Were you shocked that Bernthal didn't make it passed this point? Caught up to Episode 5 on Patreon in full length watch alongs. Here: www.patreon.com/diegesischad
Normally, I would talk to folks reacting to this series about the relative bloodiness of the Pacific War when compared to the US forces fighting in Europe...and give some numbers to show how many times higher both the rate of deaths per day and the rate of wounding/incapacitating per day were for US forces in the Pacific Theater. But I feel like that would not be helpful...so I will just say that you are brave souls, and your bravery will be needed to get through this series. The makers of the show really did a good job of showing that brutality on the screen...so be ready...but you can do this, and these are important stories to know. Band of Brothers had a few really tough episodes, but The Pacific is much more relentless, and every episode is going to test you, but we will be here to help you through.✌
Yeah, knowing just how bad it gets in this series... This isn't like Band of Brothers, where there are moments of levity, even joy. This is just a miserable, brutal slog. Because that's what the Marines in the Pacific experienced. I don't know how they're gonna get through this.
I'd say it's not desensitization, it's appreciation for those who went through it for real. Of course it's hard to watch, but it's important TO watch. Lest we forget their sacrifice, whether it be their lives, bodies or minds.
I'm a Marine Combat Veteran who served in Iraq... It would be appreciated that you endure the show.. What I went thru wasn't anything compared to them.. We owe them to at least endure a Miniseries in their Honor. And yes.. This is my Favorite next to Generation Kill (Invasion of Iraq 2003 band of Brothers) I am that desensitized lol
@@jackson857 agreed! I was there in 2003. They did such a great job with everything! The rumor about JLo.. man I laughed so hard at that. I remember the rumors but had forgotten until I saw that.
It's a tough watch, but important to see what these men in the pacific went through and endured. It's a powerful and heartbreaking series. Eugene's story especially. Hope you'll continue with it.
Although much smaller in scale and with major differences, it would seem the Pacific Theatre was likely every bit as brutal as the Eastern Front in terms of the savagery of the combat, hatred between the combatants, and harsh conditions.
That’s one of the reasons why the U.S. didn’t wanna invade Japan, each island they took came at increasing cost. American analysts calculated that an invasion of the Japanese mainland would result in 1.7 million American and 10 million Japanese deaths.
@@opkearney was smaller in scale but without a doubt as brutal as the eastern front and on some occasions probably worse. Our Australian soldiers fought in some horribly brutal confrontations with the Japanese when island hopping and especially in new Guinea. As did the British and Indians in the far east .
@@matthewcharles5867 like I wrote before, the harsh conditions fighting on these jungle, coral, and volcanic islands combined with fighting a fanatical enemy that had zero fear of death and desired to kill you at all costs… The Americans and their Australian and British Allies went through pure hell. Add on top of that the ferociousness of the combat, treatment/torture/shooting of prisoners, and refusal to take prisoners by many allied units… it would have been have an absolute nightmare… every bit as awful and very similar to what soldiers on Eastern Front went through.
“They were ask that young, can you imagine?!” I saw Vet Interview (can’t remember if it was a nurse or soldier) and the interviewee summed up WWII like this: Kids saved the world, kids won the war. Because that’s what we all were-kids.
You will get a few lighter episodes, but be ready for even more heartbreak in others.. Its tough to watch, but its worth it to know the stories of those men..
Robert Leckie wrote "Helmet for My Pillow", and Eugene Sledge wrote "With the Old Breed"...probably two of the finest first person accounts to come out of the war
I don't remember what documentary I saw on History Channel, but I did see Eugene Sledge being interviewed for something. At the time I didn't know he was special, until I remember a quote. It's when he was registering for college classes, and they duplicated the quote for the mini-series. And I was like "Hey, wait a sec, I heard that years ago!"
Leckie also wrote over 40 other books including Strong Men, Armed which was a historical piece covering every marine engagement with the Japanese over the course of the war
As a former Marine I can say all my Marine friends and myself love this series. To us it’s not just a show, it’s our history. We learn all Marine history in our first 3 months in service. Some of these people are leaders who’s names will only die if the Marine Corps no longer exists. Australia is what it is today because the Marines of 1st Marine Division kept the Japanese from reaching there. The 1st Marine Division’s logo literally has an Australian flag as the background to our diamond.
@@dmytryblyzniuk8211 Dude. The Solomon Islands Campaign (Guadalcanal) and Bogunville, New Britain, and other islands in the "South Pacific Theater" was about stopping the Japanese advance on Australia. Whether or not the Japanese intended to occupy Australia is not really known, but they were very deep into the process of cutting Australia and New Zealand off from the rest of the world. Read a map of the AO. Semper Fi, Mac.
@@dmytryblyzniuk8211 No. Not even close. The Japanese moved into the Solomon Island chain (Guadalcanal and other islands there) to establish air bases to close off access to the ANZAC from the rest of the world, and support their planned offensive on Port Moresby on New Guinea island. New Guinea was to provide staging areas for raids on the Australian coast.
My grandpa was on that island. He was part of Chesty's 5th Marines. The brutality in this movie still isn't as bad as he said it was. He and my uncle, Marine recon Vietnam, both told me when I got out of bootcamp that the best way to make it through is to think you are already dead and if you make it through, you get a good surprise. 3 generations of Marines thank you for watching this show. To my warrior brothers and sisters out there until we meet and drink a horn in Valhalla. Semper Fi NEVER FORGOTTEN USMC
Our troops in WW2 lamented that the folks back home would never get to see their stories told because it would get censored for the public. IMHO, it’s one of the best presentations on those all the terrible to inane deprivations our boys had to deal with (from waves of terrifying bonsai charges to clothes rotting off your back because it’s the freaking jungle!). That’s the reason it’s my favorite, because I hope by showing theses stories that we can rectify that lament.
I had great Uncles who fought in North Africa (he was with the Army Corp of Engineers, blowing up bridges), but he died when Rommell captured his men and killed them all, one who was a glider pilot who went down behind enemy lines in the Battle of the Bulge. He survived but was never the same. And then I had a great uncle who was a captain under MacArthur. I never was able to speak with him about his experience, but my great Aunt told me what she knew after he passed. He became an alcoholic, albeit a lovable one, but it's no wonder after everything he had seen in the island campaigns. I have his canteen on my mantle, and think of him and what he must have witnessed. Hell on earth.
I had a Great Great Uncle who was also an Army Engineer who was killed in N. Africa. Their transport hit an anti vehicle mine going over a pass in Tunisia. I was able a few years ago to finally locate his unit and action citation, until then it was a game of telephone in our family about what actually happened. From what I understand he was a very beloved member of the family on my moms side and they took it very very hard... Ive often thought the North Africa campaign deserves the modern war film treatment. It was its own beast, fast and unique compared to what was happening in the rest of the world. The Allies made lots of mistakes but they applied those lessons later on in Europe. The only problem I see is for modern audiences to understand the political setting of that time and region because of colonialism, theyd have to do a lot of exposition dumping to set a show or movie up. Anyway I digress.
In regards to what you said at the end. People like the Pacific because it shows the horrors of war and what it does to you with no punches pulled, no sugar coating. It's unashamedly truthful about it. One of the books this show is based on, With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge was one of the hardest reads of my life. It showed the bleak, misrable reality of modern war in a way no other book has for me. Its understandable why this series is diffictult for many to stomach, but theres a reason people appreciate it as well.
When you think about how difficult it is to watch, just think about the people who lived it. If you don’t watch it for yourselves, watch it for them and know their story.
I love the ugly cries at the end lol. Especially the scene where Eugene’s dad speaks about the men that came back from the great war with their souls snatched from them… I can’t wait til you guys see the person Eugene becomes.
Chesty Puller is a damned Legend. His speeches to the troops before a fight were what helped them unlock their war faces. This is part of what led to the Marines nick name of Devil Dogs.
As somebody who has been to war, war is hell and chaotic. The reason you watch the show is to respect those men who fought through the Second World War. Their war was absolute hell and many don’t realize the chaos they faced. A history book will only show you so much that a service member endured during the war. Finish the series to see the struggle they went through and to realize how disgusting war really is.
My grandfathers both served in the Pacific Theater (one USMC, one USN) so for me it was a deeper connection to this series than Band of Brothers. So this is my favorite of the two series because of that sense of connection.
The war in the Pacific was brutal, unimaginably brutal! The Japanese set the climate for war, no prisoners, mutilation, use civilians as Human Shields, wholesale murder and slaughter. What these men did, what they suffered and what they endured elevated the Marine Corps. to legend status of mythic proportions! I was in the Marine Corps in 1969-1972 and was damn proud of the heritage that I assumed because of those men. There was no battle that they fought that was a one or two day event. Every fight was a no holds barred brawl.
You will absolutely love Eugene’s dad. He was an Army Surgeon during the First World War so he knows very well what War does to people both physically and mentally. He even went on to be a regular doctor to many veterans who came back from that war and knows very well the effects of trauma and psychological hardship.
This is a very difficult series to make it through, but I think very important to. These men lived through this horror, and I feel it's the least we can do to bear witness. Next episode is a different tone and will be a bit of recouperation for you, but things get increasingly rough after that. I hope you do make it through the whole series. It's very eye opening towards the experience of the men in war.
SGT Basilone is such a badass. On Marine base Camp Pendleton, the main road with many of the camps and schools are located on Basilone. Spent many years running, marching, and driving that road (I was an 0311 in 3/1 Marines).
It's going to get worse. In the early parts of the war Japan used the banzai charges you saw in this episode. That ended up killing a lot of them with fewer American casualties. Later, they switched to a defense in depth model. They had multiple defensive lines and forced the Army and Marines to charge the fixed positions with machine guns and artillery, resulting in much heavier casualties. Even though it will get much worse, I think it's important you finish watching it. People need to know what sacrifices were made by 18 year old kids to give us the world we live in today. Even if you never watch it again, you need to see it once.
I am a US Army Combat Medic Gulf War Vet, I am proud to have served and I have worked as a Flight/paramedic for 26 years in NYC. I can tell you that after a while your empathy nerve endings get singed and numb, it is just the way it is!!! I think it is important to watch or read historic stories that tell us what people went thru in the past so it is not forgotten! My father was an Army Combat Medic on D-Day and until the end of the European Campaign. He never told me anything about his time in Army until I was leaving for Iraq in 90'. So I hope you watch the show until the end for him and all the others who serve the present and past!!! Oh ya, and I can't see the Army and the Marines sharing stuff, also not the Navy! Desperate times can call for desperate measures!
Hardest thing I read was an account of a 68W who fought on Hamburger Hill during Vietnam. Says he'll never forget holding a dying Soldier tell him everything will be Okay.
@@georgesykes394 The Vietnam medics were "Ground Breakers" the first multi-task medics. They were the first Medics to train as infantry first, then to Medic school!
My grandfather served in the South Pacific and was present for most of the events in this series. My grandmother was a Navy nurse and they met while he was recovering after getting injured when the ship he was serving on went down. I never got to meet the man as he killed himself when my dad was just a teenager. I haven't heard many accounts of what he went through during his time in the service, but the one that I will never be able to forget is the story of his ship sinking. He and the other men who managed to get off the boat in time spent all night in the water watching their friends get picked off one by one by sharks. Personally I can't imagine anything more terrifying.
I think its great to see their reactions and seeing them really get it. That they can watch and understand that, these are Americans who all volunteered to go fight and protect their country some who even lied about their age just to do their part. That they were outnumbered, outgunned, starved, dehydrated, using WW1 (initially) weapons, in enemy-held territory, against an enemy who was told they had to die in combat to the last man and that surrendering was not an option. But still these brave Marines had to push on, because they had a job to do, and there wasn't anyone else to do it. Respect.
The miniseries appropriately matches the tone of the actual Pacific war: Confusing, often totally chaotic, and psychologically much farther away from home than the European theater. In their heads, they were on another planet and fighting basically alone. After the Navy fled, the troops on the island might as well have been the last Americans on Earth as far as they felt. That's part of why the cook telling them they were famous heroes back home was such a massive shock to them.
The war in the Pacific brought out the savagery in humanity. As stated by someone, it was far more brutal, bloody and violent as far as the eye could see. Hacksawridge gave yall a glimpse of it.
Both my grandfathers fought in the Pacific. One in the Navy gravely wounded at the battle of Leyte Gulf. The other as an Army infantryman in New Guinea and Mindanao, Philippines. As a combat veteran myself The Pacific resonates more with me because of the profound sense of loss you feel throughout the series. That’s how I’ve felt for 20 years now, and will probably feel for the rest of my life. The tension and anguish you feel for an hour…is reality for me and many others like me all the time. There will be no peace for someone like me. The best way I can describe it is for someone to watch this series and take the multitude of emotional extremes this series will take you through, and then multiply the 10 hours to months and years. Then mix it with an ignored background fear of the unknown punctuated by sheer terror when the unknown presents moments of death all around you. The elation of survival quickly turning into debilitating guilt upon realizing who didn’t make it. I might be home now. But I’m not here. If you internalize this series even a little…you’ll get a very small taste of what that means.
Thank you for watching this series! I don't think enough people of our younger generation of Americans understand the sacrifice of the generation of men and women who fought in WW1 and WW2. I think this show does bring home how brutal war is, but I don't believe it even scratches the surface completely. Here is a great quote about Marines - “The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!” Eleanor Roosevelt
you HAVE to finish watching this PLEASE. I am a US Marine, who lives / is all alone. This is the closest thing I have that tells what I went though when i was in Iraq. Yes, I know it's not the same, but I was in many battles, and in hand to hand. I relate to no one. This movie/show has so many things that connect with me. Watching you ladies react to this, is in a way, like having someone understand me. So PLEASE keep watching this. I am dying to see all of your reactions.
Hey if you haven't heard of it before check out Generation Kill man. It's based on first recon going into Iraq, a lot of the guys involved have a fairly high opinion of it. Might be worth a look.
@@MrBaldwick Sorry man, I made it 22 seconds into the trailer on IMDB and hit pause. I couldn't take it. I can't handle any "Desert" Iraq/Afgan war vids, movies, fiction or historical documentary, doesn't matter. I just can't. Thanks for the suggestion though
My granddad was a Seabee. He signed up December 8th, 1941. He was in the first Seabee battalion. He did the grand tour of the Pacific (Seabees build - buildings, runways, wells. As well as fight). Where ever Marines were, the Seabees weren't too far behind. Guadalcanal was different. They were cut off. Those names - Leckie, Sledge, Basilone. These men are legends. But they were men. Doing what was needed under the most brutal conditions imaginable. They revered in the Corps and rightly so.
Keep in mind throughout, the vast majority of those who fought up front in the Pacific were in their teens. Many of those lucky enough to live came out of it mentally maimed, and aged far beyond their young years, back to walk the streets among us, to raise families of which some of us are part of.
At the end of the episode when Leckie and he squad found out that Guadalcanal and the 1st Marines were on the cover of every newspaper they cried. This is from Leckie’s combat memoir “Helmet for my Pillow”. They had thought they had been forgotten on an island hell, to know it had actually been for something and everyone knew that they had beaten the imperial Japanese army, it was fulfilling.
I know that I am desensitized but the last episode of this series still gets me because of the main subject of the episode and how relatable I found some aspects to it.
This is my favorite of the 2 series but it's still difficult in some parts to watch. Being an old Marine, I can identify at some level with these guys. Finishing this series for the average viewer is definitely going to be difficult, but it will be worth it. It's a history lesson in vivid detail. Hang in there.
I love our military, they are the best of us! These men lived this, saw it smelled it we just watch. They carried that till they died we can buck up and be witness to it.
In regards to your comment in the post discussion as to why this episode would be someone’s favorite, I can tell you my own reason for loving this series. It doesn’t glorify or romanticize the pacific campaign. It’s a very unfiltered, in your face and honest depiction of the brutality these young men endured. I understand why it’s hard to stomach, it’s a difficult watch in general. However, if you’re having this hard of a time watching actors portray this, imagine what it must have felt like to be 18, across the world, and witness the true genuine brutality that was the pacific campaign. I think we owe it to them to watch, understand and appreciate them for what they did for the sake of everyone back home, and their brothers. I am an army veteran myself, so while I may not be a marine I have the utmost respect for that generation of men and women. They endured unthinkable things and we at least owe them our gratitude.
The war in the Pacific was brutal, not saying any other war or theater wasn’t, but in this series doesn’t hold back(which it took from the numerous books written about this fight in the Pacific). It shows the reality of it. It’s not all happy hero moments and celebrations after the war. There were real people who experienced something a lot of us would never understand(from any side you’re fighting on). But we watch/read these stories to remember what they went through and never forget, and maybe, just maybe we learn from these lessons and not repeat history.
My history teacher once summed it up pretty well. The European theatre saw what technology could do to a man, The Pacific theatre saw what a man could do to a man. Both incredibly horrific experiences, but completely different in how they were fought.
14:28 That scene remind me the day i went away to Irak. Both my grandpa and my dad served in the Marine Corp, thankfully my dad didn't get to go thru combat but my grandpa served on Saipan and Okinawa... The day i showed up in full dress uniform he started crying, not because he was proud, but because he knew what I was about to see. 2 months later, November, i got on Fallujah.
My father was wounded twice on that island, this is why we call them the greatest generation. Their stories need to be told and more importantly remembered every thing we have was bought and paid for with their suffering. Never forget that this nation still has sons and daughters in harm's way today
This show only offers you a glimpse of how brutal the Pacific Theatre of war really was. It was an absolute nightmare. The Japanese were a merciless and brutal enemy, and on top of it, fighting in the jungle and on volcanic/coral islands with no consistent water supply, while battling malaria, mosquitoes, jungle rot, etc. must have been absolute hell.
They kinda gloss over it but the shelling the marines experienced was the most intense bombardment that any American unit experienced in the war. Those shells were from heavy cruisers and the battleship Kongo I believe.
That scene at the 5 minute mark was them being shelled by a Japanese battleship. They would send that ship up the channel at night to shell marine positions not only to inflict casualties but to keep them awake. Those guns on a battleship are likely14-16 inches. That means those rounds are 3-4 feet tall. About the size of a small child. There's nothing you can do if they hit your position. Also keep in mind Roosevelt's strategy for the war was to focus efforts in Europe first. That's where the bulk of supplies and war materials went. The Marines were sent to fight in the beginning with equipment from World war1. They had guns and ammo from 1917. Planes that were inferior to the newer aircraft of the Japanese. And a navy that was rocked by the pearl harbor attack and was reluctant to risk their remaining ships. The Marines were also taking islands that have no ports or civilization. Meaning everything had to be unloaded and moved by hand. Hundreds of tons of supplies through sandy beaches and muddy roads that were hastily constructed. All while enduring the jungle heat, low rations, disease, and enemy attacks. What the Marines did in the Pacific was incredible.
It's not about being desensitized, it's about paying respect to the men who had a totally different horrific combat experience & knowing how easy we have it today thanks to those brave men. Lest we Forget.
This is by far my favorite series, ever made. As someone who served 5 years in the Marine Corps and a combat tour to Afghanistan in 2011, am I desensitized? Maybe. But the Marine Corps is a brotherhood and after learning about some of these guys during bootcamp and after, to actually see what these guys went through instead of just imagining it is mind-blowing. We look up to these guys. They really are the greatest generation.
Im Aussie My grandpa fought in Burma, Thailand, Malaya this series brings it home, was lucky to have 12 years with him I try to be as honourable as these guys, they were the best
I have the honor of being the grandson of a WW2 Marine on my dads side, and a Navy Veteran on my mom’s side and I can tell you that they were both great men who fought those battles over and over again in their minds for the rest of their lives. I remember when I was 5, my moms dad, who’s ship was hit by a kamikaze, was napping on the couch in the living room with the tv on. A TV show about the Navy was on, and they were showing footage of the war. At one point, they played the sound of a klaxon horn, which is what they sounded when under attack to send the sailors to battle stations. My grandfather, who I had only ever known as a loving, sweet, and gentle man, came off the couch in a fit of rage and panic and kicked the TV over to stop the sound. He seemed like a demon, screaming and yelling for someone named David. It was a very scary moment for me and at the time I didn’t understand what was going on. Later in life, after his death, I asked my grandmother about the incident from when I was 5. She told me that when the Kamikaze hit his ship, he was on the way to his battle station with 2 of his best buddies (one being a friend named David) and that he had stopped at the base of the ladder to strap on his helmet while they continued on. His friends were only a few feet in front of him on the ladder and were both blown up in the explosion, covering him in what was left of them. He never got over it, and struggled with nightmares and ptsd for the rest of his life. She said that the man she married died in that moment, and a totally different man returned from the war. The things that the men in the Pacific theater endured were far more brutal and horrifying than the men who fought in Europe, because they faced an enemy who truly believed that dying for their emperor was an honor, and they had no fear of dying.
I go back in forth on whether I view the Pacific or Band of Brothers since the stories are so different; BoB tells a story of how hardship can form strong bonds of brotherhood but the Pacific is more about how hardship can absolutely destroy you. It’s a much darker series but at times that makes me appreciate it more In terms of the episode watched, there’s two things that I wanted to bring up. The 1st being that the episode doesn’t quite do justice on how long of a time period Guadalcanal was, the Marines were on that island for 6 months having to endure absolute hell and the fear that you might wake up one night with a bayonet in you. The second is the Marines had to endure all that with outdated equipment, the army was given the new semi-automatic M1 Garand but the Marines were still using bolt-action rifles like what was used in WW1, they were fighting in such close quarters with pretty slow rate of fire weapons I do really hope you finish the series, as hard as it is, it will give a tremendous appreciation for what was sacrificed for your and the world’s freedoms. Something sorely lacking in my generation
Love all of the collabs. Funny as Arianna is talking about needing a drink, I simultaneously did the same exact thing. Crazy to think I'm only watching the shortened yt version and you guys are doing a full episode 😂😂😂
You girls have given the best reaction I have ever seen so far for this series. You two understand the sacrifices made(physically and mentally) by these men... Your empathy is on a level I have never seen by any other reactors for The Pacific... can't wait for the next upload
8:11 The phrase "the whole nine yards" is said to have originated from the fact that machine gun belts were nine yards long, so when one is reloading, the enemy is given nine yards to continue advancing.
I served 6 years in the Marine Corps. This is my favorite series because I share the brotherhood with these Marines. World War II was our greatest generation. These devil dogs are our heroes. Ever Marine that’s ever watched this series feels an indescribable bond and connection with each other due to the brotherhood we all share. It’s important to watch this and B.o.B so we never forget the sacrifices these men went through for every one of us
Chesty Puller and John Basilone were two of the most famous Marines that ever lived. I believe this is a lot of people’s favorite episode because you can get a small sense of what they went through at Guadalcanal and how John earned his Medal of Honor.
You live in the US. There is probably a military cemetery close to you. After you watch this you won’t be able to just drive by like you don’t care. Dr Sledge’s words about having their souls torn away serves as the theme for this entire series.
And hey. This is my favorite of the two. I’m very desensitized, form many things. Including twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan, before and during the surge. As a Marine, joined the day I turned 17 in 04. These are legends that put us into history forever, who we strive to live up to. And where the squid said they were heroes. Marines wake up and put on their super hero uniform every day. Did you know a Marine and Superman fought one time…the loser had to wear his underwear outside his pants.
There are some lighter portions of episodes, but it will get extremely dark as the series goes on. The Pacific campaign was brutal. People think of what the Nazis did and to a lesser extent what the Eastern Front between the Nazis and Russians was like, but many forget just how horrible it was in the Pacific. The Japanese were no better than the Nazis. Experimentation on prisoners, mass executions of POWs...and that doesn't touch what they did to the Chinese people. I have no doubt you'll finish the series, because it is very good...but it will take a toll for sure.
Basilone was a force of nature on that island. He wielded that old machine gun like a surgeon with a scalpel. All of that he did with severe burns on his arms and hands.
This was just the land battle for Guadalcanal. The Air and especially the Naval battles were brutal as well. Growing up with all of the WWII vets, Also WWI vets. We're the things that drove me to do my part. To serve this Nation. Not to be some glory hunter. But something a Man and Citizer should do. To keep our Blessed Nation going for the future generations to come. Semper Fi to all you Devil Dog's out there !.
This Series is a very very hard series to watch. The difference of this between Band of Brothers plays a very real light in how brutal the war in the pacific was compared to the war in Europe. They may have both been WWII but they were very different wars. Another side thing to keep in mind is with that artillery shelling in the beginning of this epesiode. The brutal shelling you saw in BoB in Bastogne, the German shells were 105mm Howitzer shells. The shells they were getting hit with in this episode were Japanese navel shells that were 400mm shells. 33 lbs shell vs 3000 lbs shell. The shear power of navel shelling is unimaginable.
A little timeline check: Easy Company, Second Battalion, Five Hundred and Sixth Parachute Infantry Regiment, Hundred and First Airborne Division, might no longer have been running Currahee during the events of this episode, but they were still in training during the events of this episode. And re: the first episode, Easy Company only began training together a month before the landings on Guadalcanal. 19:30 Excellent point. No matter how worked up we can get about watching all the stuff that goes on in the series, it's got nothing on what the folks on the front lines actually experienced. Don't blame them for not wanting to talk about that.
I love this series, but not because someone hurt me. I just want these true stories to be told. We should NEVER forget what happened. It should not be sugarcoated. It is brutal to watch, yes. It is nothing compared to the reality of what these men experienced. Thank you both for drlving into this. Don't become desensitized to it. Feel it all. The terror. The sorrow. The pain. There is even more that they don't talk about because it is too horrendous. I'll comment on it when you reach those episodes. The only other thing I will say is get more tissue!
This is giving you a better feel for the reality of war and the war in the Pacific theater of WWII, than most war movies. This isn't "sanitized" war. The war in Europe portrayed in Band of Brothers was bad, but not nearly the bloodbath that the Pacific war was. To me, knowing is better than not knowing and remaining ignorant. I would rather know the harsh truth, than see "that old lie...'dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.'"
I saw this when it came out when I was 10 before I saw band of brothers and I always loved it. I fell in love with the characters and my favorite story is John Basilone’s. What he did in this episode was the most amazing and heroic thing I had ever seen in a war movie or series and it really happened and these were all real people just like Easy Company in Band of Brothers
For some of us, this is our "favorite" because it's part of the history of our "tribe". That tribe being the USMC. It brings back the memories of when we were learning how to be Marines, and these stories were being taught to us. That savage pride that our tribe's forefathers did this! They were mighty! And also the gut check that comes with it. Someday I may have to do this. Will I be mighty enough? For many of us, it led to some deep soul-searching. It is said that Robert E. Lee uttered "It is good that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it" during a particularly hard point in a battle. Whether or not he said it, or it was an invention of the British reporter accompanying R.E. Lee, it is nonetheless a hard truth. I often thank God that my time of service fell between wars and I never had to answer The Question.
The dad's speech reminds me of the speech in Scent of a Woman: "I've been around, ya know? There was a time I could see. And I have seen. Boys like these, younger than these. Their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. But there is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit. There's no prostetic for that."
John Bassilone was almost 30, the old man of the unit. The commanding officer was" Chesty Puller ". The biggest bad ass Marine in history. They were so weak they had trouble climbing the nets.
I read "With the Old Breed" and "A Helmet for my Pillow" when I was in college, which is two of the books this series is based on. Between the Pacific and Band of Brothers yes I do prefer Pacific more because of those books and the marines who wrote those two books. Its not because I like the brutality of this series it is because it does show the brutality these men endured and what their country asked of them. I at least owe it to them to watch and remember what they went through. My grandfather was an Army Engineer in the Pacific Theater during the war. He never really talked about the war. I was told he had nightmares about what happened. That many of his buddies were killed by Japanese Snipers and the terror of what happened during the nights when they were building the airfields. He was also part of the Okinawa campaign. While I like Band of Brothers and 101st and also respect everything they went through. The Pacific was just different than any type of war one could imagine. Its also the part of WWII that many up till recently did not know much about. It reminds you of the dangers of over glorifying war. Its just brutal.
Movies like this help you understand what the guys who volunteered to defend your freedom and watched friends die, then and now.....The Marines are usually depicted as grunts and just killers. This is meant to humanize Marines, and soldiers in BoB.
I served 5 years in the US Army did deployment to Afghanistan. John Basilone is such a badass the US Army talks about him in regards to going above the call of duty. So much respect for the ww2 vets.
War is hell, this show tells you how true that is. This does show the hell of The Pacific War This is my favorite of the 2 Hanks/Spielberg Mini Series for that reason.
Every battle on every island in the Pacific war was all about establishing airfields because of the great vastness of the Pacific Ocean, so they can protect every offensive moving the allies closer towards Japan within bombing range
This is my favorite between the two because it’s an incredible portrayal of what the war in the pacific was really like. I’d never say someone had it easy in war...but compared to the pacific, those guys in Europe definitely had it better. Keep watching...their story is worth hearing
Were you shocked that Bernthal didn't make it passed this point?
Caught up to Episode 5 on Patreon in full length watch alongs.
Here: www.patreon.com/diegesischad
Normally, I would talk to folks reacting to this series about the relative bloodiness of the Pacific War when compared to the US forces fighting in Europe...and give some numbers to show how many times higher both the rate of deaths per day and the rate of wounding/incapacitating per day were for US forces in the Pacific Theater. But I feel like that would not be helpful...so I will just say that you are brave souls, and your bravery will be needed to get through this series. The makers of the show really did a good job of showing that brutality on the screen...so be ready...but you can do this, and these are important stories to know. Band of Brothers had a few really tough episodes, but The Pacific is much more relentless, and every episode is going to test you, but we will be here to help you through.✌
Pace yourselves. And stay off comment section until you're caught up with series in patreon. But pace yourselves.
@@genghisgalahad8465 Yeah, not only for the sake of the girls but it's a popular series so best to pace them out
@@genghisgalahad8465 Agreed...that is very good advice. And self care...do what you have to do to be ready to watch together. ✌💯
@@Mewithabeard I just meant pace emotions.
“I don’t know if my heart can take 8 more episode of this brutality.” This is the baseline….it just descends into a hellscape until it’s over 😂
In only gets tougher and tougher. The ending is perhaps hopeful, but still finds everyone dealing with profound loss as they return to "normal" life.
The next episode and episode 8 bring some nice contrast to the brutal warfare conditions though.
Yeah, there are some brief respites.
Yeah, knowing just how bad it gets in this series... This isn't like Band of Brothers, where there are moments of levity, even joy. This is just a miserable, brutal slog. Because that's what the Marines in the Pacific experienced. I don't know how they're gonna get through this.
@@NexterZulu even in ep 3 there is some dark scenes...and 8 isn't that nice
I'd say it's not desensitization, it's appreciation for those who went through it for real. Of course it's hard to watch, but it's important TO watch. Lest we forget their sacrifice, whether it be their lives, bodies or minds.
I'm a Marine Combat Veteran who served in Iraq...
It would be appreciated that you endure the show..
What I went thru wasn't anything compared to them..
We owe them to at least endure a Miniseries in their Honor.
And yes.. This is my Favorite next to Generation Kill (Invasion of Iraq 2003 band of Brothers)
I am that desensitized lol
Generation Kill is so fantastic. I hope they react to it next. I would say it's an easier watch than the Pacific and it's only 7 episodes.
@@jackson857 agreed! I was there in 2003. They did such a great job with everything! The rumor about JLo.. man I laughed so hard at that. I remember the rumors but had forgotten until I saw that.
Semper Fi Sgt Bart.
@@johnstrickler2238 Semper Fi Bro!
Class of '91 Thanks for finishing it for us, it is a shame to our nation that anther generation had to be blooded to finish my war
It's a tough watch, but important to see what these men in the pacific went through and endured. It's a powerful and heartbreaking series. Eugene's story especially. Hope you'll continue with it.
As the War in the Pacific dragged on the fighting just got more Brutal.
Although much smaller in scale and with major differences, it would seem the Pacific Theatre was likely every bit as brutal as the Eastern Front in terms of the savagery of the combat, hatred between the combatants, and harsh conditions.
That’s one of the reasons why the U.S. didn’t wanna invade Japan, each island they took came at increasing cost. American analysts calculated that an invasion of the Japanese mainland would result in 1.7 million American and 10 million Japanese deaths.
@opkearney Good point The Eastern Front has been often described as the Worst of WW2 for good reason.
@@opkearney was smaller in scale but without a doubt as brutal as the eastern front and on some occasions probably worse. Our Australian soldiers fought in some horribly brutal confrontations with the Japanese when island hopping and especially in new Guinea. As did the British and Indians in the far east .
@@matthewcharles5867 like I wrote before, the harsh conditions fighting on these jungle, coral, and volcanic islands combined with fighting a fanatical enemy that had zero fear of death and desired to kill you at all costs… The Americans and their Australian and British Allies went through pure hell. Add on top of that the ferociousness of the combat, treatment/torture/shooting of prisoners, and refusal to take prisoners by many allied units… it would have been have an absolute nightmare… every bit as awful and very similar to what soldiers on Eastern Front went through.
“They were ask that young, can you imagine?!”
I saw Vet Interview (can’t remember if it was a nurse or soldier) and the interviewee summed up WWII like this:
Kids saved the world, kids won the war. Because that’s what we all were-kids.
You will get a few lighter episodes, but be ready for even more heartbreak in others.. Its tough to watch, but its worth it to know the stories of those men..
No story worth hearing is easy to hear.
Few? I think it's just the one
Loving all these Maple/Arianna colab reactions
Yep, they're great solo but even better together. 👍
Robert Leckie wrote "Helmet for My Pillow", and Eugene Sledge wrote "With the Old Breed"...probably two of the finest first person accounts to come out of the war
I don't remember what documentary I saw on History Channel, but I did see Eugene Sledge being interviewed for something. At the time I didn't know he was special, until I remember a quote. It's when he was registering for college classes, and they duplicated the quote for the mini-series. And I was like "Hey, wait a sec, I heard that years ago!"
It was the Battle for Pelelieu documentary on youtube.@@emilmlodnicki3835
Leckie also wrote over 40 other books including Strong Men, Armed which was a historical piece covering every marine engagement with the Japanese over the course of the war
As a former Marine I can say all my Marine friends and myself love this series. To us it’s not just a show, it’s our history. We learn all Marine history in our first 3 months in service. Some of these people are leaders who’s names will only die if the Marine Corps no longer exists. Australia is what it is today because the Marines of 1st Marine Division kept the Japanese from reaching there. The 1st Marine Division’s logo literally has an Australian flag as the background to our diamond.
Japanese didn’t invade in Australia 🇦🇺 for them it was much more important to control Philippines and islands near China for their military bases
@@dmytryblyzniuk8211 Dude. The Solomon Islands Campaign (Guadalcanal) and Bogunville, New Britain, and other islands in the "South Pacific Theater" was about stopping the Japanese advance on Australia. Whether or not the Japanese intended to occupy Australia is not really known, but they were very deep into the process of cutting Australia and New Zealand off from the rest of the world. Read a map of the AO.
Semper Fi, Mac.
@@dmytryblyzniuk8211 actually from February 1942 to November 1943 Japan conducted 1010 raids on Australia.
It was intelligence services not invasion in Australia
@@dmytryblyzniuk8211 No. Not even close. The Japanese moved into the Solomon Island chain (Guadalcanal and other islands there) to establish air bases to close off access to the ANZAC from the rest of the world, and support their planned offensive on Port Moresby on New Guinea island.
New Guinea was to provide staging areas for raids on the Australian coast.
My grandpa was on that island. He was part of Chesty's 5th Marines. The brutality in this movie still isn't as bad as he said it was. He and my uncle, Marine recon Vietnam, both told me when I got out of bootcamp that the best way to make it through is to think you are already dead and if you make it through, you get a good surprise. 3 generations of Marines thank you for watching this show. To my warrior brothers and sisters out there until we meet and drink a horn in Valhalla. Semper Fi NEVER FORGOTTEN USMC
RAH
Our troops in WW2 lamented that the folks back home would never get to see their stories told because it would get censored for the public.
IMHO, it’s one of the best presentations on those all the terrible to inane deprivations our boys had to deal with (from waves of terrifying bonsai charges to clothes rotting off your back because it’s the freaking jungle!).
That’s the reason it’s my favorite, because I hope by showing theses stories that we can rectify that lament.
I had great Uncles who fought in North Africa (he was with the Army Corp of Engineers, blowing up bridges), but he died when Rommell captured his men and killed them all, one who was a glider pilot who went down behind enemy lines in the Battle of the Bulge. He survived but was never the same. And then I had a great uncle who was a captain under MacArthur. I never was able to speak with him about his experience, but my great Aunt told me what she knew after he passed. He became an alcoholic, albeit a lovable one, but it's no wonder after everything he had seen in the island campaigns. I have his canteen on my mantle, and think of him and what he must have witnessed. Hell on earth.
I had a Great Great Uncle who was also an Army Engineer who was killed in N. Africa. Their transport hit an anti vehicle mine going over a pass in Tunisia. I was able a few years ago to finally locate his unit and action citation, until then it was a game of telephone in our family about what actually happened. From what I understand he was a very beloved member of the family on my moms side and they took it very very hard...
Ive often thought the North Africa campaign deserves the modern war film treatment. It was its own beast, fast and unique compared to what was happening in the rest of the world. The Allies made lots of mistakes but they applied those lessons later on in Europe. The only problem I see is for modern audiences to understand the political setting of that time and region because of colonialism, theyd have to do a lot of exposition dumping to set a show or movie up. Anyway I digress.
In regards to what you said at the end. People like the Pacific because it shows the horrors of war and what it does to you with no punches pulled, no sugar coating. It's unashamedly truthful about it. One of the books this show is based on, With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge was one of the hardest reads of my life. It showed the bleak, misrable reality of modern war in a way no other book has for me. Its understandable why this series is diffictult for many to stomach, but theres a reason people appreciate it as well.
Spoilers again telling about the future. No need to. Wait until end.
When you think about how difficult it is to watch, just think about the people who lived it. If you don’t watch it for yourselves, watch it for them and know their story.
Well said 👏
Obviously, that is the reason few talked about their part of the war.
Marines usually love this series more because our WW2 story isn’t told that often, doesn’t mean someone hurt us
I love the ugly cries at the end lol. Especially the scene where Eugene’s dad speaks about the men that came back from the great war with their souls snatched from them…
I can’t wait til you guys see the person Eugene becomes.
Chesty Puller is a damned Legend. His speeches to the troops before a fight were what helped them unlock their war faces. This is part of what led to the Marines nick name of Devil Dogs.
Isn’t he the most decorated US Marine ever?
@fazsum41 Arguably yes 5 Navy Crosses and 1 DSC and a host of other's. As far as Commissioned Officer's you're looking at Smedley Butler.
They got the Devil Dog moniker during ww1 from the Germans in the battle of Belleau Wood.
Devil Dog came from Marine actions on the Western front in WWI, Chesty Puller had nothing to do with it. He didnt even serve in WWI.
Retreat? Hell, we just got here!
As somebody who has been to war, war is hell and chaotic. The reason you watch the show is to respect those men who fought through the Second World War. Their war was absolute hell and many don’t realize the chaos they faced. A history book will only show you so much that a service member endured during the war. Finish the series to see the struggle they went through and to realize how disgusting war really is.
My grandfathers both served in the Pacific Theater (one USMC, one USN) so for me it was a deeper connection to this series than Band of Brothers. So this is my favorite of the two series because of that sense of connection.
The war in the Pacific was brutal, unimaginably brutal! The Japanese set the climate for war, no prisoners, mutilation, use civilians as Human Shields, wholesale murder and slaughter. What these men did, what they suffered and what they endured elevated the Marine Corps. to legend status of mythic proportions! I was in the Marine Corps in 1969-1972 and was damn proud of the heritage that I assumed because of those men. There was no battle that they fought that was a one or two day event. Every fight was a no holds barred brawl.
You will absolutely love Eugene’s dad. He was an Army Surgeon during the First World War so he knows very well what War does to people both physically and mentally. He even went on to be a regular doctor to many veterans who came back from that war and knows very well the effects of trauma and psychological hardship.
As a veteran, that line, “you’re heroes back home”, always gets me.
This is a very difficult series to make it through, but I think very important to. These men lived through this horror, and I feel it's the least we can do to bear witness.
Next episode is a different tone and will be a bit of recouperation for you, but things get increasingly rough after that. I hope you do make it through the whole series. It's very eye opening towards the experience of the men in war.
SGT Basilone is such a badass. On Marine base Camp Pendleton, the main road with many of the camps and schools are located on Basilone. Spent many years running, marching, and driving that road (I was an 0311 in 3/1 Marines).
SEMPER FI. I'm 0311 as well 2nd LAR
That was my first MOS. I was with India 3/5
It's going to get worse. In the early parts of the war Japan used the banzai charges you saw in this episode. That ended up killing a lot of them with fewer American casualties. Later, they switched to a defense in depth model. They had multiple defensive lines and forced the Army and Marines to charge the fixed positions with machine guns and artillery, resulting in much heavier casualties.
Even though it will get much worse, I think it's important you finish watching it. People need to know what sacrifices were made by 18 year old kids to give us the world we live in today. Even if you never watch it again, you need to see it once.
I am a US Army Combat Medic Gulf War Vet, I am proud to have served and I have worked as a Flight/paramedic for 26 years in NYC. I can tell you that after a while your empathy nerve endings get singed and numb, it is just the way it is!!!
I think it is important to watch or read historic stories that tell us what people went thru in the past so it is not forgotten!
My father was an Army Combat Medic on D-Day and until the end of the European Campaign. He never told me anything about his time in Army until I was leaving for Iraq in 90'.
So I hope you watch the show until the end for him and all the others who serve the present and past!!!
Oh ya, and I can't see the Army and the Marines sharing stuff, also not the Navy! Desperate times can call for desperate measures!
Hardest thing I read was an account of a 68W who fought on Hamburger Hill during Vietnam. Says he'll never forget holding a dying Soldier tell him everything will be Okay.
@@georgesykes394 The Vietnam medics were "Ground Breakers" the first multi-task medics. They were the first Medics to train as infantry first, then to Medic school!
My grandfather served in the South Pacific and was present for most of the events in this series. My grandmother was a Navy nurse and they met while he was recovering after getting injured when the ship he was serving on went down. I never got to meet the man as he killed himself when my dad was just a teenager. I haven't heard many accounts of what he went through during his time in the service, but the one that I will never be able to forget is the story of his ship sinking. He and the other men who managed to get off the boat in time spent all night in the water watching their friends get picked off one by one by sharks. Personally I can't imagine anything more terrifying.
Or USS Johnston or USS Samual B Roberts.
This is a tough series to watch. I love the talk Sledge has with his father. It hits so hard.
I think its great to see their reactions and seeing them really get it. That they can watch and understand that, these are Americans who all volunteered to go fight and protect their country some who even lied about their age just to do their part. That they were outnumbered, outgunned, starved, dehydrated, using WW1 (initially) weapons, in enemy-held territory, against an enemy who was told they had to die in combat to the last man and that surrendering was not an option. But still these brave Marines had to push on, because they had a job to do, and there wasn't anyone else to do it. Respect.
The miniseries appropriately matches the tone of the actual Pacific war: Confusing, often totally chaotic, and psychologically much farther away from home than the European theater. In their heads, they were on another planet and fighting basically alone. After the Navy fled, the troops on the island might as well have been the last Americans on Earth as far as they felt. That's part of why the cook telling them they were famous heroes back home was such a massive shock to them.
The war in the Pacific brought out the savagery in humanity. As stated by someone, it was far more brutal, bloody and violent as far as the eye could see. Hacksawridge gave yall a glimpse of it.
Both my grandfathers fought in the Pacific. One in the Navy gravely wounded at the battle of Leyte Gulf. The other as an Army infantryman in New Guinea and Mindanao, Philippines.
As a combat veteran myself The Pacific resonates more with me because of the profound sense of loss you feel throughout the series. That’s how I’ve felt for 20 years now, and will probably feel for the rest of my life. The tension and anguish you feel for an hour…is reality for me and many others like me all the time. There will be no peace for someone like me. The best way I can describe it is for someone to watch this series and take the multitude of emotional extremes this series will take you through, and then multiply the 10 hours to months and years. Then mix it with an ignored background fear of the unknown punctuated by sheer terror when the unknown presents moments of death all around you. The elation of survival quickly turning into debilitating guilt upon realizing who didn’t make it.
I might be home now. But I’m not here. If you internalize this series even a little…you’ll get a very small taste of what that means.
Thank you for watching this series! I don't think enough people of our younger generation of Americans understand the sacrifice of the generation of men and women who fought in WW1 and WW2. I think this show does bring home how brutal war is, but I don't believe it even scratches the surface completely. Here is a great quote about Marines -
“The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!”
Eleanor Roosevelt
you HAVE to finish watching this PLEASE. I am a US Marine, who lives / is all alone. This is the closest thing I have that tells what I went though when i was in Iraq. Yes, I know it's not the same, but I was in many battles, and in hand to hand. I relate to no one. This movie/show has so many things that connect with me. Watching you ladies react to this, is in a way, like having someone understand me. So PLEASE keep watching this. I am dying to see all of your reactions.
Semper Fi Devil
Hey if you haven't heard of it before check out Generation Kill man. It's based on first recon going into Iraq, a lot of the guys involved have a fairly high opinion of it. Might be worth a look.
@@MrBaldwick Sorry man, I made it 22 seconds into the trailer on IMDB and hit pause. I couldn't take it. I can't handle any "Desert" Iraq/Afgan war vids, movies, fiction or historical documentary, doesn't matter. I just can't.
Thanks for the suggestion though
My granddad was a Seabee. He signed up December 8th, 1941. He was in the first Seabee battalion. He did the grand tour of the Pacific (Seabees build - buildings, runways, wells. As well as fight). Where ever Marines were, the Seabees weren't too far behind. Guadalcanal was different. They were cut off. Those names - Leckie, Sledge, Basilone. These men are legends. But they were men. Doing what was needed under the most brutal conditions imaginable. They revered in the Corps and rightly so.
Keep in mind throughout, the vast majority of those who fought up front in the Pacific were in their teens. Many of those lucky enough to live came out of it mentally maimed, and aged far beyond their young years, back to walk the streets among us, to raise families of which some of us are part of.
At the end of the episode when Leckie and he squad found out that Guadalcanal and the 1st Marines were on the cover of every newspaper they cried. This is from Leckie’s combat memoir “Helmet for my Pillow”. They had thought they had been forgotten on an island hell, to know it had actually been for something and everyone knew that they had beaten the imperial Japanese army, it was fulfilling.
I know that I am desensitized but the last episode of this series still gets me because of the main subject of the episode and how relatable I found some aspects to it.
They got rotated out ... the battle went on for a total of six months.
Feeling all that is exactly why everyone should watch this show. Everyone should learn about all this crazy shit these guys had to go through!
If you're this emotional at ep 2....man...just wait. Love the series !!
This is my favorite of the 2 series but it's still difficult in some parts to watch.
Being an old Marine, I can identify at some level with these guys.
Finishing this series for the average viewer is definitely going to be difficult, but it will be worth it.
It's a history lesson in vivid detail.
Hang in there.
Also the series is spread over a much longer time frame than BOB.
I love our military, they are the best of us! These men lived this, saw it smelled it we just watch. They carried that till they died we can buck up and be witness to it.
In regards to your comment in the post discussion as to why this episode would be someone’s favorite, I can tell you my own reason for loving this series. It doesn’t glorify or romanticize the pacific campaign. It’s a very unfiltered, in your face and honest depiction of the brutality these young men endured. I understand why it’s hard to stomach, it’s a difficult watch in general. However, if you’re having this hard of a time watching actors portray this, imagine what it must have felt like to be 18, across the world, and witness the true genuine brutality that was the pacific campaign. I think we owe it to them to watch, understand and appreciate them for what they did for the sake of everyone back home, and their brothers. I am an army veteran myself, so while I may not be a marine I have the utmost respect for that generation of men and women. They endured unthinkable things and we at least owe them our gratitude.
Buckle up for Pelelu.
The Okinawa episodes were BRUTAL.
Remember the Naval Battles I told you about last time? That horrible nightime shelling they went through was from Japanese Cruisers and Battleships
The war in the Pacific was brutal, not saying any other war or theater wasn’t, but in this series doesn’t hold back(which it took from the numerous books written about this fight in the Pacific). It shows the reality of it. It’s not all happy hero moments and celebrations after the war. There were real people who experienced something a lot of us would never understand(from any side you’re fighting on). But we watch/read these stories to remember what they went through and never forget, and maybe, just maybe we learn from these lessons and not repeat history.
My history teacher once summed it up pretty well. The European theatre saw what technology could do to a man, The Pacific theatre saw what a man could do to a man. Both incredibly horrific experiences, but completely different in how they were fought.
14:28 That scene remind me the day i went away to Irak.
Both my grandpa and my dad served in the Marine Corp, thankfully my dad didn't get to go thru combat but my grandpa served on Saipan and Okinawa...
The day i showed up in full dress uniform he started crying, not because he was proud, but because he knew what I was about to see.
2 months later, November, i got on Fallujah.
Me and my dad used to watch the pacific on our home surround sound system on high volume and it was like war truly broke out in our living room.
I love how accurate they made this show.
My father was wounded twice on that island, this is why we call them the greatest generation. Their stories need to be told and more importantly remembered every thing we have was bought and paid for with their suffering. Never forget that this nation still has sons and daughters in harm's way today
This show only offers you a glimpse of how brutal the Pacific Theatre of war really was. It was an absolute nightmare. The Japanese were a merciless and brutal enemy, and on top of it, fighting in the jungle and on volcanic/coral islands with no consistent water supply, while battling malaria, mosquitoes, jungle rot, etc. must have been absolute hell.
They kinda gloss over it but the shelling the marines experienced was the most intense bombardment that any American unit experienced in the war. Those shells were from heavy cruisers and the battleship Kongo I believe.
That scene at the 5 minute mark was them being shelled by a Japanese battleship. They would send that ship up the channel at night to shell marine positions not only to inflict casualties but to keep them awake. Those guns on a battleship are likely14-16 inches. That means those rounds are 3-4 feet tall. About the size of a small child. There's nothing you can do if they hit your position.
Also keep in mind Roosevelt's strategy for the war was to focus efforts in Europe first. That's where the bulk of supplies and war materials went. The Marines were sent to fight in the beginning with equipment from World war1. They had guns and ammo from 1917. Planes that were inferior to the newer aircraft of the Japanese. And a navy that was rocked by the pearl harbor attack and was reluctant to risk their remaining ships. The Marines were also taking islands that have no ports or civilization. Meaning everything had to be unloaded and moved by hand. Hundreds of tons of supplies through sandy beaches and muddy roads that were hastily constructed. All while enduring the jungle heat, low rations, disease, and enemy attacks. What the Marines did in the Pacific was incredible.
It's not about being desensitized, it's about paying respect to the men who had a totally different horrific combat experience & knowing how easy we have it today thanks to those brave men. Lest we Forget.
This is by far my favorite series, ever made. As someone who served 5 years in the Marine Corps and a combat tour to Afghanistan in 2011, am I desensitized? Maybe. But the Marine Corps is a brotherhood and after learning about some of these guys during bootcamp and after, to actually see what these guys went through instead of just imagining it is mind-blowing. We look up to these guys. They really are the greatest generation.
Im Aussie My grandpa fought in Burma, Thailand, Malaya this series brings it home, was lucky to have 12 years with him I try to be as honourable as these guys, they were the best
This is gonna be a brutal series!!!
Uncommon valor was a common virtue Semper Fidelis
I have the honor of being the grandson of a WW2 Marine on my dads side, and a Navy Veteran on my mom’s side and I can tell you that they were both great men who fought those battles over and over again in their minds for the rest of their lives. I remember when I was 5, my moms dad, who’s ship was hit by a kamikaze, was napping on the couch in the living room with the tv on. A TV show about the Navy was on, and they were showing footage of the war. At one point, they played the sound of a klaxon horn, which is what they sounded when under attack to send the sailors to battle stations. My grandfather, who I had only ever known as a loving, sweet, and gentle man, came off the couch in a fit of rage and panic and kicked the TV over to stop the sound. He seemed like a demon, screaming and yelling for someone named David. It was a very scary moment for me and at the time I didn’t understand what was going on. Later in life, after his death, I asked my grandmother about the incident from when I was 5. She told me that when the Kamikaze hit his ship, he was on the way to his battle station with 2 of his best buddies (one being a friend named David) and that he had stopped at the base of the ladder to strap on his helmet while they continued on. His friends were only a few feet in front of him on the ladder and were both blown up in the explosion, covering him in what was left of them. He never got over it, and struggled with nightmares and ptsd for the rest of his life. She said that the man she married died in that moment, and a totally different man returned from the war. The things that the men in the Pacific theater endured were far more brutal and horrifying than the men who fought in Europe, because they faced an enemy who truly believed that dying for their emperor was an honor, and they had no fear of dying.
I go back in forth on whether I view the Pacific or Band of Brothers since the stories are so different; BoB tells a story of how hardship can form strong bonds of brotherhood but the Pacific is more about how hardship can absolutely destroy you. It’s a much darker series but at times that makes me appreciate it more
In terms of the episode watched, there’s two things that I wanted to bring up. The 1st being that the episode doesn’t quite do justice on how long of a time period Guadalcanal was, the Marines were on that island for 6 months having to endure absolute hell and the fear that you might wake up one night with a bayonet in you. The second is the Marines had to endure all that with outdated equipment, the army was given the new semi-automatic M1 Garand but the Marines were still using bolt-action rifles like what was used in WW1, they were fighting in such close quarters with pretty slow rate of fire weapons
I do really hope you finish the series, as hard as it is, it will give a tremendous appreciation for what was sacrificed for your and the world’s freedoms. Something sorely lacking in my generation
Both my grandfathers fought in the Pacific. One participated in multiple battles around Guadalcanal on a destroyer.
Love all of the collabs. Funny as Arianna is talking about needing a drink, I simultaneously did the same exact thing. Crazy to think I'm only watching the shortened yt version and you guys are doing a full episode 😂😂😂
You girls have given the best reaction I have ever seen so far for this series. You two understand the sacrifices made(physically and mentally) by these men... Your empathy is on a level I have never seen by any other reactors for The Pacific... can't wait for the next upload
8:11 The phrase "the whole nine yards" is said to have originated from the fact that machine gun belts were nine yards long, so when one is reloading, the enemy is given nine yards to continue advancing.
It's the HISTORY of it that attracted me. Yeah, it's hard. Very hard. Buck up. The next episode is a sort of palate cleanser. A love story.
There's a great film called The Thin Red Line about Guadacanal. Definitely worth watching for the acting and cinematography.
I served 6 years in the Marine Corps. This is my favorite series because I share the brotherhood with these Marines. World War II was our greatest generation. These devil dogs are our heroes. Ever Marine that’s ever watched this series feels an indescribable bond and connection with each other due to the brotherhood we all share. It’s important to watch this and B.o.B so we never forget the sacrifices these men went through for every one of us
This is my favorite episode. The heroism displayed can't be measured.
Chesty Puller and John Basilone were two of the most famous Marines that ever lived. I believe this is a lot of people’s favorite episode because you can get a small sense of what they went through at Guadalcanal and how John earned his Medal of Honor.
My dad was there, he was 19. He's now 98.
You live in the US. There is probably a military cemetery close to you. After you watch this you won’t be able to just drive by like you don’t care.
Dr Sledge’s words about having their souls torn away serves as the theme for this entire series.
And hey. This is my favorite of the two. I’m very desensitized, form many things. Including twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan, before and during the surge. As a Marine, joined the day I turned 17 in 04. These are legends that put us into history forever, who we strive to live up to. And where the squid said they were heroes. Marines wake up and put on their super hero uniform every day. Did you know a Marine and Superman fought one time…the loser had to wear his underwear outside his pants.
There are some lighter portions of episodes, but it will get extremely dark as the series goes on. The Pacific campaign was brutal. People think of what the Nazis did and to a lesser extent what the Eastern Front between the Nazis and Russians was like, but many forget just how horrible it was in the Pacific. The Japanese were no better than the Nazis. Experimentation on prisoners, mass executions of POWs...and that doesn't touch what they did to the Chinese people. I have no doubt you'll finish the series, because it is very good...but it will take a toll for sure.
I'm a US Marine that was in 99-03. Much of this fucks me up. I'm all alone in this world, and this movie hits home and connects so much.
Basilone was a force of nature on that island. He wielded that old machine gun like a surgeon with a scalpel. All of that he did with severe burns on his arms and hands.
This was just the land battle for Guadalcanal. The Air and especially the Naval battles were brutal as well. Growing up with all of the WWII vets, Also WWI vets. We're the things that drove me to do my part. To serve this Nation. Not to be some glory hunter. But something a Man and Citizer should do. To keep our Blessed Nation going for the future generations to come.
Semper Fi to all you Devil Dog's out there !.
This Series is a very very hard series to watch. The difference of this between Band of Brothers plays a very real light in how brutal the war in the pacific was compared to the war in Europe. They may have both been WWII but they were very different wars.
Another side thing to keep in mind is with that artillery shelling in the beginning of this epesiode. The brutal shelling you saw in BoB in Bastogne, the German shells were 105mm Howitzer shells. The shells they were getting hit with in this episode were Japanese navel shells that were 400mm shells. 33 lbs shell vs 3000 lbs shell. The shear power of navel shelling is unimaginable.
A little timeline check: Easy Company, Second Battalion, Five Hundred and Sixth Parachute Infantry Regiment, Hundred and First Airborne Division, might no longer have been running Currahee during the events of this episode, but they were still in training during the events of this episode. And re: the first episode, Easy Company only began training together a month before the landings on Guadalcanal.
19:30 Excellent point. No matter how worked up we can get about watching all the stuff that goes on in the series, it's got nothing on what the folks on the front lines actually experienced. Don't blame them for not wanting to talk about that.
I love this series, but not because someone hurt me.
I just want these true stories to be told. We should NEVER forget what happened. It should not be sugarcoated.
It is brutal to watch, yes. It is nothing compared to the reality of what these men experienced.
Thank you both for drlving into this. Don't become desensitized to it. Feel it all. The terror. The sorrow. The pain.
There is even more that they don't talk about because it is too horrendous. I'll comment on it when you reach those episodes.
The only other thing I will say is get more tissue!
"The waste" is a phrase Eugene uses in his book constantly, and this show really demonstrates what he means.
MORE MORE MORE IT GETS SO FREAKING GOOD! the second half has a total shift
These two are gonna love the Sydney Australia episode
This is giving you a better feel for the reality of war and the war in the Pacific theater of WWII, than most war movies. This isn't "sanitized" war. The war in Europe portrayed in Band of Brothers was bad, but not nearly the bloodbath that the Pacific war was. To me, knowing is better than not knowing and remaining ignorant. I would rather know the harsh truth, than see "that old lie...'dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.'"
I saw this when it came out when I was 10 before I saw band of brothers and I always loved it. I fell in love with the characters and my favorite story is John Basilone’s. What he did in this episode was the most amazing and heroic thing I had ever seen in a war movie or series and it really happened and these were all real people just like Easy Company in Band of Brothers
For some of us, this is our "favorite" because it's part of the history of our "tribe". That tribe being the USMC. It brings back the memories of when we were learning how to be Marines, and these stories were being taught to us. That savage pride that our tribe's forefathers did this! They were mighty!
And also the gut check that comes with it. Someday I may have to do this. Will I be mighty enough? For many of us, it led to some deep soul-searching.
It is said that Robert E. Lee uttered "It is good that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it" during a particularly hard point in a battle.
Whether or not he said it, or it was an invention of the British reporter accompanying R.E. Lee, it is nonetheless a hard truth.
I often thank God that my time of service fell between wars and I never had to answer The Question.
The dad's speech reminds me of the speech in Scent of a Woman: "I've been around, ya know? There was a time I could see. And I have seen. Boys like these, younger than these. Their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. But there is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit. There's no prostetic for that."
John Bassilone was almost 30, the old man of the unit. The commanding officer was" Chesty Puller ". The biggest bad ass Marine in history. They were so weak they had trouble climbing the nets.
I read "With the Old Breed" and "A Helmet for my Pillow" when I was in college, which is two of the books this series is based on. Between the Pacific and Band of Brothers yes I do prefer Pacific more because of those books and the marines who wrote those two books. Its not because I like the brutality of this series it is because it does show the brutality these men endured and what their country asked of them. I at least owe it to them to watch and remember what they went through. My grandfather was an Army Engineer in the Pacific Theater during the war. He never really talked about the war. I was told he had nightmares about what happened. That many of his buddies were killed by Japanese Snipers and the terror of what happened during the nights when they were building the airfields. He was also part of the Okinawa campaign. While I like Band of Brothers and 101st and also respect everything they went through. The Pacific was just different than any type of war one could imagine. Its also the part of WWII that many up till recently did not know much about. It reminds you of the dangers of over glorifying war. Its just brutal.
The only thing worse would be that their stories we to be forgotten. Thanks for paying tribute to this generation by seeing what they did for us.
This was my first episode of the series...what a start
Movies like this help you understand what the guys who volunteered to defend your freedom and watched friends die, then and now.....The Marines are usually depicted as grunts and just killers. This is meant to humanize Marines, and soldiers in BoB.
I served 5 years in the US Army did deployment to Afghanistan. John Basilone is such a badass the US Army talks about him in regards to going above the call of duty. So much respect for the ww2 vets.
War is hell, this show tells you how true that is.
This does show the hell of The Pacific War
This is my favorite of the 2 Hanks/Spielberg Mini Series for that reason.
It's not even the blood and gore that makes this series so brutal. The hardest moments are calm and quiet, and just crushingly bleak...
Every battle on every island in the Pacific war was all about establishing airfields because of the great vastness of the Pacific Ocean, so they can protect every offensive moving the allies closer towards Japan within bombing range
This is my favorite between the two because it’s an incredible portrayal of what the war in the pacific was really like. I’d never say someone had it easy in war...but compared to the pacific, those guys in Europe definitely had it better. Keep watching...their story is worth hearing