Moral equivalence was not something I peceived in the book. The primary thing I got from the book was a greater awareness of the utter savagery exhibited by the Japanese. Another book that established that point for me was "The Rape of Nanking" (I have forgotten that author's name. A woman who subsequently committed suicide). Both books made me ponder why the Japanese forces were so utterly barbaric, even compared to German forces. The only conclusion I could come to was that German culture, even in the throughs of Naziism had a vestige of Christianity, whereas Japanese culture did not.
On Band of Brothers, they interviewed one of the real-life members of Easy Company, who pointed out that several men from his hometown actually committed suicide because they were not allowed to serve in the military.
It was a different time.
Good. Let me also suggest a book called "The Knights of Bushido," which deals extensively with the horror-torture of POWs in China.