Band of Brothers ''Carentan'' Veteran REACTION!!!!
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- I am on my third show of this serious and It is more intense as it progress! The events are jaw dropped and you see my reaction. Are you excited to follow me on this journey? When did you first experience this groundbreaking limited series? Oh I do know that in my introduction I have food on my lip... So there is 'NO NEED' to make me aware lol.. I KNOW.. Don't worry I notice it before my reaction starts lol
Remember this is not a substitute for watching the actual show.
If you haven't seen it, then please do so (available on HBO) and then come back to the video afterwards.
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Thanks for Watching and Hope you guys enjoy my reaction...
Oh I do know that in my introduction I have food on my lip... So there is 'NO NEED' to make me aware lol.. I KNOW.. Don't worry I notice it before my reaction starts lol
Private blythe lived. His family reached out after the series aired to correct the record. He made it home, had a family, died in his bed. Wrote a book too, i think. But he was ok, he wasnt even shot in the neck quite how the show made it look. The unit just misremembered, through no fault of their own. Fog of war and old memories took their toll and the wrong man got remembered.
@@pudgeboyardee32 That's correct. He died while serving in Germany in 1967. Perforated ulcer.
Like many veterans he struggled with addiction problems. His was alcohol.
He was on his way back from a memorial to Bastogne when he took ill.
Hey man love your vids . Here is an awesome video to react to title is " Star Spangled Banner As You've Never Heard It. " Keep up the good work.
You can go to carentan today and still see the bullet holes from this day i went a few years back it is amazing.
German watches were sort after, easy to sell, plus you can carry 6 on an arm.
Regarding Pvt Blythe, the episode was more to show that by the end he had turned the corner and was functioning as a better solider. Plus, the episode got the information wrong at the end about him. He did not die from his wounds, and actually went on to serve in Korea.
That's what I took from it. Winters was trying to give him a chance to function as a soldier, and he was. That's why he volunteered to check out that farm house. If he hadn't been shot at that time, who knows how effective he may have become.
Ambrose used verbal accounts to write his histories, relying very little on documentation. It makes for more entertaining stories, but in this case it does a disservice to Blithe in both the book and the HBO series. Thank you for pointing out he survived and continued to serve.
I always interpreted Blithe's "foxhole scenes" as the director's effort to show a spectrum of contrasting warrior philosophies. To Harry it's a game. To Speirs it's accepting a dark fate. To Winters it's do the damn job because it's gotta get done.
@@taskergrim9875 for sergeant martin it's about the little things in life.
"My back teeth are floatin."
@@jonnybgoode7742 So true! Forgot Martin is in there with him as well. Thanks!
I believe I read some where that once he recovered from his wounds he did actually return to Easy company to fight out the rest of the war.
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from Wikipedia about how blithe died
Death
On December 10, 1967, while on active duty in Germany, Blithe felt nauseated when he returned from a weekend at Bastogne, Belgium, where he had taken part in the ceremonies commemorating the Battle of the Bulge. On December 11, 1967, Blithe was taken to the emergency room at Wiesbaden Hospital, Germany, where he was admitted with a diagnosis of a perforated ulcer. He died in the intensive care unit on December 17 after surgery, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full honors.
In the miniseries Band of Brothers, the closing text of the third episode incorrectly states that Blithe died in 1948 due to never fully recovering from his wound (a bullet to the neck).
References
My Grandad was in mine clearance, and was part of the advance clearing, and worked his war through Normandy, before he contracted Tuberculosis, he was returned home and eventually died because of it. My grandma was refused a war widows pension due to him dying from the disease. Many died quickly, it took 50 years for the war to kill him. I miss him so much. A true hero.
Your journey through this show gives me life. Thank you. Do The Pacific next.
Also re Spiers talking about fighting as if already dead also has something to do with being in the Airborne where they're really behind enemy lines making the way for the invasion via Normandy.
Stephen Ambrose and the producers got this wrong. Albert Blythe did not hide out for three days after the D-Day drop. He got into some skirmishes the the Germans alongside some 82nd Airborne Paratroopers before finding his way back to Easy Company.
He wasn't as badly wounded as Easy Company thought, but he was sent home to heal. By the time he recovered he was transferred to an Airborne division training in the states to drop into Japan. He decided to stay in the Army as a career. He fought in Korea and participated in combat jumps in that war. By the Vietnam Era he was a Master Sergeant stationed in Germany. He died from complications from surgery for a perforated ulcer in Wiesbaden Germany 1967. He is buried in Arlington Nation Cemetery.
At the time they were so short for bodies that they wouldn't pull you off the line. Ww2 was brutal in ways that we can't imagine, there was no concern for mental health. It was very much the mindset of 'suck it up'. So much has changed since then. Later in the series you see them start to break and show intense strain and PTSD setting in.
Easy Company was the Assault Company of their Batallion. That's why they're always the first out front. They were given the hard missions to do.
I'm sold. This guy straight up fun to watch. Subscribed.
May sound harsh but I believe ww2 is the greatest story in human history.
... in historical terms it was a very short war, but it is so well documented. Obviously bad things were done on both sides, but it is a true, good vs evil war in many ways. It shaped the world for the next century and there are so many amazing, horrific, heartbreaking, and heroic stories within the arc of ww2 that I don't think it will ever be forgotten.
Knowledge may dwindle, it already is, but they will still be talking about it in a thousand years.
@19:30- I've heard of C.O.s having their platoon and squad leaders write out their own wills and obituaries before going into battle. Once you know you're dead, the enemy can't hurt you. There's nothing to worry about except to do the job at hand.
What they don't tell you is after Bligth recovered him went on to serve in Korea and was highly decorated.
The thing with Fox company when they were moving at night was this, there were areas that they couldn’t move quickly through and then stretches of open ground or some such. Fox was up from leading the way, but as soon as they got through one of the difficult terrains they would speed up through the easier ground, leaving the company behind them moving slower and loosing track of them.
I've been looking forward to these band of brothers reactions
Blthye's issue was just being scared and feeling powerless to do anything about it. Once he started to fire his weapon, he realized he had the power to fight back. At that point, he became the soldier that everyone else was. So when he volunteered, he had been "on the line" for a month or so. To the unit, it was just another day and another house to recon. So, him taking point at that time was normal. The fact he got hit by a sniper just showed how dangerous it was for him to volunteer to begin with.
As far as the concept of "it is all just a game"? Well, in the 1940's, a lot of young men felt that war was "just an adventure" more than anything else. The concept of "I am going to be the one to die" didn't really register to a lot of them. (Despite the high number of people who did die). It was always going to be "someone else, not me" mentality. So it "was just a game", meaning it was an adventure and nothing was going to happen to you.
And finally, the concept of "already dead"? That goes back a LONG way, especially in war like societies or empires (like the Roman Empire) built on "conquest". If you go into battle "already dead", you have no FEAR OF DYING. Plus, you "are dead". All that stuff that distracts you, like thinking of home, what you will do after the war, what sort of recognition or medal you might win, all doesn't matter anymore. You wake up, you make it through the day, and go to sleep. A few documents and records (verbal) of people with the "already dead" mentality have indicated that they went through the war with no problems. That they almost always felt that they were going to win no matte what, and often went to sleep without a single care in the world. It wasn't until AFTER they were done fighting did they have a hard time adjusting back in to "civilian life". Most of them re-enlisted, and would often die in their 2nd or 3rd tour of duty.
There were a lot of soldiers as uneasy as Blithe - If they were all sent home, ... well , it just wasn't an option in war. They were already undermanned.
12:32 is the ultimate "no homo" moment of the century. dude letting his buddy know it's alllllllllllllllllll good.
They didn’t know about PTSD back then.
It was called battle fatigue. And with little being know about it outside of the medical and psychological fields, it was dismissed by many.
I get what you're sayin Devin, but do you think this was before PTSD and trauma was recognized for what it is? Maybe at that time they thought they just needed to be hardened by experience, and find their courage, not sent home? I don't think they understood what we know now. What do you think?
It was a different time man. Mental health wasn’t recognized or treated the same as now days. As far as when Lt Speers told Blythe to just give in to the idea he’s already dead, my dad told me once that’s what got him through in Vietnam. After accepting that he’s more than likely not going to make it, the fear kind of went away. I’m glad I’ve never had to be in that kind of situation.
Mental health as a science was in its infancy. However people have always noticed PTSD. At the time of the American Civil War it was called "Soldier's Heart". I
@@jackburton3701 yep and in WW1 they called it "shell shock"
Speirs' philosophy of "being already dead" is very similar to an old Samurai philosophy of "dying before going into battle" so you'd be detached and not worry about dying so you could fight without worry.
It's a warrior mentality. Accepting that you're already dead removes the fear of dying, the distraction of worrying about going home, and the individual desire for self preservation. If you die, you die as an effective and efficient soldier that was free from the baggage of fear and worry.
Unfortunately, the consequences of actually surviving is that since it isn't an expected outcome, many men struggled to return to normal life after spending so much time in such a harsh mentality.
Could definitely imagine Speirs reading Hagakure.
What i came here to say ,Mushin, empty mind , you are nothing but an implement of death, a walking ghost .
Bushido
I remember watching an interview with a Vietnam vet and he said they had a saying someone would say "attitude check" and they'd all reply "fuck it". Thats kinda the mentality you have to have in a combat zone. Because if you're overly cautious and only worried about dieing you're likely to make mistakes and end up being a burden and possibly get someone or yourself killed.
Dude, they are paratroopers in the middle of the Battle of Normandy. Whether Blithe had distress or not, they needed every one of their troops they could get. They couldn't just send him home in the middle of that because he seemed a bit off.
Fully see your point and fully disagree. In an infantry fight, 1 man not 100% switched on might as well just fight for the other side. Having no one is better than having someone who you have to focus on keeping in the fight. That being said, in real life Blythe was actually a very good soldier, and did not die.
@@philliphampton5183 They were in the middle of a gigantic active war zone where they couldn't be concerned with taking a soldier (who appears unwounded) off the line and sending him home. Also, PTSD and such was not nearly as understood in the 1940's. It is easy to identify something like this today. Back then, not really. They show this in Episode 4 of The Pacific, where everyone's answer to this kind of behavior is "He just needs some rest and he'll be fine."
@@Theakker3B this exact scenario happens in bastogne and they instantly pull buck off the line because hes more likely to kill a friendly than an enemy. PTSD was very much understood in WW2 because WW1 was such a fucking yardsale of it. Seriously, try and think of a war in history that generated more PTSD than 1915
@@spiffypilgrim8865 Then let me rephrase what I said by saying they may have understood the concept of PTSD during WWII, but did not know how to properly deal with it.
Among Band of brothers fans it seems an honored tradition to inform reactors that there was a foul up that lead the men of easy to believe Albert Blythe had died in a hospital when really he had not and went on to serve in Korea. The account of his death was relayed to the Author of the book by a veteran and not looked into further after which it was added to the series... this very much so shocked the family of Blythe when they saw it on TV... many of the shows writers expres deep regret in not being able to fix the error in the series now.
That's correct.
He died while serving in Germany in 1967 of a perforated ulcer.
He was coming back from a memorial ceremony in Bastogne.
Apparently he had struggled with a drinking problem for some time.
Also, the tiny detail that doesn't matter at all really is that Gebirgsjäger with their edelweiss weren't a part of that battle as they were mountain troops but I'm ok with them being in the show as Nixon gets to pass on interesting historical details. 👍
The Germans had panzers, parachutes and ost-battalions.
@@johnnypatrickhaus890 the question is was it made up for the television show or was it mentioned in the book.
Because reality always trumps theories and probabilities.
If it's mentioned in the book that members of Easy Company actually saw a dead German Soldier with that flower, then it happened. Perhaps a soldier pick the flower and then through some extremely unlikely set of circumstances was immediately restage to the Normandy front before the flower died. Maybe he bought it somewhere in Paris a flower shop. Maybe he had been on leave and had just returned to the front.
With millions of people in the area lots of unlikely things happened.
I haven't read the the book so I don't know. But if someone has read the book and it is mentioned as a story in a book I'd like to know.
@@macmcleod1188 I have read the book. It is not mentioned in it.
A fallschirmjäger would not wear an edelweiss any more than an army ranger would wear jump-wings or jump-boots (PIRs were issued with special jump-boots along with their wings when they qualified).
Any non PIR found wearing jump boots could expect a fight.
I'm quoting a PIR who's name I can't remember talking about jump-boots... "it was a very special thing to wear shiny jump-boots. No other unit in the army was allowed wear them and manys a nose was broken at Fort Benning whenever paratroopers caught some non-paratrooper wearing jump boots".
As to which German troops fought at the battle of Carentan, that's easily researched.
We're just here having fun watching a lad watch BoB.
Please please please leave your politics at the door.
For the love of St Ignatius Loyola does that shit need to infest every damn thing?
@@macmcleod1188 oh shit!
Lad! I apologise sincerely.
Lol.
When you said "trumps" I leapt to a conclusion like an idiot.
And there's me telling you not to be political. Lol😅
I was wrong and I take back my snarky comment unreservedly.
Gosh darn it I feel like such a nouche-dozzle now.
I will try to read more accurately in future.
#feelingsheepish 🐑.
🤲🙏
PTSD didn't 'exist' back then as a condition, they knew of 'Shell Shock' from World War 1, but they still didn't diagnose these things properly, just cast people aside as damaged people. Blythe needed leadership to grow as a soldier. Lt Speirs tries to go the whole hard nut military route to get Blythe to come to his senses, it didn't work.
Lt. Speirs was a psychopath, and the last thing Blythe needed was a pep talk from a guy with no conscience.
@@rkstevenson5448 Spiers wasn't a psychopath. He was likely ordered to execute those prisoners. They are paratroopers and were behind enemy lines at the time and had no way of securing prisoners so they were shot.
In the second world war it was called one of two things: Battle Fatigue,which was only recognized in troops that had been exposed to heavy fighting over protracted periods of time OR Cowardice. Blithe's story takes place only days or weeks after D-Day. Winters' compassion towards Blithe at the aid station shows a very forward understanding of what would later become known as PTSD.
@@rkstevenson5448 read more military memoirs especially ww1 a lot of soldiers came to terms that they were gonna die like they were already dead. A lot of those guys were the ones to live because they never flinched or hesitated in the heat of battle had zero fear of dying
@@ronweber1402 He didn't execute the prisoners, the series is pretty clear about that.
That officer who talks to blyth about already being dead is Lt. Speirs, he was also the officer in the "cigarette" scene In the last episode. So it's fair to say he might have some interesting views on fighting.
Also, Spier's pearl of wisdom is true of life itself. We are sure of only two things...we are born and we die, everything else is a lottery
But just wait; Lt. Spiers gonna surprise you.
@@micko11154 not familiar with the the concept of spoilers, are you?
@@micko11154 yes, anyone who is interested in history and ww2 might look in to the story or even read the book, but overall that's a relativly small percentage of the population.
Unless specifically stated, everyone should treat these reaction videos and "first time watching" videos like the person hasn't seen it or knows anything about it. You should treat it like any book or film, by not giving away details the viewer is not probably not aware of yet, especially if it is so closely based on real people or events.
I mean it's not a major spoiler or anything, but let the guy develop attachments to characters and let's see how he feels when key parts of their stories unfold. That's half the fun of these reactions.
@@micko11154 I'm not, it's just being courteous to others who might actually get pleasure out of seeing the story play out.
I didn't realise letting people enjoy discovering things on their own was a bad thing. Guess my parents should have raised me be to be a thoughtless, inconsiderate and judgmental person instead.
That chaplain was a Catholic priest, performing his ministry by searching for the mortally wounded and administering them Last Rites. I think that was shown to portray that each man was bravely carrying out his assigned duty. The Pvt. Blythe narrative tied in to the commentary in the opening; they were all scared, but they each had to find a way to overcome their fears in order to effectively function as soldiers.
That chaplain was a legend all his own. Lot of folk wrote about him. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_L._Sampson
You have to remember that this is set during WWII. A lot of things have changed in the military since the 40's.
For real? 🙄
@@rollastoney idk man 😳😳 maybe 🤔🤤🤤
Yea it's gotten weaker. The Germans, Russian and American army back then would have a field day today
@@nickgurpleez2628 weaker? We have literally NEVER been stronger. We own the world. We have nuclear carriers, subs, ICBMs, astronauts. How have we gotten weaker since ww2?
@@nickgurpleez2628 The US army today could easily defeat all three in a 1v1 fight.
Apparently, they guy who got bayonetted was wearing a German poncho he'd picked up earlier, which kinda explains the other guy's confusion.
Yes, this. An important detail he'd likely missed.
@@PodreyJenkin138 when Blithe had just rejoined Easy Company earlier in the episode, we could see Talbert showing the poncho around as a souvenir
I think you missed the whole point of Blithe’s story and his character development by leaving out the whole scene explaining the symbolism of picking and wearing an edelweiss and Blithe taking it from the German he kills. Blithe was suffering from shell shock. It took Winters, Welsh, and finally that pep talk from Speirs about needing to accept he was already dead, to help him function as a soldier. Him killing the retreating German was him shedding his humanity, and claiming the edelweiss was symbolic of him becoming a true soldier. That’s why he volunteers to go point; he’s not just a scared kid anymore, he climbed the mountain and became a man. If he hadn’t been wounded, he probably would have become one the most hardcore killers in the company.
Exactly... there's a difference between training and war. Or at least that was the message I always took for it.
Honestly he missed the depth of this episode as a whole.
Also in real life he didn't die and went on to fight in Korea I believe
@@dale897 that is true. Albert Blithe served Easy Company with distinction and went on to a great Airborne career.
Those old soldiers retelling how it went down always gets to me...
Heffron always wrecks me. But that's a future episode...
@@johnnypatrickhaus890 he could make you laugh or cry with his stories. The Dutch Woman story is hilarious. And the story of how Jim Campbell told Babe to stay put and he got killed, taking a bullet for him in the process, is heartbreaking
@@SRP3572 Lad... Wild Bill was a genuine comedian. Sure Philly lads know funny as ..
I could sit and watch those veterans tell their stories for hours.
Blythe's problem was that he was too fearful of getting hurt or dying, and that fear stopped him from following his training as a soldier. Lt Spiers recognized that, and tried to break that fear with the whole "accept that you're already dead" thing, because if you aren't focusing on "how do I stay alive, oh God I might die if I move, I don't wanna die I wanna live" in a constant spiral (basically an anxiety attack) then you can operate as a soldier. Spiers method obviously didn't work. Lt Winters took a different approach, literally grabbing Blythe to break him out of the cycle of fear (which can be dangerous as hell to do, depending on how far the person is spiraling), giving him clear instructions and encouragement and most importantly an example to follow, knowing that if Blythe could just start the basics of fighting, his training and muscle memory would kick in and he'd be able to do his part. Blythe's fear was what stopped him from being able to think and act on his own...having Winters standing above his foxhole firing at the Nazis gave him something to focus on, and, well, monkey see monkey do.
As for taking Blythe off the line, yeah, he should've been taken off the line, and today he probably would be...but in that situation, the invasion was still very shaky, supply lines were still being established, airborne units were still scattered to hell and back, and they just didn't have the manpower to pull somebody off the line because they seemed a bit off in the head (plus they didn't have our knowledge of psychiatric issues, or how dangerous a person who's "a little off" can end up being for the unit). Taking any physically fit man off the line just wasn't an option.
It's only after WW II the psychology behind the problems with soldiers. Also Easy company was considered the best in the whole of the airborne so they were put in the worse places as they were considered able to handle anything.
I look forward to seeing you react to Bastogne as it is one of the hardest episodes to watch just behind 'why we fight'.
"Accept the fact that you're already dead."
If you're dead there's nothing to worry about. You can do your job without thought or regret.
Speirs will show you what he means. Don't worry.
I'm loving your perspective on this series. You can see the worry and fear in your reactions and your face. As you get to know the "Band" more that fear for them will grow. And to know that it's 99% real makes it even more scary.
This series will do that to you.
Peace
That's another reason I don't think this reactor is a veteran or his would get it. Along with other basic tactics and strategy he seems to know nothing about.
@@nielgregory108 probably not from a combat MOS..most likely pog..he cool tho
That scene of the priest walking among the dead and looking for the dying is very impressive for me. Spielberg put a similar scene on Saving Private Ryan.
And Ryan is in easy to
The chaplain corps actually have an unsung history of courage and bravery under fire, mostly during WW2.
Keep up the nice reaction Devin...
When you said being a Medic must be hard... Wait till you reached ep. 6.... Man im telling you😉😉
Looking forward to it and I'm glad you enjoy my reaction's
I had always interpreted to what Lt. Speirs was telling Blythe that "to accept the fact that you are already dead" meaning that you are in a war, the chance of you being killed is HIGH. You're putting yourself at risk of getting killed, in danger, etc so letting yourself have hope that you will survive makes you hesitate. Accepting the fact that you are most likely are going to die while fighting gives the sense of a weight being lifted. You are not burden by fear or hesitation when the choices and instincts you make as a soldier becomes clear. At least, that's what I think Lt. Speirs was trying to say.
I like your perspective.. That does make alot of sense. Maybe it was just his delivery
It's kinda like playing american football if you try not to get hurt you actually have a higher likely hood of getting hurt
I just took it in two different ways:
1. They couldn't send Blythe back anywhere, this is literally a day or two after they jumped into the middle of the French country side, they are basically still surrounded. They are there to clear the towns like Carentan, so that they can link up with the main force that is still getting getting gathering at Normandy beach, to build supply lines and bring in reinforcements.
Winters knew Blythe was messed up but they didn't have the awareness or sensitivity to PTSD as we do now. You expected to get your shit together and man-up to a degree. Also he needed every man, they still all spread-out and tricking in, getting reorganized after that messed up landing.
2. It is showing that not every fight and decision is going to be as smooth as Winter's attack on those guns. Also, as badass as all those folks are, they are just human and they make mistakes.
It didn't matter who was the lead scout to check out that house in the end. It was an extremely dangerous assignment. That's why the lieutenant, Harry, made a point to say how much he hated asking for volunteers or picking out people for missions like that one and ended up asked for volunteers anyways. I saw this episode as a focus on fear. It showed how several people dealt with their fear. Some stayed busy, some collected souvenirs, some thought of their actions as being a part of a game, some just assumed they were dead already, and then Winters showed him courage by example in extreme situations. Winters pulled and directed Blithe to take the first step of facing his fear himself. Towards the end of the episode he was successfully dealing with his fear but being brave doesn't necessarily mean you'll live in a war. This is a case of Hollywood taking some liberties to make a point.
The soldier who gets a shell through the window of the cafe he was clearing out (Tipper) actually survived and helped with some of the interviews in this series! His friends in the company thought he was dead while they were still over there.
That's correct - he got messed up but survived to the age of 95.
Those poor guys thought several people died of their wounds when they didn't.
Wait when they were in Normandy still, they had seen tipper and assumed he ended up dying?
Well, you know PTSD is a fairly recent diagnosis. To the extent that it was recognized back then, it was called "battle fatigue" and the treatment was often limited to a couple shots of liquor. It's horrible to think of now (although our current understanding of it is still imperfect), but it wasn't a physical injury, so the higher ups would just expect you to suck it up and keep at your mission.
I agree it was a dangerous gamble, though; a soldier in Blythe's condition might have been needed from a numbers perspective, but he was definitely a risk to himself and his fellow troops. I also don't think the generals of the time felt they had much choice, it's not like they could just fly their emotionally distressed troops home and bring in a new guy; they had to wait for troop ships to cross the ocean. Hell of a mess, either way.
Another fun fact: Winters’ assault was actually the final assault on Carentan. The battle lasted for about a week before the 101st moved FJR6, elements from the 82nd Airborne also attempted, only when tanks from I believe the recon company of the 6th Armored Division getting there ended up routing the German paratroopers. FJR6 held until they ran out of ammo, there’s pictures around of German Paras during Carentan using captured American guns and equipment, pretty crazy to see. The title of their book and their nickname The Lions of Carentan was given to them by BG Maxwell Taylor, commander of the 101st Airborne.
And no FJR6 didn’t wear edelweiss, that’s a mountain infantry thing. That’d be like a US army grunt wearing a Marine EGA and going into a navy bar.
Ps the other unit FJR6 attached to after Carentan and went back in to retake the town with was the 17th SS GvB, rather new and pretty green at the time but very eager, they were one of the lead SS Divisions that were hauling ass from Brittany and southern France to “throw the Allies back into the sea”. FJR6 hated them, many troopers started calling the division as a whole the “Kiss my Ass Division”.
One of the issues they discovered during WWII and Korea is that soldiers suffering from hysterical paralysis needed to go back to their units as quickly as possible. Sending the soldier home would worsen the condition as they would then subconsciously be punishing themselves for failure. It could develop into a permanent condition. I’m sure treatment has evolved today but folks were working with the best info at hand. A few episodes of M*A*S*H deal with this condition as well, Mad Dogs and Servicemen is the first one I think.
Easy Company was also trained as one of the main assault companies of the 506 PIR, which is why they are usually up front and center for advances.
Everybody else is talking about Lt. Spiers and Blythe, but let's give it up to Lt. Winters demonstrating leadership by example. Standing tall on the front line motivating and encouraging his men. He got Blythe to overcome his fear, stand u,p and start fighting. This allowed him to gain confidence enough to then volunteer to take point on a scouting mission.
ABSOLUTELY!!!
The whole Blyth story bit was heartbreaking, especially how it ended, the docs cleared him back to go on the line. Mental health wasn't recognised in the same way it is today and especially couldn't be diagnosed by field medics. There's a phase winters says later in the series when he's told he's going to be surrounded, 'we are paratroopers private... We are supposed to be surrounded'. You will love it at the end when you find out who each of the older gents at the start is in the series winters, malarky etc 🙂
I think in the 40s, trauma wasn't really acknowledged. They just told soldiers to "man up". Oddly, I think Spears (the creepy officer) was the only person who saw what was going on with Blythe. He just said it in a more "old school" unhelpful way. This is my favorite show ever, thanks for checking it out! And yes, the men in the beginning are Easy. At the end you'll see who's who 😁
If you think about it, Lt. Welch told him pretty much the same thing, 'this is just a game Blythe, we just moving the ball forward one yard at a time'.
He should watch Patton.
Respect to the Chaplin doing his job wile the lead is still flying.
He's grabbing watches because at that time, a watch was the equivalent of a cell phone now. Everyone has one and they are valuable. Each of those in modern money is hundred of dollars.
My grandfather was a POW in Germany(Russian) and after the war, the first thing he did when he got some money (bootlegging) was to ask some luftwaffe pilots about their watches and he bought one like they wore.
He wore the watch every day and it outlasted him, it still works fine.
Blythe really survived the war. And, when they're struggling to move inland in France, right after the invasion, it's "all hands on deck." Doesn't matter if they're disturbed or not.
Blythe died in the movie, but he actually survived the war and died in 1967.
Not sure if you have seen it but the Pacific is a must watch after band of brothers, 2 beautifully made series. I think tom hanks was looking to make another series about fighter pilots I'm not sure if it's still going ahead or not though.
Amazing thing is Winters really did lose his shit standing in the open screaming at his men and literally kicking them in the ass to get them moving.
I was gonna write that. He wrote that exactly.
He was actually nominated for the MOH for that but it was given to someone else in the regiment if I remember right. It’s been awhile since I’ve read the book.
4:55 that's a German zeltbahn (camouflage poncho that can be made into a tent when multiple ones are put together).
I didn't know they could be made into a tent.
Thanks for the info. 👌
@@johnnypatrickhaus890 Yep. That's why they have buttons and holes on all sides.
Blythe had hysterical blindness. Those soldiers that passed him in town, they got wiped out by an artillery shell just before he stepped out. When he saw it, his brain shut down.
BTW, you got food on your lip
You didn't include it in the reaction, but there was a a card at the end that mentioned Blythe died from his wound like 8 years later or something, but this is just flat out wrong and for some reason HBO won't correct it. He lived on for quite a while and also served in Korea if I recall.
Spears is right. you accept that you are already dead and you function better. you accept you are already dead then you dont fear it and can do as you are supposed to
Blithe actually lived and was sent home after his injury. I believe he lived into the 70's, not sure when his death was.
@@PodreyJenkin138 thanks I read up on a few of east company and knew he lived from the wound but had really bad ptsd which resulted in heavily drinking just couldn’t remember when it he finally died.
the arc of Blythe's story is him coming to grips with his fears. The mix of Lt. Winters and Speirs' different approaches is what gets him to finally to lose his fears and fight like a true solider. When he volunteer's to check the barn house it really is his story coming full circle. He finally lost the fear that had crippled him just weeks before and is able to disregard the clear and present danger ahead of him to do his duty.
Love the reactions man, i recommend The Pacific after this another great miniseries by Tom Hanks
Keep up the good work
Speirs was fucking intense. Straightup psychopath, but useful to have on our side.
He wasn't a psychopath. He was telling the truth. If you get overwhelmed by the thought of dying, thinking of your family you will end up getting someone killed. Everyone depends on everyone to do their job. If you accept in your mind that you wont survive, then you will be free to do your job. Every soldier has to get past his fear in order to function.
@@gravitypronepart2201 Yeah his speech is very great; but IRL Speirs had a reputation for being an actual psychopath, technically speaking.
@@samwallaceart288 And he lived to fight in WWII and Korea. War needs people like that.
If u think Winters is gangster u r going to think Spears is superman gangster
I took Blithe's characterisation as the personification of fear & how it can effect the mind in extreme situations. Traumatic stress wasn't understood then as well as it is today. The real Blithe's story was actually very different in real life but they used his character to depict PTSD.
LT. Speirs' speech was an attempt to make Blithe remember his training, to think of yourself as "already dead" means that acting without fear or hesitation will increase your effectiveness in battle- to take yourself out of the equation. You see Blithe realise this simplicity when he begins to fire his weapon, the sound design changes dramatically in this moment, "LET EM HAVE IT, BLITHE!!"
As for the decision to put Blithe on point, it was to indicate that he had begun to function as a soldier, he was brave in that moment but it still got him gravely wounded. Being on point is the most dangerous position to take while scouting, he basically took one so the next man could progress. Out of the hundreds of soldiers under Winter's command, it would be easy to overlook just one amongst the great many injuries and scared soldiers he must have already seen. Can't send someone home just because they're not really present. Wait until you meet Lieutenant Dike, ha ha.
Also, the soldier that was stabbed by the sleeping soldier was dressed it a German Poncho, he shows it to the soldier with the German flag before they take Carentan in the episode. So the sleeping soldier thought he was the enemy when he was stood over him, hence getting stabby.
Anyway, loving your reactions, dawg! Love this series. It's one of the best TV shows ever made in my opinion.
Hysterical blindness is a thing and the reason I know that is apparently Hitler had it fir a bit after ww1
Yeah, WW1 was a horror show that none of us can ever expect to comprehend. We live in a world now where college students get to skip their exams because some other student politely disagreed with them and it gave them PTSD. Back in the day, like in WW1 trench warfare, people would make it out of a battle with their eyes bugging out. And it would stay that way for the rest of their lives. When they're perfectly calm, in normal conversation, they don't realize their eyes are fully wide open in a shocked expression.
Some interesting old film is on youtube if you search for "shell shock". Hysterical blindness was just one of the many ways it manifested. Some guys would shake uncontrollably like Michael Jay Fox. For years and years, even though they suffered no physical injury. And they were condemned as cowards...
You have to understand 2 things: First, PTSD didn't exist back then. Any kind of shock or stress syndrome was called LMF by the Brits (Lack of Moral Fiber) aka cowardice. They didn't have the same field of psychology that we have today. Second, they were also scattered to the wind, had taken massive casualties and could not get reinforcements and still had the largest of invasions to push forward. Every man had to fight. There was no "send him home" unless he was physically maimed by combat.
If "you're already dead," it saves yourself a lot of worrying
To understand the Blythe mentality, the genius of Maj winters was to recognize PTSD and promote healing before it got worse. He followed what is now considered textbook support for someone suffering PTSD without even realizing it. Further Winter’s steadfast support and leadership compelled a turnaround in the soldier. By quality of leadership, Winters turned a cowardly Blythe into a moderately functional troop.
I agree with how they walk across open fields and not doing enough tactical movements and getting themselves shot dead looks dumb.
But remember, they didn't actually have a lot of tactical stuff going on, most of what we know today and tactics using concealment and all thatwere pretty much developed after WWII and especially just during Vietnam war. Remember, back in WWI, which was just 25 years prior to WWII (and 25 years aint nothing man) military tactics were almost none existent as far as infantry lines and small unit movements etc. These guys were literally doing all the things that they teach today what "NOT" to do, along with some of the tactical stuff learned, even from Captain (later Major) Winters, his disabling of those artilleries are now taught at West Point military academy.
It's worth pointing out that while they had experience of WW1 and shellshock, they were still coming to terms with the idea of PTSD and mental illness during WW2. General Patton famously slapped a soldier who at the time he believed was a coward from PTSD. Different times.
Did Winters make a mistake? Maybe.
His company was on the line, like half the people who jumped survived or managed to regroup, and he was losing more from vicious fighting in Carentan. Could he afford to lose a man?
Blythe in the end managed to function like a soldier, and in the real history of it went on to serve in Korea as well.
Back then they made everyone fight unless to injured hurt or your dead
The guys asking if it was safe to cross were evacuating wounded. They weren’t being cowards but were trying to get their wounded brothers out of harms way. And now to drop some history on you. Those tanks the germans brought were from the 17th panzergrenadiers and would have been there much sooner. They were delayed at the town of Graignes by elements of the 82nd paratroopers at the cost of the entire group. The 82nd also managed to evacuate most of the civilians from the town. If it weren’t for their (the 82nds) sacrifice, easy company would have likely been wiped out before reinforcements arrived. You can fact check by looking up ‘the bBattle of Graignes’ on wikipedia.
The infantry and armor on the beaches could not advance off the beach until the airborne took Carentan.
As far as CPT Spears telling Blithe to accept the fact he’s already dead, the idea was that he’d be able to perform his job without worrying about getting hurt or hurting others, as you’ve said he’s thinking too much.
I guess Blithe was kept on the frontlines because they could not easily find replacement, but Blithe actually survived and stayed in the Army until 1967 when he died from perforated ulcer or something close to that. It was thought that he died in 1948 in the book.
SGT Talbert got stabbed because he startled the guy with the bayonet while wearing a German poncho and carrying a Luger.
But having leaders/bosses like LTC Strayer is the most frustrating, instead of taking charge he stays in the corner until the dirty work is done then emerges to take credit.
That’s one thing I’ve learned about leadership that’s always served me well at work, you have to care about the team and the overall goals of the team to be successful and not work as individuals concerned with individual glory.
Maybe that’s from years of high school football or growing up in a largely military neighborhood, but I can not stand to work with lazy or selfish people and have little patience for that. A leader has to be willing to do their work plus more not less, they have to be around when things are difficult and not just show up for the easy tasks.
But wait until you see LT Norman Dike, you’ll be yelling at the screen a lot.
After you've watched the series, react to the documentary about Easy Company. It's pretty epic.
PTSD was not a recognized medical condition in WWII. Nowadays, US troops get rotated off the front lines as feasibly possible so they can get some rest and relaxation (RnR).
Blythe page on Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Blithe
Man never retired from the army, served in Korea, Taiwan, died in F****ng Germany, where he was serving overseas.
You do realize that they had no idea about things like PTSD back then, right? They called it "shell shock" and figured some rest would clear it right up. If they knew then what we know now they wouldn't have sent Blithe anywhere but home, and even now America doesn't give our veterans quality or meaningful care.
Honestly, in my estimation, there should never be any such thing as a homeless veteran, or a veteran without adequate psychological care. We need to take care of the men and women who put their lives on the line.
The LT that gave that speech is the same one that shot all those Germans after giving them cigarettes.
But remember, this is a drama. They're taking some liberties with the story telling.
With regard to not spotting signs/issues with Blythe, it was a different time with regards to the mental health of soldiers. Winters likely just took him at his word.
Blythe probably should have been in a rear echelon job, maybe even state side. However, they needed bodies at the front and you can't always tell who is going to turn out to be a good soldier and who won't.
Also, studies at the time showed that the majority of men didn't shoot unless there was an officer or NCO watching them and then they might not shoot to kill. This was the same as seen in previous gunpowder era wars as well.
The bazooka had trouble with a lot of dud rounds. Even if they did explode properly they might not penetrate the armor. This is why they waited to shoot the belly of that assault gun. But it was light and worked reasonably well against bunkers and such. The Germans captured some elsewhere and made a larger and better version.
Interesting fact about Captain Sobel, his grandson went on to play a staring role in an America TV show called Friends.
Not sure if you noticed or not, but the officer who told Blithe to accept he was already dead is the same one from episode 2 who gave the German prisoners cigarettes before gunshots were fired offscreen as Malarkey was walking away from them. He's also the same one who took the 4th gun at Braecourt Manor so recklessly. His name is Spears and you'll see more of him in upcoming episodes.
Thanks for the content. I totally appreciate your perspective on this series.
This is an interesting episode. It is basically about how each soldier deals with fear differently and how they overcome it to do their jobs. One Lt drinks. Lt Spears thinks he is already dead so why be afraid of dying. Winters teaches Blithe to fight through his fear by focusing on just firing his weapon. It is too bad they got the info on Blithe wrong, but the rest of Easy Co hadn't heard from him after and had assumed he had died from his wounds.
I think Major/Lt Col Strayer gets a slightly bad rap especially from this episode but this guy was a very competent leader in general. He's just a lead-from-the-back officer is all.
Which isnt necessarily a bad thing. He was on what seemed to be a elevated position overlooking the battlefield with his binos. That gives him good idea of whats going on overall than if he was on the front. Sometimes an officer with binos can be more powerful than an officer with a gun, after all, knowing is half the battle or so they say.
@@Aragorn195 I think (more people with better military experience can correct me if I'm wrong) but it seems like once you get past platoon/company level into battalion/regiment etc you need strategist lead-from-the-back leaders not tactical lead-from-the-front leaders and spoiler alert we see that play out with our boy on Episode 7
Not sure if you caught on to what was happening with the laundry scene. Al those soldiers she asked him to take the laundry of were KIA or wounded and she figured since it had been so long they were never coming back and needed them to be picked up somehow. In your episode 2 video at the 6:22 mark the plane that the engine exploded and they showed the paratroopers burning was LT Meehan's plane. Sgt Evans was on that plane too. There's a monument/tribute in France where that plane crashed that has all the paratroopers' names that perished on that plane.
The movie got Blithe’s story wrong at the ending. He survived his wounds and became a badass Sergeant serving to the end of the war and in the Korean War. I read about this is Major Winters autobiography.
Blythe’s story arch is actually a little more than I think you’re interpreting it. Yes he’s scared, not sure of himself but by the end he can operate in combat and even becomes confident enough to volunteer for a dangerous mission. Also these guys were on the front lines and couldn’t really accommodate a lot. And just for the part about the attack on carantan, the Germans were prepared on that side of town bc the other side of town was a swamp so the road was the only viable option. They had to make tough calls but in the end they prevailed
Can you add the Episode number in the title? Helps a lot. Thanks
I sure can!
Re: most of your callouts this episode. It was ww2. Iirc, smoke grenades was not yet a thing. Ptsd was called battle fatigue, and depending upon who you served under, you could get "slapped" for it. (Patton)
They used a smoke grenade in the Crossroads episode
Smoke (M18) was a thing, but not in wide distribution so soon after the invasion of France. They were first issued to troops 2 years before the invasion of Normandy. Units had very little control over what was issued to them at this point.
Thanks for the info. Both of you.
Blythe actually survived his wounds and became a career soldier dying in the 60's from an ulcer or something. The information at the end of this one was wrong because everyone lost contact with Blythe and the research team had incorrect information
Ok, so with Blythe, it still may not have been a smart decision to put him back on the line, but I think you may have missed the time jump. I did the first couple of times I watched this episode too. The scene where Blythe gets hit is supposed to be weeks after the the battle in the tree line with the tank. There is supposed to be an implication that Blythe has been soldiering his heart out since that battle, gotten over his fear, and become reliable soldier and company member.
That poor boy got the 'Thousand Yard Stare!'
WWII was one of the most brutal wars,ever fought. It required a different mindset than soldiers of the 21st century. The stories my father told me (and especially the ones he DIDN'T tell me) proved that to me 50 years ago.
God bless ALL soldiers!!!!!🇺🇸👍🇺🇸
Are you going to watch the Pacific after BOB? You gonna love some of the other officers down the road lol
Guys, you should remember that "distress" wasn´t a condition in that times. Soldiers afected by war were "pussys" or "cowards". WWII was a huge lab in wich many things changed war for ever.
kinda pitty that you removed all the audio, kinda miss all of the action, and the reaction
Do Blackhawk Down pls...
Keep on keeping on....looking good to me, don’t get wrapped around the axel...good luck
Also, you are on point about pulling Blithe offline for sure. Under the circumstance's back then, a tough call when things were soo chaotic in the weeks after D-Day. Man, just crazy stuff all over. Great reaction!!
Oh a good note, he didn't actually die. It was an oversight on the show
Spears is my boy! 😎
Hoping you react to The Pacific after BOB!
OH that would be great. But I'm hoping that he would react to Generation Kill next lolol
20:48 I can never get over how dumb this comment from the Major is. "Who gave that order goddamit?" My guy the tanks gave the order
That might be true but their job is to hold the terrain. Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) often requires you to make due with what you got. It might be that your company is all that is standing between the enemy and key terrain or the hospital or preventing their armor from getting into the rear lines killing your supply chain or artillery. And it is the MAJ's job to see the bigger picture (hence on a hill to the rear with eyes on the whole battle) and make the call when shit is too hot.