Posted on 05/17/2010 9:47:12 AM PDT by re_tail20
I've been watching "The Pacific" series, which follows the storied 1st Marine Division from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, with special focus on the career of Medal of Honor winner Sgt. John Basilone.
I didn't know Manila John, even though he was a fellow member of the 5th Marine Division. But like all Marines of that era, I all but worshipped this gutsy hero who refused to use his award of the nation's highest military honor to carve out a soft spot stateside in his beloved corps.
Instead, weary of the demands his celebrity imposed on him, he chose to return to the Pacific theater of war and died doing what he did best: being a Marine warrior facing the enemy on Iwo Jima's blood-soaked beach.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
We traveled all over North Jersey and when we reached Manville NJ we headed to the City hall where we were to "take a 270 around Manila John." We found a statue which was titled Manila John and went on.
We reached the pancake roadhouse and came in second. I worked in the library and was a history major. I looked up Manila John and would give a speech about this Jersey Hero for ROTC class!
I'm addicted to War Stories. When I entered the Air Force on Graduation I was assigned to Perrin Field in Texas. My boss, the Base Commander was a WW2 P-51 pilot and spent 15 months as a Japanese POW. My next door neighbor was a Flying Tiger! I ran over General Putnam who was the last fighter pilot in Jthe Phillipines. When Mac Arthur withdrew in early 42 he took Capt Putman on that PT Boat ride! One of my History Profs said that much of history is a retell of war stories, like the Illiad and Odessey!
the end of this show, part 10, was heartbreaking.. God, what these poor boys had to go through.. just horrible. God bless them.
Can I put in a nice word for the Soldiers who fought alongside the Marines in the Pacific?
My dad was UDT in the Pacific.
The only episode I have seen (and only part of it) showed Marines on a beach firing upon a weaponless Japanese soldier for sport. Not what I would call “The Pacific” doing Marine’s “proud”.
You really need to watch more of it to make a good judgment. It’s actually very good.
Cindie
Can I put in a nice word for the Soldiers who fought alongside the Marines in the Pacific?
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Of course,, and the Navy too.
Somebody had to haul the beer&ammo and lug the ice coolers&cannons in the heat.
Most of our area men of age at that time went to the European theater, not the Pacific, altho my PHyEd was a Carlson Raider, barrel chested, mean as in get the job done now or I’ll kick yur .. and yet a real nice guy , like a DI or two I bumped into along the way.
Watched a good chunk of The Pacific .. decent acting , as happy an ending as could be hoped for but still sad.
I agree.
We watched it in its entirety: fastest 10 weeks I can remember!
And the end just brought tears.
How cool was it that the stars of the series were based on real Marines! I didn’t realize that these were not just characters, some sort of leatherneck everymen but real guys. And the casting was great in making sure they resembled their 1940’s pics.
I watched that last 10 minutes in awe.
One of my uncles piloted a landing craft in the Pacific, another piloted the same craft on D day. Another cousin was in Rommel’s Africa Corps, but that’s another story.
IMO, they tried to use the “Band of Brothers” template, but without the depth and originality of BOB.
Overall, it was way too much of a navel-gazing and depressing look at a very small slice of American military history.
The character development was thin, and most of the story lines were weak. I found myself uninterested in most of the characters. I knew the story of Basilone, so that was no surprise.
After watching that scene, and listening to the characterization of the program by a colleague, I decided I could not watch The Pacific.
Oh, and also, after listening to Tom Hanks own words regarding his view of WWII and how it relates to today’s wars, I can no longer support any project that man is involved with.
Most people don't know, but the U.S. Army captured more islands in the Pacific than the Marines did. The Marines obviously fought the larger battles though, but this series should have been called Marines in the Pacific.
It was a good series. But IMHO “Band of Brothers” was better.
This was like the same 50/50 split account from Freepers who watched the Hurt Locker..
Some said it’s an anti-war movie, some said it’s pro-American o I had to watch it myself. Same with the Pacific, it’s right in the middle. Sure I couldn;t stand Tom Hanks idiotic remarks but..
my brother is married to a Filipina. Her grandfather fought the Japanese in Luzon and the stories that he told her growing up about the Japanese soldiers as savages..rapists were something else.
Did you finish the Pacific?
A fellow gyrene told me that Hanks ruined the story by adding alot of whining and recontructing historical point of views.
Any thoughts?
S/F
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