Albert Blithe

Infobox Military Person
name = Albert Blithe
born = birth date|1923|06|25
died = death date and age|1967|12|17|1923|06|25
placeofbirth = Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaFact|date=August 2008
placeofdeath = Wiesbaden, Germany


caption = Master Sergeant Albert Blithe after receiving the Paratrooper of the Year Award in 1958
nickname =
allegiance = United States of America
branch = United States Army
serviceyears = 1942 to 1967
rank = Master Sergeant
commands =
unit = 101st Airborne Division 82nd Airborne Division 8th Infantry Division
battles = World War II *Operation Overlord Korean War
awards = Silver Star Bronze Star (3) Purple Heart (3) Army of Occupation Medal Combat Infantryman Badge
laterwork =

Albert "Al" Blithe, (25 June 1923 - 17 December 1967), was a career soldier in the United States Army and a World War II paratrooper with the U.S. 101st Airborne Division, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

He was featured in the Stephen Ambrose book and subsequent HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers" as one of the Easy Company paratroopers featured in the third episode "Carentan", played by British actor Marc Warren.

Career

World War II

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 alone in a part of France that he did not recognize. After an unknown period of time, Blithe was joined by a number of other paratroopers who were also part of the misdrops. They teamed up together and went to the Îles Saint-Marcouf, where they found the rest of Easy Company. While missing from Easy Company, he never tried to find them until he met a paratrooper that knew where the company was.

As portrayed in "Band of Brothers", 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. Albert received a Purple Heart for his wounds on June 25, 1944. Fellow Easy Company Currahee veterans interviewed while writing the mini-series "Band of Brothers" had thought that Blithe did not recover from his wound, which they mistakenly recalled as a neck wound, and had died in Philadelphia in 1948. Possibly because his military serial number (RA 13111948) ended with 1948.

After viewing the mini-series, the Blithe family publicly corrected this historical error. Blithe was actually wounded in the right shoulder and did recover from his wound. [http://www.506infantry.org/his2ndbnwwiiphoto24.html Photos, documentation, and memorabilia] . - 506th Infantry Website] He attended the 1st Annual Reunion of the 101st Airborne Division Association. Blithe was released from the Army Hospital October 8, 1945. He returned to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and started a career with Westinghouse Electric.

After World War II

Before his military career ended in 1967, Albert Blithe had achieved the rank of Master Sergeant and had fought in the Korean War with the 82nd Airborne Division, completed over 600 parachute jumps, and was given a Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) assignment in Taiwan.

He reenlisted on March 28, 1949 and after serving in Korea with the 82nd, was discharged on March 27, 1952. He reenlisted again on March 24, 1954, received his Master Parachutist Badge May 13, 1954, and was named the 82nd Airborne Division's 1958 Trooper of the Year. He then served in the 82nd Quartermaster Corps, 82nd Quartermaster Parachute Supply & Maintenance Company (aka "82nd Quartermaster Parachute Maintenance"). He married, Kay, and had two children, a son and daughter.

Death

Blithe died December 17, 1967 while on active duty, with the 8th Supply and Transport Battalion, 8th Infantry Division, in West Germany at Wiesbaden Air Force Hospital. A week before his death, he had attended a weekend at Bastogne, Belgium commemorating the Battle of the Bulge, from which he had returned feeling unwell. He was taken to the emergency room on December 11 and diagnosed with a perforated ulcer. Emergency surgery was performed on December 12, 1967. He subsequently developed peritonitis and on December 16, he developed kidney failure and died at 0055 hours on December 17. After a memorial service conducted by Chaplain (Major) Thomas F DesChamps, Blithe was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors on December 28. [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/albert-blithe.htm Albert Blithe] . - Arlington Cemetery]

See also

* List of Korean War veterans who are recipients of the Bronze Star

References

External links

* [http://www.normandy1944.info/index.html Normandy 1944]