portraying the heartbreak of the men who didn't make it. There is another episode later that you'll definitely need tissue.
Many of the episodes have a perfect scene. Malarkey in the laundry is one of them.
“You’re not supposed to take things”
Laughs in Speirs 😂
Yeah, he’s a… complicated character even if you assume he didn’t do the 2nd episode war crime.
@RocketSurgn_ which winters said it's true. No prisoners were to be allowed for the first 24 hours according to all vets accounts on the matter. Was an actual order yall.
Oh boy haha
@@RocketSurgn_ wasn't a war crime. Those German soldiers, even though disarmed, were just a moment ago enemy combatants in the field and they weren't confined sequestered or imprisoned yet as POW's. It was in midst of an ongoing invasion in yet occupied enemy territory that needed to advance and they didn't yet have a paddy wagon system to round up prisoners. They weren't there to act as jailors, they were there as soldiers to fight and kill the enemy who were a moment ago intent on doing the same to them.
@RocketSurgn_ Technically it can't be a war crime, The Geneva conventions weren't a thing until 1949..
Great reaction Teegan like always. They really did Blithe dirty in this. I saw an interview with Winters and he was really angry about how the series depicted Blithe, in later research, after the series was made, they found out that Blythe lived. Albert Blythe in fact did recover and went on to have a very successful military career. 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. He had lost contact with all the men in Easy company
There was an Albert Blithe who was also a veteran and from Pennsylvania who died in 1948. Heffron and Guarnere believed it was the same man from Easy Company and even went to the funeral. Ambrose and later the producers for the series took them at their word and didn’t research further. After BOB aired, it was found that Blythe did in fact survive.
I really wish they had updated BoB to reflect what actually happened to Blithe. 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. One thing that you might have missed with Talbert being bayoneted by Pvt. Goerge Smith, he was wearing a German poncho that he had picked up as a souvenir. In the dark the other soldier thought he was a German from the outline. Earlier in the episode you see Talbert showing off the poncho, but it's easy to forget.
FUN FACT: 7:52 The actor who plays the Priest is the same guy who voices Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher video games
@@MarcoMM1 wow, man!! I did not know until now!
I'm impressed by the way you address the audience so conversationally in these reaction videos Teegan. You've really become a top notch content creator! Also loved the "Wind's Howling" reference in the beginning and then Doug Cockle shows up.
Tipper would make it (the guy caught in the explosion in the building). He went home and lived a long life in school administration. He married very late in life and had a daughter who would become a representative in the Colorado legislature. She was so proud of her daddy and was often mistaken for his granddaughter!
*gives great big hugs* - Love the story about your grandfolks and the eidelweiss. Watching my grandmother deteriorate with Alzheimers was scary and difficult, so I feel that.
My Dad (1sr Infantry Division) said that when he shipped out to North Africa in early 1942 he just assumed that he’d never live to see the States again. But he served all through Africa and Europe and lived to the ripe old age of 94, despite being wounded in Algeria and carrying those shell fragments in his back and legs until the day he died.
Shell shock was the term for ptsd during WWI, PTSD was known about as far back as the Napoleonic wars.
Don't be nervous.
Your reaction is perfect.
Your heart, your compassion, your tears, your bright smile in the lighter moments.
Also your knowledge and understanding of what's going on.
All perfect.
This has been my favorite reaction and I've seen dozens.
Don't change a thing, and don't worry about doing justice to these men and their story; they'd love your for this reaction.
Thank you for the work you do creating this content & thank you for sharing your personal story with us ❤
You've really become one of my favorite reactors. You're so genuine and honest, emotional but not to a point of distraction. The little things you pick up during a watch proves that you're really paying attention and are truly invested in whatever show you're watching.
I already knew this from previous reactions, but the minute I saw your BoB episode 1 pop up, I knew this would be one of the best any of us had ever seen. You're already proving that to be right and it's only going to get better.
This show has a way of making you feel like one with the men. You will draw a close personal connection with them all throughout the series.
For us it's a combination of "i can't wait for you to see it" and "i really don't want it to end".
Enjoy the ride and I'll enjoy sharing it with you.
I really liked what you said about people’s coping and leadership mechanisms. Harry with his gamification of the horror, Spears with his nihilistic certainty. What I think you failed to mention was Winters, and how it was only his encouragement and leadership through example that actually broke through to Blithe. Of all the soldiers to emulate, Winters was the best. It’s a beautiful scene.
Friendly fire happened all the time in WW2. In fact, the highest ranking American killed in WW2 (there were actually 2 of the same rank killed but the other was killed by enemy fire) was killed by friendly fire and that happened during the Normandy Campaign. This was Lt General McNair.
The last scene, with the laundress, is a gut punch for sure.
That was Father Maloney giving the last rights to the fallen soldiers.
He received the
*Distinguished Service Cross* for his actions that day!
welcome to the BoB family! Thanks for your passion and respect for the series. this changed my outlook on life! Hope it has an impact on you too!
Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying it. My only goal is to do the men of Easy justice!!
@@LiteWeightReacting great job! we appreciate you!
Souvenirs were HUGE during WWII. Germany and Albert Speer spent a lot of time making their cities, uniforms, weapons, and other items similar to the Roman Empire. Most uniforms were very classy and even down to the bayonets, everything had style. There are millions of items in the US taken home from American soldiers after the war.
Also side note: preachers (or ''Padres as we call them now in the military) were there to give the last rites of men who died or were dying on the battlefield.
Love your reactions to Band of Brothers! I absolutely love this series and watch it myself a couple times a year. You are absolutely doing it justice to the story and the men with your comments and observations and have me checking everyday to see if you’ve done another episode. I come from a very long line of military veterans and served in Germany in the 1980s. My grandpa was captured during the battle of the bulge and spent 92 days as a German POW but did make it home.
Side note: the average age of the soldier in WWII was 26yrs old, in Vietnam it was 19yrs.
Looking forward to more and keep up the GREAT job!
Great job calling out Doug Cockle! I had to do a quick IMDB check to confirm it. It's always fun finding actors in surprising spots.
Right?! So fun! The Witcher is my most favorite game so I’d recognize him anywhere!
War daddy is not a fake story. It is a real story. Fury was fake. Visit the fat electrician. He has a great set up for war, daddy
Despite the problems you're having with copyright strikes, thank you for reacting to this amazing, important series.
Thanks Chris! Honestly, this is so dramatic… but it feels like I’m fighting for the men of Easy everytime I need to fight to get a video back up. So it worth it to me!
@@LiteWeightReacting I re-watch the full series about once a year, usually around Christmas time, but it's great to see it through the fresh eyes of reactors. One of the things that keeps me coming back to your channel, though, is that you're particularly astute in your reactions and tend to pick up on things that a lot of reactors miss. Case in point, for some reason the laundry scene at the end of this episode seems to go over the heads of a lot of reactors.
While there are many amazing performances throughout the series, there are some absolutely jaw-dropping moments from Scott Grimes (Malarkey) and Neal McDonough (Buck Compton) that you have to look forward to.
No need to worry. You're doing a great job. I love your knowledge of history. Really adds to the reaction experience.
thank you for your HEARTFELT REACTION! 👍☺
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!!
WOOOOO! Pre-block gang!
Yes!!! That’s a good t shirt idea
“Pre Block Gang”
I am so very much enjoying your reaction(s) to BoB!!!! Do not fret about giving the proper respect to these men, because you are showing great respect and reverence to them and to all that have served!!! I am very much looking forward to the upcoming episodes. You are one of my favorite reactors here on YT. Off the wall question: I've seen (or at least I think that I have) your tattoo somewhere but can't place what it is or what it means. Would you mind sharing what it is and what it means??? Thanks!!!
One thing less often mentioned by people in the know about Edelwieß, is that is has particular significance to mountain troops in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Wearing it was THEIR thing, similar to how American paratroopers wore their distinct shiny jump boots. To quote the HistoryBuffs channel... "I don't think any Fallschirmjäger would've been cheeky enough to wear an Edelweiß... not unless he wanted his teeth knocked out by a Gebrigsjäger."
In addition, "Hysterical Blindness" that Blithe was diagnosed with is an outdated term for what is now called Conversion Disorder. Essentially, the brain is so overwhelmed with stress and external stimulus that it shuts down the senses in an effort to regain control... sometimes permanently. It is one of the symptoms of shellshock, now referred to as PTSD.
Also... fun fact... the scene of the tank running over the German soldier was a practical effect. No CGI. Apparently, the tank was stationary, and they pulled him under it using camera angle to simulate him getting curshed.
The Edelweiss story was super sweet. This episode is what introduced me to the flower, I thought it was such a cool concept climbing a mountain to retrieve it, and it's been in my head ever since.
The song from Sound of Music song is used in the show Man in The High Castle as it's intro, except it's a very sad and erie cover, as the show explores what it might have been like if the Allies lost the war. A good show to check out in the future.
You were talking about how young they were, Winters was 26 when they jumped into Normandy and buck was 23