Green Beret reacts to Band of Brothers EP. 3
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- čas přidán 22. 07. 2023
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Blithe is just about the only thing this series got wrong. Blithe survived to fight in Korea and was awarded a Purple Heart, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star.
Eh, there’s a lot they got wrong cause they based it on the Ambrose book and Ambrose was a lazy historian. He would get just one account of something and use it, never checking to see what anyone else saw or knew. For example, Lt. Dyke portrayed as purely a coward. He was likely wounded when leading the foy attack and that’s why he stopped, not that he froze up. Or Liebgott being Jewish. He wasn’t. One guy said he was and that became gospel.
Blithe was NOT the only thing Ambrose got wrong, as stated above. Dude was a shit historian and did very little follow up research or verification
The did Blythe dirty, he retired a MSG in 1967…. 1 Silver Star, 3 bronze stars and 3 Purple Hearts… dude was a Killa!
@@nickbryan217he didn’t retire, he died from a medical issue.
Either way, the show gets it wrong. And it’s even worse because of how easy it would have been to not make that mistake. Just a little research and there wouldn’t have been an issue.
He died a lonely man, though. Very interesting but ultimately sad story.
Albert Blithe DIDN't die the way it's stated in this episode. He was wounded severely enough, that he was sent back to a hospital in the States, where he stayed until his discharge in October, 1945. He was then re-activated to serve in Korea, where he was awarded 3 Bronze Stars, 1 Silver Star, and, 2 additional Purple Heats. He then decided to go career, made Master Sergeant, finally dying from complications of a burst ulcer in an Army hospital in Weisbaden, Germany, in 1967.
He actually turned out to be one Hell of a soldier in the end.
it's such a bizarre mistake to make in this series. There are minor mistakes, misleading scenes, condensing events, veteran's personal biases, etc. All of which are understandable and kinda goes without saying. And then there's mistaking that someone died when he didn't.
I believe it was because he fell out of touch with the rest of Easy and everyone assumed he didn't survive his wounds.
i hear but not sure this is true,that this is because he didn't get back in touch with the rest of E company so they think he die due to his injury
understandable tbh
@@ExUSSailor As a WW2 vet he didn't even have to fight in Korea, but he volunteered. Because he still had this barrier to get through unlike the others who already conditioned themselves to deal with combat, that may have equipped him to deal with bigger challenges in a better way down the road. I think it already shows this when he volunteers for the mission and as point when no one else wanted to at all. Up until it said he died from his wounds in '48, the series does Blythe's character accuracy and credit in dealing with his fear, even if it doesn't represent Blythe accurately after that.
The Lt. Spears telling Blithe that he was already dead is the one line that stands out the most, to me.
Thats what I was told before I deployed by a brother. He said once you accept the fact your already dead, then you can be your best and not have that fear. Thank God I didn't cause welost alot of good men. I thank God everyday that I'm still here
Whoever's idea it was to have the intros with the original Easy Company veterans is a goddamn genius! Truly, our greatest generation!
Glad that they were alive for that! Hard to believe this is 22 years old now
My great uncle (Elijah Whytsell) was in Easy Co. He was a replacement that came in right after Normandy and then was injured by mortar in Holland in what would be episode 5, "Crossroads." He was shipped back to England with a bad head wound, and after a few months of healing, he was put on a diesel tug in England shipping German POWs across the channel. He had some amazing stories and lived a long life until 2016. These guys were different.
Winters did infact do all these things AND MORE. He was truly one of a kind, as attested to by basically any soldier who came in contact with him.
He was also with Bull when he fired 2 rifle grenades at those retreating germans.
I’m glad they picked the British guy. He absolutely killed the role.
On behalf of the “Blithe Didn’t Die Brigade,“ I welcome you to this episode.
comments section represent
I have seen band of brothers 10xs and it’s still inspiring to me I’ve seen THE PACIFIC 9xs and it just amazes me how THE MARINES GOT THROUGH THAT WAR
I love about an hour away from Ephrata, PA. When Maj. Winters passed away in 2011, I went to his grave to pay respects. I just had to. Men like him should live forever.
The other LT that spoke to Blithe was Ron Spears. He was all about the mission - just wait until you watch episode 7 and you'll see how tough he really was. He stayed in after the war and made it a career.
And he went on to command Easy after Winters.
i’m 63, and my father and uncles, and all their friends were WW2 vets; with all the crazy crap going in these days, I think of them often and frequently miss that whole generation.
In the ditch, when Winters started to yell at his men to move and kick them, it was the very first time his men heard him cussing.
According to the book that, and the fact that he was standing in the middle of the road made them push further.
Winters was also worried about his two friends who where already ahead of the group all by themselves.
Great scene
Lt Welsh had pushed forward with at least a squad if not most of his own platoon.
Blithe was shot like the show, however it was in the shoulder. He survived and served in Korea. He was decorated twice for gallantry as well. He lived until 1967 where he died of a perforated ulcer.
My dad told me once that what Spears says here to Blythe about accepting the fact that you’re already dead is what got him through Vietnam. He said instinctively all he wanted to do was hunker down and hide until his tour was over, but that mindset of I’m not making it out of here alive anyway made him able to function and put that out of his mind.
That mindset changed my career and ultimately helped me get through a 13 month tour in Pakistan.
I remember the last part about PVT Blithe succumbing to his wounds during the war and years later read that he had actually died in 1967. It read…
“ 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.”
I watched band of brothers multiple times. And every time I finish it I just feel such gratitude towards those people who really went to hell and back, then when they got home they didn’t make a big deal out of it but just spent the rest of their lives working hard. Really is the greatest generation.
On my first snotslinger in Iraq, I remembered CPT Spiers words from BOB, this episode and it calmed me and I went about my business calmly and served as a grunt NCO efficiently. Spiers words over 40 years later motivating grunts to get it done. I’ll never forget it, worked for me.
Great insight about Lt Winters possibly being a projection of Blithe's subconscious. I've watched the show numerous times and never picked up on that
You mention that you thought Winters is made of several characters combined, but he isn't. He's a real person who did these things. Almost every event in this whole miniseries actually happened, no matter how unlikely they seem. They got a few things wrong, but overall it's accurate.
what are you talking about? I said Blithe was envisioning Winters and he wasn't really there
@@FNGACADEMY Yes, I remember that part too. It's no big deal -- It's when you guys were talking about Winters helping Blithe in the hospital when he's temporarily blind. I went back and looked and the time stamp is 27:01. It made me pause the video and think that as much as you love Winters, you'd like him even more if you knew that it's not an exaggerated character. I'm enjoying your reactions!
@@FNGACADEMY If i may, you should go for the Operation Room channel. They have well documented videos about the Brécourt Manor assault and the battle of Carentan, portrayed in episode 2 and 3 of BoB.
They have plenty of videos about other battle and wars, including some about much more recent events like Iraqi Freedom or the war in Afghanistan.
What many don't know is that "Hysterical Blindness" or Blindness from PTSD, its real blindness. The soldier is genuinely blind. You throw a ball at their face and they won't flinch until after the ball hits their face. The blindness can come and go, but it's real, not faked.
Something like that happening is so strange.
I wanna know the science behind how high-levels of stress can cause blindness.
They did Blythe dirty….. made him look like a coward almost and he was 19-20 year old kid that survived the war and actually fought again in Korea and stayed in the Army until he died in 1967. Made it to Master Sergeant, picked up a silver star, 3 bronze stars, and 3 Purple Hearts…. Dude was a Killa
@@nickbryan217 He didn't look like a coward at all, this was a CREDIT to his character. It made made him look afraid not cowardly, which all of them were just as much, he just didn't know how to condition himself in the right frame of mind yet. If he was a coward, he would leap at the first opportunity to go home and leave the battlefield, cling on excuses every chance he got, but as soon as one single option presented himself, he hated himself and felt it very strongly that he was letting others down, and he became more willing to fight than other soldiers. They just got his death wrong and left out that his journey didn't end there. That was all shown in the series. They say bravery is doing your job in spite of fear. The greater fear that you have but do your job the same, the more of a warrior you are - if you're not afraid, you're not a warrior at all and shouldn't be there.
@@KahinAhmed72 I'm a retired Doctoral-level therapist and Clinical Supervisor (ret) with nearly half-a-century of experience. I specialized working with the most serious of Mental Health and Social Functioning issues, the most challenging of populations. Every therapist works with stress and trauma. PTSD and other Trauma comes in many forms and like in medicine, it can help to see a specialist. I'm not a specialist in combat-related PTSD. Furthermore, Neurological problems due to stress/trauma is a tricky business as you have to differentiate between neurological symptoms/issues caused by a biological disease and issues that are the result of trauma.
For example, many soldiers that were exposed to the "Burn pits" in Iraq and Afghanistan later developed neurological symptoms as a result of the toxins from those burn pits. This would not be (or should not be) classified as Trauma/Psychological caused. HOWEVER, if you're blind, or can't move half your body, or you are catatonic, this is real and there are tests (such as the soft-foam ball to the face for blindness) that can be done if the person is faking. But "faking" represents a pretty serious Mental Health issue in and of itself.
Finally, no one knows how they would handle combat until they are in it. And even people who have seen quite a bit of combat can encounter a situation where their brain says, "Enough, I'm done." (For example, First Lieutenant "Buck" Compton. czcams.com/video/xRABw5oiF5Y/video.html ) This is especially true if there aren't breaks/leave, if the mission tempo is too high, extreme privation, etc.
These vets in Band of Brothers are the Right Stuff. It's because of them we aren't speaking German or Japanese. They are true survivors and true heroes.
.
P.s. "I wanna know the science behind how high-levels of stress can cause blindness." - Kahinahmed6886 Normally, "high-levels" of stress won't cause this, though it can. What dramatically increases a soldier's risk for PTSD is catastrophic-levels of stress and trauma, experienced chronically (over and over). Seeing fellow soldier's die and/or become severely wounded over and over, being "shelled" over and over where you have no control over whether you live or die, being sent again and again into harms way. Any given human can handle only so much.
The three officers that advise Blithe during his struggle demonstrate three different approaches to surviving front line warfare and they're not one hundred percent right or wrong. Though these conversations didn't actually happen to Blithe, I thought this was a great idea.
I like Welsh's approach the most. "It's all just a game Blithe, moving the ball 1 yard at a time."
I think the reason they were asking if it’s safe to cross is b/c Winters has already demonstrated that he’ll stand in the line of fire when necessary… so safe to them and safe to him are two totally different things
All the times I’ve watched this show, the scene where winters is encouraging blithe to fight I never considered your interpretation of that scene. That makes so much sense.
Im glad so many people already know about blithe. Dude was a stud. Not only was he never taken off the line, he later went on to fight on korea and worked in Germany during the cold war.
I wish we had more of the stories from the Men of the "Greatest Generation". Those Men are the Shoulders of the Giants on which we stand! 🇺🇲🤘🏼
I've been listening to the podcast "Warriors: In Their Own Words." It's amazing. Most of these guys have passed away now but their stories are absolutely incredible. Such bravery, loyalty and creativity under pressure, it just defies belief.
There’s definitely a ton of books that could be turned into Band of Brothers type series if the budget was there. Unfortunately it’s not the type of thing the studios are pushing these days
@@williamflowers9435 it'll come back around and we'll see more of them being made again. they're just stuck on the whole middle east thing because it's fresh in peoples minds so it's easy money.
Thank you so much, mostly for your service, but also for these reactions. I’ve watched Band of Brothers dozens of times, but your insight and explanations lend so much more to us civilians. God bless.
I really appreciate your commentaries. I wish you guys can comment on the movie "Battleground". it was a movie made in the fifties, about the 101 airborne in Bastone. The movie even won an Oscar. Thank you.
17:59 the mortar tube reload sound effect was really good
Guys I missed beers and breakdowns last week but this was absolutely outstanding! You guys are awesome. Much respect 💪🏻
I can't wait till you guys make it into your second viewing. The series hits a whole different way when you realize how events turn over the course of the war. Keep it up fellas, I love hearing you speak to your experiences and opinions.
Call of Duty WW2 did an excellent job of recreating the town, Carrentan, so we could play both sides of this fight.
Blithe actually survived his wound in WWII and went on to serve again with the Airborne during the Korean War and was twice decorated for gallantry. He eventually rose to the rank of Master Sergeant in the Army.
Spears proves to be a great leader as well, in his own way, and exactly what Easy needed
As you continue, Lt Ronald Spiers was one tough soldier.
One of the craziest examples of what these men were capable of is in that final battle when Lt. Welsh and Pvt. McGrath ran out into the left flank with a bazooka and disabled an armored vehicle to stop the advance.
Absolutely wild stuff
More Reuben is always a good thing!!
This episode definitely reminds me how much I want to see you guys react to the John Bernthal Punisher, the digging a whole story scene in particular.
I’d be interested in Sean reviewing the police tactics in episode 1 of The Walking Dead
Army was RA, NG, draftees US components. They hand to volunteer to be accepted, except 82nd being converted from straight leg infantry. And attached Glider infantry units (who didn't qualify for jump pay )
Interesting conversation, especially at the end. As it happens, just this month my step-grand-daughter left basic training and is heading off on the next stage of her joining the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery. So what you were saying about having that opportunity to find out where that spark of courage lies within you had a particular resonance.
This is the best episode of B&B so for. Great job guys! Really love the part at the end about heroism.
I've watched this show from beginning to end about 3 times (just found it a few years ago), and will watch it through again many more times in the future. Fantastic fucking show, inspiring story based on the actions of the true heroes.
I've watched the Band of Brothers series atleast 6 times, it's my all time favorite WW2 depiction. Hearing your perspective on Blithe is so interesting and makes so much sense. I always thought he was just a little weak and shell shocked, but hearing you explain how he was separated from his unit after the during the invasion and he felt alone makes so much sense. Then when he heard Winters yelling at him to get up in the foxhole is such a good theory, it explains his entire character arc, dang! Love your breakdowns bro, keep them coming!
Good insights in this one. Thank you.
These are the best episodes. This and the Pacific. Do more from this series.
Winters was so amazing because he had the humility to put other men before himself. He led by serving. He took his men forward by giving himself to them, and if the men of this world could each learn 1% of his example - it would be a better world.
Really enjoyed this episode. Thanks, men.
I LOVE the observations of Sean about Cowardice and Heroes. I love how he broke down leadership. I often wondered about that statement, "you have to accept you're already dead.... all of war depends on it.. " .... I always wondered if soldiers think that way to push through the fear and horror of combat. If you could have an episode and talk about that, it would be fascinating and amazing. Also, officers and leadership. Sean's discussions about good leaders is fascinating and illuminating. Well done guys!!
Very good episode, with lots of insane scenes/moments, but for me the most outstanding thing was the part where that 1 guy went into a building, something exploded, he survives, but isn't untouched, and walks outside, everybody else was kinda shocked
I toured Normandy this past fall when I was studying abroad and got to see where Winters and his men fought after being a lifelong BoB fan. Really life changing and unreal to see the environment portrayed in the show in real life. There was a pretty cool statue of Winters in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont near Utah beach I think.
A REAL Hero never thinks or says his is..
Yeah, love this episode. Blythe had hysterical blindness from almost getting wasted by the mortar and seeing them die.
In the literature Winters is mostly described as an exceptional character and leader, highly respected by his men.
Winters was that leader. This is a highly accurate of these men and what they did. This is what makes this series truly amazing.
"Never expect anyone to do what you wouldn't do." Dick Winters led by example.
Another amazing episode! Every american should know these men's stories. They remain an inspiration forever. And just a fun fact...turns out blye didnt die, he lived for awhile after the war. The men of easy company just thought he was dead. Thank you for reviewing this show. Truely a great episode.
This and The Pacific should be shown throughout the year in every school instead of the garbage they indoctrinate kids with
@@williamflowers9435 absolutely. These are true americans. Not some jackass making tik toks about being a super hipster.
I miss these men, blessed to have been raised by the Greatest Generation.
Ruben is gold!
It;s amazing how accurate this show was to the book and what really happened, down to who was hit when, the positions of the machine guns and basically everything is based on real data from the events or from the horses mouth
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. He was a Master SGT
Blithe actually did NOT die. He went on to serve in Korea as a squad leader. His family was pissed by the portrayal of him in this film. He turned into a decorated Trooper.
took me way to long to watch this one. sorry brothers. father passed so travel and fam came first. he served as a buffalo soldier, 10th air cav as a crew chief. No other chat deserved his memory more. thank you for creating this channel and its content.
That wasn’t the Sargent, but Lt. Spears who says the “you’re already dead” comment.
I love Band of Brothers, ever since it debut. It's the only HBO series that Ive seen numerous times. No Hollywood production will get it 100% right. This series comes close and is spot on in many ways.
I recommend another movie from a very different angle - The Mountain Road (1960) starring James Stewart, an Oscar awardee & WW II combant veteran, who went on to be a brigadier general. The movie speaks of the mission & vulnerabilities of a small engineering unit.
Hey Buck, I appreciate you shouting out us troops that served but didn’t see combat. We were willing to go, but served the mission in other ways.
If I remember correctly, the interviews in the episode intros were filmed years before the tv show for some museum, which means that the full interviews should be available for public access.
I never thought of the Winters/Blythe foxhole scene the way you do but I like it. Kinda makes sense.
“I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees”
I think you are right, Winters was not there with Blithe, he was just remembering that was his higher power that got him through the fear.
Are you guys planning on doing the rest of the BoB series? Hope so!
28:40 Of course. It's Lt Speirs! He's one crazy SOB! This is the same individual who ran through enemy lines... TWICE. Ran through and came right back. Germans could hardly believe their eyes. The man was either brave or just plum loco. My bet was on "loco." Well, its like he told Pvt Blithe. "You have to accept the fact that you are already dead." 😳🤷🏻♂
Is there a part four and five, did you guys ever finish the series? I can’t seem to find it.
33:00 I think there is a big point to the "accept you are already dead" mentality that you didn't really touch on. Accepting your fate whenever it comes allows you to live in the moment and be able to react quickly and out of instinct and training instead of hesitating at every action second guessing every move fighting your own sense of self preservation which has been overinflated out of fear instead of polished and sharpened to a point and turned into true instincts through concentrated experience. Sparky Speirs was a shadowy figure but I think the way he is portrayed in his conversation with Sgt. Lipton at the end of Bastogne is probably the closest thing to real life.
I have a possible tactic for mortar fire. Use the lightning "never" strikes twice method. Position yourself in the area a mortar just hit; because of the varying winds that randomize trajectory. You have a better chance than rolling the dice. Especially caught out in the open. What else can you do?
Excellent review. Best I have seen and I have watched many. Tip to guy in flowered shirt. Stop with the word crutchs ("kinda", crazy" "like" "sucks" and "you know")
At least he didn't say literally
Man I would love to see you guys do/make a reaction video to Military/Tactical animations like Spall and Splinter, and more new ones and break it down for your viewers and see how you like it or not..
If “a real hero is humble” then ain’t none of these ex sf iNfLuEnCErS these days heroes 😂
How can you not like Ruben? You can see his vibe on here and see that he's just a chill dude and probably a big teddy beard as well.
Bet he's got a "but Don't piss me off" side that goes fuckin ham.
Thank you for your time Gentlemen. A 1995 film thats doesnt have much tactics. And this is fast forward 20 yrs from WW2. Sorry to get off subject. However it is a Green Beret film based on a true story that took place in Vietnam. Operation Dumbo Drop , with Danny Glover and Ray Liotta. Kinda goofy and fun to watch. Not saying review it on your channal. But its a forgotten gem in my opinion. It is youngster frendly. Thank you for your time. And as always...Hold Fast My Freinds
You NEED to read Beyond Band of Brothers after you finish the show. It goes into detail of the differences between the show and real life
27:30 I have the box set of this show and after watching the making of it everybody that was interviewed was actually involved in the making of the show so I do believe that everything in the show actually happened as shown
28:00. Yessir, because the LT knew that it wasn't about Him; It was about the troops.
The scene where Blithe got blind, I’m sure it’s because he saw his teammates get blown by mortar and he couldn’t handle it any more and his eyes shuts down
You should do a reaction to the behind the scenes making of the show. How all the actors trained together.
Kurt is very good on the show. Abel is awesome, but Rueben? The dude crushed it. Please have him on more.
Excellent breakdown guys.
Blythe does not die in real life. He continued to serve in Korea.
I recently watched a youtube video, I think it was from Johnny Johnson, that explained that the US didn't have any snipers during WWII. They had sharp shooters, but no snipers. What set snipers apart from sharp shooters is: 1. They operate in small sniper teams, whilst sharp shooters were just part of a standard unit, 2. Specialized equipment, sharp shooters used standard issue weapons, 3. Concealment and stake outs, sharp shooters were just really good at shooting but had no special training in camouflage, they also didn't have time to spend 8 hours in the same spot waiting for their target to show up.
The USSR on the other hand used snipers and many of them were female.
“Shifty” Powers the man who killed the machine gunner was taught to shoot and hunt in Virginia as boy and was probably the best shot in Easy company.
Glad to see Ruben back this foo has bad me dying last episode he was in for the covenant😂
One thing I noticed in this and other episodes is that a lot of guys get shot in the throat. It happened to Blithe here, it happens to a Lieutenant when they are in Holland, and it happens to another young guy later in Bastogne.
The only thing I can say as a mortarman, tactically I think the only thing you could do would try to be in a spot they wouldn't have pre bracketed or pre planned fire missions
Wu Ch’i said: ‘Now the field of battle is a land of standing corpses; those determined to die will live; those who hope to escape with their lives will die.
I agree with all of it.
Major Winters wrote a book close to 100% in agreement with the film but with added details.
Also after the war Lt. Speirs admitted he killed prisoners and did not care who knew in a message to Major Winters. He retired as a Lt. Colonel.
Also find it funny how the people who made this series made the Pacific, Saving Private Ryan, and Schindler’s list
Ironically though it's Spiers advice that ends up working for Blithe. Once he shoots the German soldier it cilcks for him that death is totally random in this situation and no amount of fear will change that - the German was taking cover behind a tree and doing most everything right and Blithe still killed him. Winters got him going in the town but ultimately it's Spiers advice which is essentially "whats going to happen will happen and theres no use being afraid of it that is the mindset he adopts.
Major Winters IS that dude. All time.
I’ve met guys with zero fear, not just overcoming it. Turns out they were sociopaths/psychopaths.
The 101st never actually took Carentan. They were relieved by the 83rd Division about three weeks after the invasion, who eventually took the town.
Winters was such a great man to have as a leader in this war. Call it Fate, divine intervention, whatever, but this man was made for this war. Where many leaders struggled to keep up morale, Easy Company would have walked through fire for Winters without him even having to ask. I do believe that many of them would not have become the distinguished soldiers that they were without his inspiration and leadership.