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Albert Blithe

Albert Blithe
Albert Blithe at Camp Toccoa, Georgia in 1942.
Nickname(s) Al
Born (1923-06-25)June 25, 1923
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Died December 17, 1967(1967-12-17) (aged 44)
Wiesbaden, West Germany
Place of burial Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1942–1967
Rank Army-USA-OR-08b.svg Master Sergeant
Unit
Battles/wars

World War II

Awards
Relations
  • Kay (wife)
  • Gordon (son)
  • Joseph (nephew)

World War II

Master Sergeant Albert Blithe (June 25, 1923 – December 17, 1967) was a career soldier who had been a Private First Class with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Blithe was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Marc Warren. Blithe's life story was featured in the 2010 book A Company of Heroes: Personal Memories about the Real Band of Brothers and the Legacy They Left Us.

Blithe was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After completing 3 years of high school, he enlisted for the paratroopers on August 18, 1942 in his hometown.

Blithe trained at in August 1942 under Captain Herbert M. Sobel. Blithe jumped with the rest of Easy Company into occupied France as part of the massive Airborne invasion; however, when he landed, he found himself lost. Blithe was joined by a number of other paratroopers who were also part of the mis-drops. They teamed up together and found the rest of Easy Company.

As portrayed in Band of Brothers by Marc Warren, Blithe was struck with a temporary case of hysterical blindness following the fierce fight to capture Carentan. He recovered and was part of a patrol investigating a farmhouse a few days later, where he was shot by a sniper in his collar bone. He would recover from the wound and receive a Purple Heart on June 25, 1944, his 21st birthday. Due to his wound, on October 1, 1944 he was sent home and never returned to the European Theater of Operations.


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