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 in the collar bone by a sniper. He recovered from the wound and received a Purple Heart on June 25, 1944. Due to his wound, on October 1, 1944, he was sent home and never returned to the European Theater of Operations. As a result of his service in World War II, Blithe received the Silver Star, Bronze Star (with 2 oak leaf clusters) and an additional 2 Purple Hearts.