Albert Blithe, Band of Brothers

[DragonGunner]

Major Dick Winters said the show did him a great disservice. The show was pretty accurate until at the credits it showed Blithe had died of his wounds in 1948. A giant lie! Why? They knew but guessing they wanted an emotional sigh. Albert Blithe survived his wound, at end of war was discharged and would receive money rest of his life for that wound. 1 month later he turned it down and reinlisted back into the Army. He was a paratrooper in the Korean War and jumped behind enemy lines twice. Once by accident landed in the middle of a North Korean division. He received a Silver Star and a Bronze Star to go with Purple Heart from WWII. He was stationed in Germany as a Master Sgt. when he died in 1967 at age 44. Sad Hollywood just can’t get through anything at all without lying and changing something.

 

[rhamersley]

Major Dick Winters said the show did him a great disservice. The show was pretty accurate until at the credits it showed Blithe had died of his wounds in 1948. A giant lie! Why? They knew but guessing they wanted an emotional sigh. Albert Blithe survived his wound, at end of war was discharged and would receive money rest of his life for that wound. 1 month later he turned it down and reinlisted back into the Army. He was a paratrooper in the Korean War and jumped behind enemy lines twice. Once by accident landed in the middle of a North Korean division. He received a Silver Star and a Bronze Star to go with Purple Heart from WWII. He was stationed in Germany as a Master Sgt. when he died in 1967 at age 44. Sad Hollywood just can’t get through anything at all without lying and changing something. View attachment 274913

Just curious, have you watched the history of Easy Company and Dick Winters on "The History Underground" youtube channel? It's pretty interesting...came across it by chance one day.

 

[Gaffer]

Albert Blithe

 

[MrSmitty]

Yes that was curious as to why they wrote that that way, the truth is way more interesting. and actually adds to the lore of the Paratroopers....

 

[HoughMade]

It was an honest mistake based upon accounts of Bill Guarnere and Babe Heffron who thought they remembered attending Blithe's funeral in 1948.

How Band Of Brothers Changed Blithe's Death (What Really Happened)

Band of Brothers got a couple of things wrong about Blithe.

screenrant.com

 

[DragonGunner]

It was an honest mistake based upon accounts of Bill Guarnere and Babe Heffron who thought they remembered attending Blithe's funeral in 1948.

How Band Of Brothers Changed Blithe's Death (What Really Happened)

Band of Brothers got a couple of things wrong about Blithe.

screenrant.com

Major Winters saw him after he got wounded and knew he had made it, and others also knew. Some may not of. But no way the writers and producers could have been ignorant. All you had to do was look it up. Said those 2 went to his funeral….? Not likely there were 2 Albert Blithes in the Army let alone in their company?

 

[HoughMade]

Major Winters saw him after he got wounded and knew he had made it, and others also knew. Some may not of. But no way the writers and producers could have been ignorant. All you had to do was look it up.

This mistake in in Stephen Ambrose's book upon which the miniseries was based, published in 1992, 9 years before the TV show. It may have been sloppy, but when 2 witnesses said they knew he was dead, why would Ambrose question it? Stephen Ambrose said he got it from Heffron and Guarnere and they confirmed that they told him that.

Yes, better checking could have solved this, but it appears to be an error, not an intentional misrepresentation.

 

[rob63]

The depiction of Ronald Speirs has some issues as well. This entire video is worth a watch, but if you only want the actual story about the killing of German prisoners start around 12:00 minutes.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Yes that was curious as to why they wrote that that way, the truth is way more interesting. and actually adds to the lore of the Paratroopers....

Juries love "eyewitnesses" but there is nothing more malleable than human memory.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

This mistake in in Stephen Ambrose's book upon which the miniseries was based, published in 1992, 9 years before the TV show. It may have been sloppy, but when 2 witnesses said they knew he was dead, why would Ambrose question it? Stephen Ambrose said he got it from Heffron and Guarnere and they confirmed that they told him that.

Yes, better checking could have solved this, but it appears to be an error, not an intentional misrepresentation.

Ambrose was always sloppy, sloppy and arrogant, and a dilettante, and lazy, ok he was sloppy, arrogant, lazy and a dilettante.

The DA had a huge database in 1992. All he had to do is run everyone's name through it, but he could not be bothered as he was Ambrose and we are not.

 

[HoughMade]

Ambrose was always sloppy, sloppy and arrogant, and a dilettante, and lazy, ok he was sloppy, arrogant, lazy and a dilettante.

The DA had a huge database in 1992. All he had to do is run everyone's name through it, but he could not be bothered as he was Ambrose and we are not.

I'm not here to defend Ambrose's techniques, but with 2 accounts that he was dead...and this being what was thought to be a minor point, I can see why it didn't happen.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Yes, I have a grave loathing of Ambrose. Don't make me history geek up in the piece . . . because I will . . . just finished re-reading Clash of Titans and Ostkrieg, don't make me bring the hate any further.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I'm not here to defend Ambrose's techniques, but with 2 accounts that he was dead...and this being what was thought to be a minor point, I can see why it didn't happen.

If I do not dump on Ambrose who on INGO will? I see it as more than a job but a duty to do so.

 

[actaeon277]

Why blame hollywood?

Yes, there was the 'witnesses'.
Then there was the fact he never showed up to the reunions.
Then, as for Winter seeing him... when? In 1945? Cause supposedly he died in 48. So seeing him before that, doesn't really mean much.

 

[actaeon277]

There are questions about Lt. Dike's portrayal.

Basically, that while he wasn't loved, and wasn't that good a combat officer, he may not have been as bad as portrayed.
And that in the attack on the village, he had been wounded and was suffering from blood loss, hidden by his heavy clothes.

 

[two70]

There are questions about Lt. Dike's portrayal.

Basically, that while he wasn't loved, and wasn't that good a combat officer, he may not have been as bad as portrayed.
And that in the attack on the village, he had been wounded and was suffering from blood loss, hidden by his heavy clothes.

IIRC, he was awarded at least one Bronze Star for retrieving wounded soldiers under heavy fire as well.

 

[actaeon277]

Some more mistakes

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/30-movie-mistakes-band-of-brothers.html

Including..
In the final episode, “Points”, Major Winters accepts the surrender of a German Colonel, who offers him an ornate Luger pistol. In the scene, Winters tells him to keep his sidearm, but in the Bonus Features DVD, the real Winters recalls the incident and shows the pistol (a Walther PP) he accepted. In Ambrose’s book of the same title, he describes how when Winters examined the firearm, he found it had never been fired, and he hasn’t fired it since. He shows this firearm in the HBO documentary We Stand Alone Together. Also in book Beyond Band of Brothers : The war memoirs of Major Dick Winters written by Cole. C. Kingseed with Major Dick Winters it is said that the pistol was accepted but the rank of the German soldier was a Major not Colonel.

 

[MrSmitty]

If I do not dump on Ambrose who on INGO will? I see it as more than a job but a duty to do so.

What about Ambrose don't you like? I've never heard anything bad about him...guess I'm not in the know....

 

[Dingleberry]

It was said that the portrayal of Herbert Sobel was often inaccurate. He rose to Lt Col and commanded a jump school. Sadly he shot himself and later died blind..

 

[actaeon277]

It was said that the portrayal of Herbert Sobel was often inaccurate. He rose to Lt Col and commanded a jump school. Sadly he shot himself and later died blind..

And, his own family didn't bother to go to his funeral.
Commanding a jump school doesn't mean they trust you in combat.