The Pacific Episode 10 full-watch-a-long REACTION: bit.ly/3JHDxFj We are up to season 5, episode 8 of The Last Kingdom on Patreon... watch the full watch-a-long REACTIONS here: bit.ly/3TE2bJ8 We have started Sons of Anarchy: watch the full watch-a-long REACTIONS here: bit.ly/3ZervbO If you want to keep up with us, the community, the schedule and everything we have going on, join our discord. It's fun and free: discord.com/invite/stikkerfam We stream LIVE on RUclips, give it a sub: ruclips.net/user/nikkistevenlive
I think you two don't really get just how bad WW2 was all over the world. I think you two should watch and react to The Fallen of World War II. It's a very impactful video that is often reacted to. So far it has 11 million views.
Joseph Mazzello the actor who plays Eugene after the show ended was gifted the original pipe that real Eugene had during the war ... His surviving family was really touched how perfectly he portrayed him. And he still have it
The real Eugene wrote a book called "With the Old Breed" documenting his time in the Pacific. He wrote notes in his Bible and ended up writing a masterpiece. The producers used his book as source materiel, and if you read the book you know exactly which scenes they reference. Edit: Didn't realize this info was in the credits. But being from AL, Eugene is very, very memorable.
The hardest scene for me to watch in this entire series is Snafu not waking up Sledge. Saying goodbye to a brother is sometimes the hardest thing we can do… absolutely heartbreaking
I took it for two reasons: 1. Sledge was sound asleep, probably the first time in a long time with no nightmares. Snafu didn't want to wake him up because of this. 2. Snafu realized that part of his life was done, and the best way to deal with it (or so he thought at the time) was to walk away.
It was Eugene's dad who recommended that instead of shooting birds he instead take pictures of them. That advice proved well given as ornithology became a very, and I mean very, important part of Eugenes life. He would become and expert in the field and even lectured on it.
Eugene’s father was a field surgeon during WWI, so he knew very well at first hand what effect war had on people both physically and mentally. Eugene never recovered from his PTSD, but it was his father’s understanding and love that got him to keep moving forward in life. His father even pushed him to take up nature hobbies like bird-watching and hiking. This not only did wonders for him, but even served an inspiration for his career in life. Eugene held his father in such high regard, because his dad knew exactly what was happening to him and knew exactly what he needed to recover and live his life to the fullest after seeing so much.
Eugenes father stated prior to his departure for the pacific that some wounds were deeper that the physical. Some men had their souls torn out. A fathers fear that he would return with no spark left in his eye and he would have a tormented soul. He was right and as a dutiful father should he stood a post and watched over his son night after night as PTSD/ Battle Fatigue wracked his mind.
You got to love Sledge's dad, not only did he know what Eugene went through he also knew how his son had to deal with it & gave him the support he needed for his recovery. I like to think that Eugene taught biology to help others become doctors or scientists in medical research thereby saving (indirectly) more lives than he took, to justify those lives & to help overcome his survival guilt. The trauma these men had to endure is unimaginable as movies & shows like these can only really touch the surface of the reality. Thank you for your reaction as l am sure it will lead other to watch the entire show themselves. Love & respect for you parents contributions.
Burgie getting off the train, looking back at Sledge and Snafu, his parting words .... "you're good Marines". A compliment having far higher value than any Medal.
Sledge's book is considered one of the great combat memoirs ever written. There are many RUclips videos of these men and their families. These producers have completed their third series. Masters of The Air, which is based on the book of the same name. It is about the American bomber crews stationed in England. I have been to Saipan, Guam, and Tinian and seen all that has remained from the war. From caves to equipment, it is incredible to see. I appreciate your commentary because you are good people who have empathy for people in difficult times.
My dad volunteered for the Army Air Corps a year and a half before Pearl Harbor, served for two wars (WWII and Korea) as a senior navigational instructor. My uncle Tom, who I never knew, was a B24 pilot whose plane caught flack, and was burning up as he held the plane steady enough to allow 6 of his crew to parachute safely. No trace of Tom was ever discovered, and he was decorated posthumously. The USAAF had the highest percentage loss of all the services, and I'm looking forward to "Masters of The Air"
You know, I find the moment when Snafu walks away from Eugene on the train. Is the hardest moment of the episode for me, aside from the moment where Eugene breaks down while out on the hunt with his father. I think it's the fact, that after being through everything. After all they'd suffered through simply walking away, would be easier than struggling on how to say good bye. How do you thank someone for standing beside you in the fight, how do you say good-bye to someone with whom you shared a bond like no other. It always chokes me up.
A powerful scene for me because the action was so subtle but it was when Leckie and Vera are on a date. Leckie was always sharp with his wit and never at a lost for words. When Vera tells him you must’ve been through a lot, it’s a brief moment but Leckie looks away like he doesn’t want her to see him break. She changes the subject like she’s pulling him out of the darkness. It’s brief and fast but to me very powerful.
I'm retired Navy. The Marines had my back for 20 years, so I hold them in high regard. In Guadalcanal, although the Navy was portrayed as abamdoning the Marines, that is not true. In fact, 3 times as many sailors died as did Marines and Army in that campaign. But the marines suffered horribly from desease and terrible conditions. The Navy got the gravy, the Army got the beans, and the Marines got skinny. Thanks guys for honering all who served.
I'm about to cry all over again. The Pacific is incredible. I hope these shows help people understand what WW2 was like for those who served. Great series, great reactions.
After I saw this series, I went out and got Leckie's and Sledge's books about the campaign. It is a good read. Eugene breaking down with his father on the hunting trip was heart breaking.He was so lucky to have a father that understood the hell he went through.
Yeah especially because it was at a time when nobody knew anything about shell shock or really cared so it was good that his father knew exactly how to respond
The two women who talked about PTSD and the younger one saying her father would wake up screaming was Leckie's daughter. His wife was the older woman, Vera.
@@randomlyentertaining8287 But the series barely acknowledged this in Episode 10. In fact, many historical drama critics had ignored Leckie's post-war trauma as well.
@juanitajones6900 Well these are only 1hr episodes portraying multiple characters over several years of war so not everything is going to be in the show.
Band of Brothers and The Pacific should be required viewing for all high school students. There are kids nowadays who don't even know who we fought in this war. We must never forget the sacrifice of these men.
It’s not in this video, but one scene I really like from this episode is when Leckie is having dinner with Vera’s family and they’re talking politics and “this isn’t why we fought” type stuff. And Leckie said he fought for television sets. During war you’re not thinking about politics, you’re just thinking about surviving and the person next to you.
The Pacific Theater was a war to the knife. I watched this and was shocked by the horrific conditions these Marines faced and overcame. The lack of support was also shocking. This solidified that these men were the Greatest Generation. Period
Watching *Snafu* walk away from *Sledge* as he slept on the train was heartbreaking. Learning about how he was out of contact for 35 years until *Sledge's* book saddens me. It makes me wonder if he felt that nobody wanted to talk to him. And then upon reading *Sledge's* book he saw what he truly meant to *Sledge.* 32:41 *Steve:* _"The Marines are always going to have a special place in my heart because of my daddy."_ I hear you. My father was in the Navy, but I was in the Marine JROTC and was looking forward to joining the Marines. Sadly, a kidney condition kept me out. But I still have such a fondness for the Corps.
Now that you have finished, y'all should watch the mini documentary "He Has Seen War", interviews with men of this series, BoB, their families, and what life was like for them returning home.
You could also think about it like this, Sledge knew eugene didn't really get much sleep throughput the war dealing with the nightmares and the just chaoticness of war and when he saw him sleeping peacefully he decided to just let him sleep
While the main two sources for the show were the books Sledge and Leckie wrote, a third source most don't acknowledge was the book that Sledge's friend Sid Phillips wrote, called You'll Be Sor-ree!, about his time at Guadalcanal. Thanks for watching this series, it's a tough watch but it's absolutely something everybody should sit through.
Fantastic reaction to the whole show, guys. My grandfather served in WW2, I’m an ARMY vet myself (Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraq, 04’). As an Orthopedic Surgeon I’ve had the unique honor of treating several WW2 vets. Trust me, I go out of my way to go above and beyond for each of them. They’re national treasures, nothing less.
This series has always felt closer to me because how it shows the effects of war on the mental health of the soldiers. My grandpa suffered from PTSD the rest of his life after WWII of what he experienced during the war fighting the Soviets. He had nightmares every night reliving the battles. My mom's dad was lucky he had buddies he could talk with so he could overcome his PTSD, but my dad's father did really have anyone to talk with so that's one of the reasons he suffered rest of his life.
Now that you have seen both mini-series, you will really enjoy seeing HBO's "He Has Seen War - A "Band of Brothers" & "The Pacific" Documentary." It features the surviving veterans in the intros to the episodes of both series, plus members of their families, including Vera Leckie and Sledge's wife and son. Focus is on how the military vets dealt with returning to post-war America. Really outstanding!
I remember when I got back from Afghanistan, i asked my wife out. I was nervous at first, but then I realized "i just been through war, what worse could rejection be?" She said yes and to this day loves I asked
My grandpa was a quiet man. He was in the Marines during World War II in the Pacific and never said a word about any of it. He was no longer with us by the time this series came out, but it changed the way I thought about him once I saw it.
Another thing to think about the parents and showing affection. I don't know how old they are, but they have to be 60+ right, maybe as old as 75. 60 would mean they were born in 1885, 75 in 1870. That means they likely had parents that were most likely old enough to have served in the Civil War, and may have. It was just a different mentality back then. I am 32, and my dad said my grandpa never said he loved him growing up. My dad said he loved me a few times, and said he was proud of me a few times, but affection was very rare, even for me.
My dad was in the marines in the Pacific during WWll. He died at 90 yrs old in 2015. Raised six kids and took in 38 foster babies while raising us. Too many gr grandchildren for me to remember and gr gr grandchildre. He was a very quiet gentle man but very strong. He never raised his voice but used a belt instead. Unless you said something disrespectful. Then he made your lip bleed. He walked softly and carried a big stick so to speak. Greatest sense of humor of anyone i ever knew.
You've scored a new fan here. Thanks for such moving reactions. There were things changed for the series, and one thing it doesn't show is that Sledgehammer (I'm sure Sledge would have loved this series) went hunting two times before his breakdown. He took his bag limit of doves on the first outing but picked one up when it was still alive. To kill it, one would smash it against the butt of the shotgun. He did this, but he felt really bad. The second hunt was for deer. He had a buck in his sight, but he let it go. On the second dove hunt, he could not face killing any more beautiful creatures, and during his breakdown, his father held him, and just as it's shown, he said "You don't have to apologize to me, Eugene." But being so understanding, he added, "Maybe instead of bird hunting, you can go bird watching, " and that was why Sledgehammer eventually went on to earn a PhD. in biology. He had a love for all life. In the end, we see Sledge in a meadow, holding a daisy up to the sun. As he slowly turns it, for a moment, it resembles the Rising Sun emblem of the Japanese Empire. There's hope for us all if men like him came so close to losing their humanity, then decide, "No. I'm not quitting. I have to get rid of my hatred." He had a tough go, but his wife and oldest boy urged him to write his two autobiographical books. I highly recommend both. Thanks for this. I'm grateful.
That scene with Snafu getting off the train always stuck with me. Back in the States they were from two different classes of people. And he knew that even after all they had been through together, that that was the end of their brotherhood. So he just let him sleep and walked off back into his world.
There's also probably he knew he'd done some stuff over an above wat soldiers are expected , like the gold teeth an being nasty to the new guys, people don't realise that snafu is probably the best friend u could have in the army but he'd prob had like 4 best friends who were killed so makes sense he would treat the new guys badly eh😔
@BipoIarbear Well, that's not true, you should know a soldier in the United States is someone who serves in the U.S. Army. There's titles in each branch. Airforce: Airmen, Navy:Sailor and, of course, the United States Marine Corp: Marine. A Marine isn't a soldier. The Marine corp is an amphibious branch that means they operate by land, water, and air. The army is only land and air. Two different branches. The Marine corp recruit training/ boot camp is the longest of any branch.
I almost asked Nikki for a tissue...instead I just wiped my eyes with my shirt. FYI, Two, of those who returned that you may or may not know were two famous celebrities and I gather they didn't care to mention it either. However, when pressed Lee Marvin will tell you the man he most admired and who he couldn't understand how he servived besides himself was his Captain who he said was the bravist Man he ever knew...was... Captain Kangaroo. Who "stood" in withering gun fire on the front in every engagement on Iwo Jima commanding his men's actions. Lee was one of them.
My parents met and married in the service. My mother was in the Women's Army Corps and my dad was in the Air Corps in the pacific. At the end of the war he was on Tinian Island where the Enola Gay took off (when Hiroshima was bombed). Neither of them ever, ever, talked about their service and one of my biggest regrets is not asking. I've got a lot of pictures, but no real stories or records of what my dad went through.
A large part of this was taken from Eugene's book, his book is held as one of the best books written about the front line combat troops experience, even vets of the European war have been quoted as saying thank you for tell our story. For whatever reason the war in Europe has this I don't know what to call it but it isn't presented as it was in this series. In the series you see Eugene writing in his bible and that was the foot notes for what became his book, he also wrote a follow up that was called China Marine, and it followed his redeployment to China after the war with Japan ended and how that time helped him return to some what of a normal life but he did as shown in the series suffer from the nightmares for years.
Liebgott was in San Francisco. Leckie lived in New Jersey. But yeah, I liked that scene where the paratrooper acknowledges what hell the Marines endured.
My dad was a marine also. 3rd Marine Division WW2 He passed away at 101 in 2021. I also met Eugene Sledge he taught biology at the University of Montevallo in Alabama. He was a quiet man but you could tell he carried the war around with him
We're very fortunate that Eugene was able to heal from his trauma and write the book that shared his experience with us. It's tragic there are those out there who can't recover and end up with broken lives.
I want you guys, especially Nikki, to know something. I’ve posted on your videos of The Pacific about getting to meet and talk to Sid Phillips’ sister Katharine. One of the questions I asked her was if Eugene ever found peace. Her answer: Yes, it took a long time, but he did find peace.
I was in the Marines for 26 years. Whenever the WWII, Korea or Vietnam vets would come and talk to us we just absolutely idolized them all and still do today particularly the WWII guys. Whenever we went into combat our platoon sgt would always remind us of who we are and who was watching us. We never ever wanted to disappoint those men. We loved them
So a funny story about Sidney Phillips. If you remember back in the Australia episode Sid had a girlfriend there. He was the one who signed a contract with the girl’s father stating what he was and wasn’t allowed to do with her. But as seen in this episode he married Mary Houston. Years after the war his Australian girlfriend made a surprise visit with her family to see Sid. Through this visit the girlfriend’s son would meet Sid’s daughter and the two would fall in love and eventually got married. So Sid’s Australian ex girlfriend’s son married his daughter and became his son in law
I think they did the scene where snafu leaves off the train without saying goodbye to sledge was perfect. And when I read that snafu was a pallbearer for sledge, I sob.
"How do you keep in contact?" It was a lot harder back then. Assuming who you were trying to call had a telephone (a big "if", especially in flyover/rural America), telephone service was expensive, and the sound quality wasn't good (copper wire and mechanical switches, no fiber optics or ICs) Your only other option was snail mail, or telegraph. For an excellent movie about the wars aftermath, see 1946's Acadamy Award winner "The Best Years of our Lives"
Now that you're done with this series, I highly recommend watching a documentary called "He Has Seen War". Edit: This is my first time seeing you guys have a cat, and a siamese at that. He's adorable!
I have watched Pacific so many times, have it on Bluray too. Watching your reaction at 17:58 for the first time it clicked that the soldier that comes in to meet the girl is Garrus from Mass Effect.
I love this episode, it’s two scenes for me. The 1st is Lena visiting her in laws, which must have been so hard cos she never got to chance to meet them, she’d have felt so scared that they wouldn’t like her and with John gone they would have thought she was coming home to ask for money or help. But she was a Marine and she didn’t need anything, even when John hadn’t signed the insurance papers she never ever thought to go down to his home to ask for help. She wanted to give the only piece of John she had left to his family, I cried like a baby. The 2nd is Eugene Sledge’s return, especially the part’s while he’s handling PTSD, the scenes of his night terrors and his father waiting at the door to make sure he’s ok were so real, the way his father understood what he was going through was a powerful message about how we should treat vets. And knowing that Eugene would eventually become a professor of life sciences and teach about life after all the death he saw, made the dove hunting scene even more beautiful, it meant that he never wanted to destroy anything ever again. Great reactions and discussions after Nikki and Steve. Love you both, it’s like watching these shows with old friends.
As many other's have said about the Pacific. While Band of Brother's is without a doubt a great show about Easy Company. I appreciate the Pacific just a bit more because of how much the show focuses on the individual/the solider and the horrors and reality of war. And many years later the miniseries Chernobyl will strike with the same lightning with a similar approach about the Chernobyl Disaster -- god I love some of these HBO miniseries they are just so good.
I like it because its not as common to show the Pacific campaign as the European. It was a brutal war beyond imagination, and this mini series does as a great job of demonstrating it. I love BOB as well equality well. They are just different.
I was deeply moved and loved Band of Brothers and I’ve watched it several times. Watching Pacific was moving and horrifying. It’s was so sickening and heartbreaking I haven’t been able to watch it again. Loved Leckie.
Mandatory reading, if you want to understand the Pacific war, is "Goodbye Darkness" by William Manchester. He said that every Marine in the Pacific knew of the "Goettge Patrol" and other examples of what happened to Marines cut off, or surrendered, poothe first opposed landing on Tarawa, and how they came to understand that there would be no quarter asked, or given, when in combat with the Japanese.
Might I suggest a movie about WWII for you, "Memphis Belle". It is about a B-17 crew. If your crew completed 25 missions- they got to go home. The Memphis Belle was the second to do it, the first being the B-17 "Hell's Angels" one week prior. The 8th Air Force in Europe lost more men than the entire US Marine Corps did in World War Two. Statiscally your chances were 1 in 10 to get shot down, so after 10 missions you were on borrowed time.
i’m not sure if you guys read these for suggestions, but i’ll echo the requests for Generation Kill, as it’s practically the third part to the HBO war series it’s a fantastic show, a lot of really strong moment as you slowly get past the absurdities (though you’d definitely need subs on for half the shit they say) it’s also got radio audio bits in the credits, which if i’m not wrong are actual radio conversations from the war
One of my favourite stories from the aftermath is that the girl Sidney lost his V card to in Australia and eventually visited him in America. His wife Mary wasn't happy as you can imagine 🤣🤣🤣
I was with 3/5 Kilo 1st platoon back in the mid 2000s. During Fallujah our call sign was Samurai then. However prior to our deployment to Sangin in 2010, we changed our call sign to Sledgehammer in honor of Eugene. To this day 3/5 is the most decorated battalion in the US Marine Corps. Glad to have played my small part in this legendary infantry battalion. Also miss Camp San Mateo 😂
i remember an interview with a ww2 veteran the reporter asked if they ever had nightmares the vet said absolutely then the reporter asked when was the last time you had a nightmare the vet replied last night
A lot of the scenes in this series come right out of Eugene's book With The Old Breed. It's a good book, I read it a few months ago, you should check it out.
As a Marine and 3x Afghanistan veteran (no longer active or in the reserves, but once a Marine always a Marine), this is my favorite series to watch reactions to. Thank you both for taking the time and the emotional onslaught that this series puts you through. It was meant to be true to the memoirs. It wasn't supposed to be easy to watch. It was meant to shed light on a side of WW2 that most people know little to nothing about. Not an easy lesson to learn about, but learning about it is imporant nonetheless
I think one of the main differences between the Pacific and the European campaign is just that there was no safe place to recover and relax! We all saw Captain Winters go to Paris on a 48 hour pass to unwind. With the exception of Australia in December 1942 the Marines were alone on a spit of land that may or may not have Japanese soldiers still hiding out and ready to take just one more Marine with them. What those men endured was unendurable but they fucking did it! They truly began the mystique of the Marine Corps being THE bad ass military force in the world! I am in awe of them and their devotion to each other, their country and the Corps! A very special breed of men.
My father was a Marine pilot in the Solomons, 1943-44. He always spoke of the war in terms of a job that had to be done. He punched in, took off and bombed the Japanese, came back and punched out. That was how he dealt with it.
The same crew, including Spielberg and Hanks, who did Band of Brothers and The Pacific, has a new show coming out this year on Apple TV. It is called Masters of the Air, also a 10 part mini-series, but about the air war over in Europe. Bombers, Fighters etc. No trailer has dropped yet, but some snippets have been shown on a 'Whats coming this year" trailer from Apple TV. Supposed to come out sometime late spring is the rumour. I hope you all consider reacting to that as well, to finish off the WW2 trilogy. Obviously we dont know how it will be in terms of brutality compared to this, or BoB, no doubt there will be some insane action, and fearful moments as those men go through what they did, but it will be such a different vibe I think. I used the term trilogy, but each is also so stand alone brilliant. Again, hope you consider reacting to it when it comes out. A new experience for all of us.
Emotional goodbye? I dont think big emotional scenes were something SNAFU was comfortable with. There have been suggestions that he was mixed race passing as white so he could be allowed to enlist, it would add another level to his refusing to allow people too close, he was also apparently living on his own from a young age, through the depression, really not a situation that raises peole who show their vulnerable side.
I can't imagine fighting in that war. I'm sure it was pure nightmare for those men. My grandpa was in the war between 1942-1945 he was in the Navy an a UDT(underwater demolition team) he never really talked much about the war but when he did gets agitated and sweat.
The waking up and screaming.... I had family members that have gone to war and I remember my uncle after a heavy night of drinking and partying at a family reunion passed out then about an hour later he vanished from where we last saw him. When we did find him he was covered in sweat and he was tucked down near the front of the car outside. We kinda just said "hey. What's going on man?" And he was mumbling at first and said he saw someone in the bushes. After a few minutes we kinda coaxed him back inside and he calmed down.
Something to do on your own is listen to a speech by Eugene sledge called “with the old breed and the cost of war” it’s a still picture but the speech is incredible.
Army has changed their dress uniforms some much I am not sure what they are anymore. As a kid my dad had fatigues, kakis, class b dress, class a dress and blues, but it changed over the years but I will say the Marine dress blues are very sharp and always has been.
you two should def youtube interviews with the real Eugene Sledge. Its hauntingly informative. You can see it in the mans eyes that part of him never came back from the Pacific
GREAT VIDEO. I'm not sure if noticed my post to the prior video reaction to THE PACIFIC. I mentioned the fact that Eugene Sledge became a professor and taught at a small college south of Bham, Alabama...less than 10 miles from where I was raised (7th-12th grade)...The college's name is THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO. However, the college Eugene applied to initially after returning from the War was AUBURN UNIVERSITY (I'm an AU alumnus...numerous other high-profile people graduated &/or lived in Auburn who had/have high profile Military accolades...such as Hal Moore who immortalized in the movie, WE WERE SOLDIERS with Mel Gibson depicting the BATTLE OF THE IA DRANG VALLEY ...the US 1st major offensive in Vietnam in Nov 1966 (month and year I was born)...he lived in AU for ~30yrs until his death; The current Secretary of Defense for the US is an AU grad; The 1st American killed in Afghanistan after 9/11, Johnny Michael Spann (CIA)... during the uprising at the 19th-century fortress in Nahr-eShahi better known as The Battle of the Qala-iJangi...a Taliban uprising where he was one of only 2 CIA guys who were attacked by hundreds of Taliban prisoners...he was only 32yrs old...graduated a year before I did; & the list goes on and on with numerous Military Pilots, astronauts, actors, entertainers, business leaders such as Tim Cook of Apple & of course all of the athletes like Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley in sports)...Tuskegee is only about 20 minutes from AU and Fort Benning where the US Army Airborne, Rangers train (Band of Brothers) is close by as well. I mention all of this because I regret when I was younger not reaching out to all of the people who had an impact on our country specifically the military. As the years pass by I realize the opportunity I missed to learn and be so close to these great heroes. Eugene was accepted into Auburn and graduated. Later he attended other Universities to earn his Ph.D. I guess the moral of my post is we rarely realize who is so close by...the life lessons and realization of the ultimate price that these generations paid so we could ensure freedom for our kids. Sadly, the erosion of what America used to be has reached a critical point unless the country as a whole pivot...all of their sacrifices will be in vain... ps. Anyone who doesn't believe or think the US was not a target then and now should begin learning their history NOW! We are on the threshold and our young people are being indoctrinated with BS similar to how the Japanese, Soviets, and Germans indoctrinated their young people & society. I'm thankful every day for these men & all who sacrificed at home and on the front lines. God Bless them all. RIP & thank you. (apologies for the rant)...
I interviewed a WWII Army veteran a few years ago. He told me about serving as a rifleman in France and Germany in 1944-45, which ended with him being seriously wounded. His daughter said afterward that he had never told her any of it. In the course of his story, which included HORRIBLE experiences, he said more than once how glad he was that they'd sent him to Europe instead of the Pacific. Even then, he knew how much worse things were there.
World War II was my stepdad's war. He served in the Navy in the Atlantic, and then in the Pacific in the Far East. When I told my parents I wanted their consent to enlist in the Marine Corps (I was seventeen and couldn't enlist without their signing for me), he told me that going into the service was one thing, but joining the Marine Corps was different. I asked why, and he said every Marine he'd ever known was crazy. I argued with my folks about enlisting for three days before they would sign the papers. Finally my stepdad told me that they would let me enlist, but only on the condition that I wrote them a letter explaining why I wanted to give up a college scholarship (I knew I was nowhere near ready for college) and join the Marine Corps. I said, "Why do you want me to write a letter? It won't have anything in it you haven't heard twenty times in the last three days." He replied, "I'll tell you why. I am going to put that letter in a folder with your name on it in our filing cabinet. And if you EVER call us up with tears as big as horse turds rolling down your cheeks and ask how we could let you make this terrible mistake . . . I'll mail you a copy." I ended up serving for twenty years ('76 to '96), went to OCS at about the nine year mark and became an officer, and retired as a captain. At my retirement ceremony, after all the pomp and circumstance were over, he walked over to me, shook my hand, and said, "Well, maybe this Marine Corps thing worked out okay after all." I came back to my home town of Albuquerque to spend time with my folks while they were still around - I always counted my mom and stepdad as two of my best friends, and my stepdad was and still is my hero and my role model. He's gone now, but I still have all the life lessons he helped me learn. He was a good, smart, kind, funny man. As for Mom - I had two younger brothers, and they both followed me into the Corps, each of them also when he was seventeen. Once she had gotten a new car, and she walked into a Marine Corps recruiting office, walked up to the young sergeant on duty, stuck out her hand, and said, "Gimme some stickers." He was startled and said, "Excuse me?" She said, "I signed for three sons to enlist in the Marine Corps when they were seventeen. I'm a wholesaler. I gave them to you in good shape, and you gave all three back broken. I always put Marine Corps stickers on my car, and I just got a new car. I want some stickers. Gimme some stickers!" The recruiter thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you have any more sons?" True story. Semper Fi! Jim Finley, Captain, USMC, retired Albuquerque, New Mexico
Yea, this is a tough series to watch, and the horrors they went through. My grandfather served in the Pacific during WWII, and he never talked about it. I can only imagine what he went through.
One thing a lot of people forget, when they watch the scene of Leckie and his parents in his room, when he first comes home, is the earlier scene in Australia when Leckie explains how his family is emotionally stunted from his older brothers' deaths when he was a boy. His parents, especially his father, never showed emotion. Some motherly love does come out, though, when she tells Leckie he should put on his dress blues and go see Vera.
I've been fascinated by the Second World War since the age of 7 after watching Band of Brothers when it first came out. As a Brit with 2 Grandfathers that fought in the conflict in North Africa, Italy and Western Europe, our struggle has always resonated with me more, however I have to say that both "Helmet for my Pillow" and "With the old Breed" are two of the best first hand account memoirs I have ever read on the U.S perspective.
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Tom hanks has a new series coming out this year. About a African American pilot group. I forget what its called but I can't wait to see that one.
Over There, (2005)
I think you two don't really get just how bad WW2 was all over the world.
I think you two should watch and react to The Fallen of World War II.
It's a very impactful video that is often reacted to. So far it has 11 million views.
by by
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Joseph Mazzello the actor who plays Eugene after the show ended was gifted the original pipe that real Eugene had during the war ... His surviving family was really touched how perfectly he portrayed him. And he still have it
Yeah i think you can see him holding it in one of his instagram posts.
The real Eugene wrote a book called "With the Old Breed" documenting his time in the Pacific. He wrote notes in his Bible and ended up writing a masterpiece. The producers used his book as source materiel, and if you read the book you know exactly which scenes they reference.
Edit: Didn't realize this info was in the credits. But being from AL, Eugene is very, very memorable.
@Asticek the actor also played Tim in Jurassic Park
The hardest scene for me to watch in this entire series is Snafu not waking up Sledge. Saying goodbye to a brother is sometimes the hardest thing we can do… absolutely heartbreaking
I took it for two reasons:
1. Sledge was sound asleep, probably the first time in a long time with no nightmares. Snafu didn't want to wake him up because of this.
2. Snafu realized that part of his life was done, and the best way to deal with it (or so he thought at the time) was to walk away.
@@jsbcody that’s a good way to look at it
If you remember earlier Leckie remarked that the Japanese had murdered sleep. Sleep was a precious gift.
@jsbcody definitely
And snafu obviously wasn't good at the emotion parts really
@@michaelstach5744 Exactly! Sleep is weapon that has been used during every siege in history.
It was Eugene's dad who recommended that instead of shooting birds he instead take pictures of them. That advice proved well given as ornithology became a very, and I mean very, important part of Eugenes life. He would become and expert in the field and even lectured on it.
His dad was a great and thoughtful man.
that's heartwarming. they were good men.
You could say he still shot them, only with a camera instead of a gun lol
Eugene’s father was a field surgeon during WWI, so he knew very well at first hand what effect war had on people both physically and mentally. Eugene never recovered from his PTSD, but it was his father’s understanding and love that got him to keep moving forward in life. His father even pushed him to take up nature hobbies like bird-watching and hiking. This not only did wonders for him, but even served an inspiration for his career in life. Eugene held his father in such high regard, because his dad knew exactly what was happening to him and knew exactly what he needed to recover and live his life to the fullest after seeing so much.
Eugenes father stated prior to his departure for the pacific that some wounds were deeper that the physical. Some men had their souls torn out. A fathers fear that he would return with no spark left in his eye and he would have a tormented soul. He was right and as a dutiful father should he stood a post and watched over his son night after night as PTSD/ Battle Fatigue wracked his mind.
You got to love Sledge's dad, not only did he know what Eugene went through he also knew how his son had to deal with it & gave him the support he needed for his recovery. I like to think that Eugene taught biology to help others become doctors or scientists in medical research thereby saving (indirectly) more lives than he took, to justify those lives & to help overcome his survival guilt. The trauma these men had to endure is unimaginable as movies & shows like these can only really touch the surface of the reality. Thank you for your reaction as l am sure it will lead other to watch the entire show themselves. Love & respect for you parents contributions.
Sledge dad fought in the WW1
@@rojayreid908 l though it said he was a doctor in WW1, but yes he served so had seen it first hand.
@@TheFalconerNZ you are correct.
Burgie getting off the train, looking back at Sledge and Snafu, his parting words .... "you're good Marines". A compliment having far higher value than any Medal.
Sledge's book is considered one of the great combat memoirs ever written. There are many RUclips videos of these men and their families. These producers have completed their third series. Masters of The Air, which is based on the book of the same name. It is about the American bomber crews stationed in England. I have been to Saipan, Guam, and Tinian and seen all that has remained from the war. From caves to equipment, it is incredible to see. I appreciate your commentary because you are good people who have empathy for people in difficult times.
Joseph Mazzello reads the current Audible version of Sledge's book
@@Sixgun damn I was gonna say exactly that you were faster than me
My dad volunteered for the Army Air Corps a year and a half before Pearl Harbor, served for two wars (WWII and Korea) as a senior navigational instructor. My uncle Tom, who I never knew, was a B24 pilot whose plane caught flack, and was burning up as he held the plane steady enough to allow 6 of his crew to parachute safely. No trace of Tom was ever discovered, and he was decorated posthumously. The USAAF had the highest percentage loss of all the services, and I'm looking forward to "Masters of The Air"
You know, I find the moment when Snafu walks away from Eugene on the train. Is the hardest moment of the episode for me, aside from the moment where Eugene breaks down while out on the hunt with his father. I think it's the fact, that after being through everything. After all they'd suffered through simply walking away, would be easier than struggling on how to say good bye. How do you thank someone for standing beside you in the fight, how do you say good-bye to someone with whom you shared a bond like no other. It always chokes me up.
Dude, I got choked up reading this comment. 💔😭😭 I don't even begin to know.
A powerful scene for me because the action was so subtle but it was when Leckie and Vera are on a date. Leckie was always sharp with his wit and never at a lost for words. When Vera tells him you must’ve been through a lot, it’s a brief moment but Leckie looks away like he doesn’t want her to see him break. She changes the subject like she’s pulling him out of the darkness. It’s brief and fast but to me very powerful.
I'm retired Navy. The Marines had my back for 20 years, so I hold them in high regard. In Guadalcanal, although the Navy was portrayed as abamdoning the Marines, that is not true. In fact, 3 times as many sailors died as did Marines and Army in that campaign. But the marines suffered horribly from desease and terrible conditions. The Navy got the gravy, the Army got the beans, and the Marines got skinny. Thanks guys for honering all who served.
I'm about to cry all over again. The Pacific is incredible. I hope these shows help people understand what WW2 was like for those who served. Great series, great reactions.
After I saw this series, I went out and got Leckie's and Sledge's books about the campaign. It is a good read.
Eugene breaking down with his father on the hunting trip was heart breaking.He was so lucky to have a father that understood the hell he went through.
Same.
I read Eugen's book a few months ago, I haven't read Bob's, I need to pick that up.
I did the exact same thing!
Yeah especially because it was at a time when nobody knew anything about shell shock or really cared so it was good that his father knew exactly how to respond
@@BobPantsSpongeSquare97 How is it that they didn’t understand PTS
According to Leckie's memoirs, he had also suffered from PTSD after the war.
The two women who talked about PTSD and the younger one saying her father would wake up screaming was Leckie's daughter. His wife was the older woman, Vera.
Who wouldn't?
@@randomlyentertaining8287 But the series barely acknowledged this in Episode 10. In fact, many historical drama critics had ignored Leckie's post-war trauma as well.
@juanitajones6900 Well these are only 1hr episodes portraying multiple characters over several years of war so not everything is going to be in the show.
@@ChadSimpson-ft7yz Really? I can think of two episodes that featured Sledge, even when his presence was not necessary.
Band of Brothers and The Pacific should be required viewing for all high school students. There are kids nowadays who don't even know who we fought in this war. We must never forget the sacrifice of these men.
So, you believe that showing high school students fictionalized movies will help them learn what?
@iammanofnature235 Some things might not be 100% accurate, but it's ridiculous to say The Pacific is fictionalized.
Joseph Mazzello is such a talent. Ever since he was a tiny kid. He should be getting all the big roles
It’s not in this video, but one scene I really like from this episode is when Leckie is having dinner with Vera’s family and they’re talking politics and “this isn’t why we fought” type stuff. And Leckie said he fought for television sets. During war you’re not thinking about politics, you’re just thinking about surviving and the person next to you.
That was his family.
@@HeadR47 It was a mix
The Pacific Theater was a war to the knife. I watched this and was shocked by the horrific conditions these Marines faced and overcame. The lack of support was also shocking. This solidified that these men were the Greatest Generation. Period
Watching *Snafu* walk away from *Sledge* as he slept on the train was heartbreaking. Learning about how he was out of contact for 35 years until *Sledge's* book saddens me. It makes me wonder if he felt that nobody wanted to talk to him. And then upon reading *Sledge's* book he saw what he truly meant to *Sledge.*
32:41 *Steve:* _"The Marines are always going to have a special place in my heart because of my daddy."_
I hear you. My father was in the Navy, but I was in the Marine JROTC and was looking forward to joining the Marines. Sadly, a kidney condition kept me out. But I still have such a fondness for the Corps.
Now that you have finished, y'all should watch the mini documentary "He Has Seen War", interviews with men of this series, BoB, their families, and what life was like for them returning home.
You could also think about it like this, Sledge knew eugene didn't really get much sleep throughput the war dealing with the nightmares and the just chaoticness of war and when he saw him sleeping peacefully he decided to just let him sleep
Did you mean Snafu and not Sledge?
@@ranger-1214 yes sorry
While the main two sources for the show were the books Sledge and Leckie wrote, a third source most don't acknowledge was the book that Sledge's friend Sid Phillips wrote, called You'll Be Sor-ree!, about his time at Guadalcanal.
Thanks for watching this series, it's a tough watch but it's absolutely something everybody should sit through.
Fantastic reaction to the whole show, guys. My grandfather served in WW2, I’m an ARMY vet myself (Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraq, 04’). As an Orthopedic Surgeon I’ve had the unique honor of treating several WW2 vets. Trust me, I go out of my way to go above and beyond for each of them. They’re national treasures, nothing less.
This series has always felt closer to me because how it shows the effects of war on the mental health of the soldiers. My grandpa suffered from PTSD the rest of his life after WWII of what he experienced during the war fighting the Soviets. He had nightmares every night reliving the battles. My mom's dad was lucky he had buddies he could talk with so he could overcome his PTSD, but my dad's father did really have anyone to talk with so that's one of the reasons he suffered rest of his life.
Fighting the Soviets? Was he a German?
@@aliyadavid2072 No Finnish. Finland fought Soviet twice during WWII 1939-40 and 1941-44 and Finland fought Nazi-Germany from 1944-45.
This is actually my favorite episode of this series. I love the beautiful moments between Sledge and his father.
Now that you have seen both mini-series, you will really enjoy seeing HBO's "He Has Seen War - A "Band of Brothers" & "The Pacific" Documentary." It features the surviving veterans in the intros to the episodes of both series, plus members of their families, including Vera Leckie and Sledge's wife and son. Focus is on how the military vets dealt with returning to post-war America. Really outstanding!
I remember when I got back from Afghanistan, i asked my wife out. I was nervous at first, but then I realized "i just been through war, what worse could rejection be?" She said yes and to this day loves I asked
My grandpa was a quiet man. He was in the Marines during World War II in the Pacific and never said a word about any of it. He was no longer with us by the time this series came out, but it changed the way I thought about him once I saw it.
Another thing to think about the parents and showing affection. I don't know how old they are, but they have to be 60+ right, maybe as old as 75. 60 would mean they were born in 1885, 75 in 1870. That means they likely had parents that were most likely old enough to have served in the Civil War, and may have. It was just a different mentality back then. I am 32, and my dad said my grandpa never said he loved him growing up. My dad said he loved me a few times, and said he was proud of me a few times, but affection was very rare, even for me.
My dad was in the marines in the Pacific during WWll. He died at 90 yrs old in 2015. Raised six kids and took in 38 foster babies while raising us. Too many gr grandchildren for me to remember and gr gr grandchildre. He was a very quiet gentle man but very strong. He never raised his voice but used a belt instead. Unless you said something disrespectful. Then he made your lip bleed. He walked softly and carried a big stick so to speak. Greatest sense of humor of anyone i ever knew.
You've scored a new fan here. Thanks for such moving reactions. There were things changed for the series, and one thing it doesn't show is that Sledgehammer (I'm sure Sledge would have loved this series) went hunting two times before his breakdown. He took his bag limit of doves on the first outing but picked one up when it was still alive. To kill it, one would smash it against the butt of the shotgun. He did this, but he felt really bad. The second hunt was for deer. He had a buck in his sight, but he let it go. On the second dove hunt, he could not face killing any more beautiful creatures, and during his breakdown, his father held him, and just as it's shown, he said "You don't have to apologize to me, Eugene." But being so understanding, he added, "Maybe instead of bird hunting, you can go bird watching, " and that was why Sledgehammer eventually went on to earn a PhD. in biology. He had a love for all life. In the end, we see Sledge in a meadow, holding a daisy up to the sun. As he slowly turns it, for a moment, it resembles the Rising Sun emblem of the Japanese Empire. There's hope for us all if men like him came so close to losing their humanity, then decide, "No. I'm not quitting. I have to get rid of my hatred." He had a tough go, but his wife and oldest boy urged him to write his two autobiographical books. I highly recommend both. Thanks for this. I'm grateful.
Lone Survivor is an excellent film based on true events.
If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it.
My CC at USCG boot camp played the Pacific theme just before lights out. it still hits me every time I hear it.
Eugene dealing with his ptsd was heart breaking. I always think of all the men who suffered in silence.
That scene with Snafu getting off the train always stuck with me. Back in the States they were from two different classes of people. And he knew that even after all they had been through together, that that was the end of their brotherhood. So he just let him sleep and walked off back into his world.
There's also probably he knew he'd done some stuff over an above wat soldiers are expected , like the gold teeth an being nasty to the new guys, people don't realise that snafu is probably the best friend u could have in the army but he'd prob had like 4 best friends who were killed so makes sense he would treat the new guys badly eh😔
@@BipoIarbear Not Army
@@hoodieso8858 everyone's a soldier first mate , it's not called marineing it's called soldiering
@BipoIarbear Well, that's not true, you should know a soldier in the United States is someone who serves in the U.S. Army. There's titles in each branch. Airforce: Airmen, Navy:Sailor and, of course, the United States Marine Corp: Marine. A Marine isn't a soldier. The Marine corp is an amphibious branch that means they operate by land, water, and air. The army is only land and air. Two different branches. The Marine corp recruit training/ boot camp is the longest of any branch.
I almost asked Nikki for a tissue...instead I just wiped my eyes with my shirt. FYI, Two, of those who returned that you may or may not know were two famous celebrities and I gather they didn't care to mention it either. However, when pressed Lee Marvin will tell you the man he most admired and who he couldn't understand how he servived besides himself was his Captain who he said was the bravist Man he ever knew...was... Captain Kangaroo. Who "stood" in withering gun fire on the front in every engagement on Iwo Jima commanding his men's actions. Lee was one of them.
My parents met and married in the service. My mother was in the Women's Army Corps and my dad was in the Air Corps in the pacific. At the end of the war he was on Tinian Island where the Enola Gay took off (when Hiroshima was bombed). Neither of them ever, ever, talked about their service and one of my biggest regrets is not asking. I've got a lot of pictures, but no real stories or records of what my dad went through.
Love your show
Thank you for caring and showing the other part people never see
A large part of this was taken from Eugene's book, his book is held as one of the best books written about the front line combat troops experience, even vets of the European war have been quoted as saying thank you for tell our story. For whatever reason the war in Europe has this I don't know what to call it but it isn't presented as it was in this series. In the series you see Eugene writing in his bible and that was the foot notes for what became his book, he also wrote a follow up that was called China Marine, and it followed his redeployment to China after the war with Japan ended and how that time helped him return to some what of a normal life but he did as shown in the series suffer from the nightmares for years.
Thanks for giving this series a watch!
Semper Fi. Thank you for covering this series.
I like to think that the taxi driver who dropped off Lecky at his house is Liebgott from Band of Brothers.
Liebgott was in San Francisco. Leckie lived in New Jersey. But yeah, I liked that scene where the paratrooper acknowledges what hell the Marines endured.
I highly recommend watching a documentary called "He Has Seen War". so good
My dad was a marine also. 3rd Marine Division WW2 He passed away at 101 in 2021. I also met Eugene Sledge he taught biology at the University of Montevallo in Alabama. He was a quiet man but you could tell he carried the war around with him
We're very fortunate that Eugene was able to heal from his trauma and write the book that shared his experience with us. It's tragic there are those out there who can't recover and end up with broken lives.
I'm really glad they interviewed the family members of the veterans who served.
Such a great series. They were our Greatest Generation.
I want you guys, especially Nikki, to know something. I’ve posted on your videos of The Pacific about getting to meet and talk to Sid Phillips’ sister Katharine. One of the questions I asked her was if Eugene ever found peace.
Her answer: Yes, it took a long time, but he did find peace.
I was in the Marines for 26 years. Whenever the WWII, Korea or Vietnam vets would come and talk to us we just absolutely idolized them all and still do today particularly the WWII guys. Whenever we went into combat our platoon sgt would always remind us of who we are and who was watching us. We never ever wanted to disappoint those men. We loved them
So a funny story about Sidney Phillips. If you remember back in the Australia episode Sid had a girlfriend there. He was the one who signed a contract with the girl’s father stating what he was and wasn’t allowed to do with her. But as seen in this episode he married Mary Houston. Years after the war his Australian girlfriend made a surprise visit with her family to see Sid. Through this visit the girlfriend’s son would meet Sid’s daughter and the two would fall in love and eventually got married. So Sid’s Australian ex girlfriend’s son married his daughter and became his son in law
I think they did the scene where snafu leaves off the train without saying goodbye to sledge was perfect. And when I read that snafu was a pallbearer for sledge, I sob.
Vice versa
Sledge was a pallbearer for Snafu.
He wanted to let him sleep on the train as he knew how tired he must have been.
"How do you keep in contact?"
It was a lot harder back then. Assuming who you were trying to call had a telephone (a big "if", especially in flyover/rural America), telephone service was expensive, and the sound quality wasn't good (copper wire and mechanical switches, no fiber optics or ICs) Your only other option was snail mail, or telegraph.
For an excellent movie about the wars aftermath, see 1946's Acadamy Award winner "The Best Years of our Lives"
Snafu let Sledge sleep because he knows how rare peaceful sleep will be for both of them, for the rest of their lives
thank you for this
I live in the town over from Don Bosco, and my brother went to Bergen Catholic, so hearing Leckie reference the matchup between the two was awesome.
Now that you're done with this series, I highly recommend watching a documentary called "He Has Seen War".
Edit: This is my first time seeing you guys have a cat, and a siamese at that. He's adorable!
I second this.
Really great documentary. Important to note for them that it is on RUclips. Easy to find.
You need to watch and react.
I have watched Pacific so many times, have it on Bluray too. Watching your reaction at 17:58 for the first time it clicked that the soldier that comes in to meet the girl is Garrus from Mass Effect.
I love this episode, it’s two scenes for me. The 1st is Lena visiting her in laws, which must have been so hard cos she never got to chance to meet them, she’d have felt so scared that they wouldn’t like her and with John gone they would have thought she was coming home to ask for money or help. But she was a Marine and she didn’t need anything, even when John hadn’t signed the insurance papers she never ever thought to go down to his home to ask for help. She wanted to give the only piece of John she had left to his family, I cried like a baby. The 2nd is Eugene Sledge’s return, especially the part’s while he’s handling PTSD, the scenes of his night terrors and his father waiting at the door to make sure he’s ok were so real, the way his father understood what he was going through was a powerful message about how we should treat vets. And knowing that Eugene would eventually become a professor of life sciences and teach about life after all the death he saw, made the dove hunting scene even more beautiful, it meant that he never wanted to destroy anything ever again. Great reactions and discussions after Nikki and Steve. Love you both, it’s like watching these shows with old friends.
The lady in the opening interview is Leckie's wife Vera and Daughter.
Great job, guys!
As many other's have said about the Pacific. While Band of Brother's is without a doubt a great show about Easy Company. I appreciate the Pacific just a bit more because of how much the show focuses on the individual/the solider and the horrors and reality of war. And many years later the miniseries Chernobyl will strike with the same lightning with a similar approach about the Chernobyl Disaster -- god I love some of these HBO miniseries they are just so good.
I like it because its not as common to show the Pacific campaign as the European. It was a brutal war beyond imagination, and this mini series does as a great job of demonstrating it. I love BOB as well equality well. They are just different.
I was deeply moved and loved Band of Brothers and I’ve watched it several times. Watching Pacific was moving and horrifying. It’s was so sickening and heartbreaking I haven’t been able to watch it again. Loved Leckie.
Mandatory reading, if you want to understand the Pacific war, is "Goodbye Darkness" by William Manchester.
He said that every Marine in the Pacific knew of the "Goettge Patrol" and other examples of what happened to Marines cut off, or surrendered, poothe first opposed landing on Tarawa, and how they came to understand that there would be no quarter asked, or given, when in combat with the Japanese.
Might I suggest a movie about WWII for you, "Memphis Belle". It is about a B-17 crew. If your crew completed 25 missions- they got to go home. The Memphis Belle was the second to do it, the first being the B-17 "Hell's Angels" one week prior. The 8th Air Force in Europe lost more men than the entire US Marine Corps did in World War Two. Statiscally your chances were 1 in 10 to get shot down, so after 10 missions you were on borrowed time.
i’m not sure if you guys read these for suggestions, but i’ll echo the requests for Generation Kill, as it’s practically the third part to the HBO war series
it’s a fantastic show, a lot of really strong moment as you slowly get past the absurdities (though you’d definitely need subs on for half the shit they say)
it’s also got radio audio bits in the credits, which if i’m not wrong are actual radio conversations from the war
My father was amused to recount that when he came home from WWII, he was qualified to be a seal hunter in Alaska.
One of my favourite stories from the aftermath is that the girl Sidney lost his V card to in Australia and eventually visited him in America. His wife Mary wasn't happy as you can imagine 🤣🤣🤣
Saving my Sat night of boredom, LOVE YOU GUYS!!!
I was with 3/5 Kilo 1st platoon back in the mid 2000s. During Fallujah our call sign was Samurai then. However prior to our deployment to Sangin in 2010, we changed our call sign to Sledgehammer in honor of Eugene. To this day 3/5 is the most decorated battalion in the US Marine Corps. Glad to have played my small part in this legendary infantry battalion.
Also miss Camp San Mateo 😂
25 year old USMC 0311 Rifleman grunt here. Glad you guys did The Pacific. Feel like it's the best show we have tbh
i remember an interview with a ww2 veteran the reporter asked if they ever had nightmares the vet said absolutely then the reporter asked when was the last time you had a nightmare the vet replied last night
The pacific war was the worst for combatants, Japanese treated prisoners like shit ,no respect,and whomever they conquered
Snafu not waking up Sledge when he left hurt. They hated eachother in the beginning and became bothers in the end
A lot of the scenes in this series come right out of Eugene's book With The Old Breed. It's a good book, I read it a few months ago, you should check it out.
There’s a bust of John basilone in little Italy San Diego
As a Marine and 3x Afghanistan veteran (no longer active or in the reserves, but once a Marine always a Marine), this is my favorite series to watch reactions to. Thank you both for taking the time and the emotional onslaught that this series puts you through. It was meant to be true to the memoirs. It wasn't supposed to be easy to watch. It was meant to shed light on a side of WW2 that most people know little to nothing about. Not an easy lesson to learn about, but learning about it is imporant nonetheless
I appreciate you Marine.
I think one of the main differences between the Pacific and the European campaign is just that there was no safe place to recover and relax! We all saw Captain Winters go to Paris on a 48 hour pass to unwind. With the exception of Australia in December 1942 the Marines were alone on a spit of land that may or may not have Japanese soldiers still hiding out and ready to take just one more Marine with them. What those men endured was unendurable but they fucking did it! They truly began the mystique of the Marine Corps being THE bad ass military force in the world! I am in awe of them and their devotion to each other, their country and the Corps! A very special breed of men.
My father was a Marine pilot in the Solomons, 1943-44. He always spoke of the war in terms of a job that had to be done. He punched in, took off and bombed the Japanese, came back and punched out. That was how he dealt with it.
Tom Hanks and them are working on the next series like this and BoB, Masters of the Air, about the Eighth Air Force in WW2. Can’t wait.
Watching from Newcastle England 🏴 did you know Lee Marvin was one of the marines out there to in WW2 he got wonted in Saipan
Oh, this episode hits the hardest.
The same crew, including Spielberg and Hanks, who did Band of Brothers and The Pacific, has a new show coming out this year on Apple TV. It is called Masters of the Air, also a 10 part mini-series, but about the air war over in Europe. Bombers, Fighters etc.
No trailer has dropped yet, but some snippets have been shown on a 'Whats coming this year" trailer from Apple TV. Supposed to come out sometime late spring is the rumour.
I hope you all consider reacting to that as well, to finish off the WW2 trilogy. Obviously we dont know how it will be in terms of brutality compared to this, or BoB, no doubt there will be some insane action, and fearful moments as those men go through what they did, but it will be such a different vibe I think.
I used the term trilogy, but each is also so stand alone brilliant.
Again, hope you consider reacting to it when it comes out. A new experience for all of us.
I have been looking forward to the Air Corps one for several years.
I feel like they need to do a series about the Navy yet so they can have all the branches shown.
Man, you literally took the word "brutal" rite out of my mouth.
Emotional goodbye?
I dont think big emotional scenes were something SNAFU was comfortable with. There have been suggestions that he was mixed race passing as white so he could be allowed to enlist, it would add another level to his refusing to allow people too close, he was also apparently living on his own from a young age, through the depression, really not a situation that raises peole who show their vulnerable side.
I can't imagine fighting in that war. I'm sure it was pure nightmare for those men. My grandpa was in the war between 1942-1945 he was in the Navy an a UDT(underwater demolition team) he never really talked much about the war but when he did gets agitated and sweat.
The waking up and screaming.... I had family members that have gone to war and I remember my uncle after a heavy night of drinking and partying at a family reunion passed out then about an hour later he vanished from where we last saw him. When we did find him he was covered in sweat and he was tucked down near the front of the car outside. We kinda just said "hey. What's going on man?" And he was mumbling at first and said he saw someone in the bushes. After a few minutes we kinda coaxed him back inside and he calmed down.
When you exclaimed about having great grandkids in my head i head “they taught me how to have great grand kids, i got pretty good at it “ ❤
Would be great to see you guys react to generation kill. Underrated series for sure
Something to do on your own is listen to a speech by Eugene sledge called “with the old breed and the cost of war” it’s a still picture but the speech is incredible.
Army has changed their dress uniforms some much I am not sure what they are anymore. As a kid my dad had fatigues, kakis, class b dress, class a dress and blues, but it changed over the years but I will say the Marine dress blues are very sharp and always has been.
Masters of the Air is now filming…. Maybe in post. Can’t wait for that series
you two should def youtube interviews with the real Eugene Sledge. Its hauntingly informative. You can see it in the mans eyes that part of him never came back from the Pacific
GREAT VIDEO. I'm not sure if noticed my post to the prior video reaction to THE PACIFIC. I mentioned the fact that Eugene Sledge became a professor and taught at a small college south of Bham, Alabama...less than 10 miles from where I was raised (7th-12th grade)...The college's name is THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO. However, the college Eugene applied to initially after returning from the War was AUBURN UNIVERSITY (I'm an AU alumnus...numerous other high-profile people graduated &/or lived in Auburn who had/have high profile Military accolades...such as Hal Moore who immortalized in the movie, WE WERE SOLDIERS with Mel Gibson depicting the BATTLE OF THE IA DRANG VALLEY ...the US 1st major offensive in Vietnam in Nov 1966 (month and year I was born)...he lived in AU for ~30yrs until his death; The current Secretary of Defense for the US is an AU grad; The 1st American killed in Afghanistan after 9/11, Johnny Michael Spann (CIA)... during the uprising at the 19th-century fortress in Nahr-eShahi better known as The Battle of the Qala-iJangi...a Taliban uprising where he was one of only 2 CIA guys who were attacked by hundreds of Taliban prisoners...he was only 32yrs old...graduated a year before I did; & the list goes on and on with numerous Military Pilots, astronauts, actors, entertainers, business leaders such as Tim Cook of Apple & of course all of the athletes like Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley in sports)...Tuskegee is only about 20 minutes from AU and Fort Benning where the US Army Airborne, Rangers train (Band of Brothers) is close by as well. I mention all of this because I regret when I was younger not reaching out to all of the people who had an impact on our country specifically the military. As the years pass by I realize the opportunity I missed to learn and be so close to these great heroes. Eugene was accepted into Auburn and graduated. Later he attended other Universities to earn his Ph.D. I guess the moral of my post is we rarely realize who is so close by...the life lessons and realization of the ultimate price that these generations paid so we could ensure freedom for our kids. Sadly, the erosion of what America used to be has reached a critical point unless the country as a whole pivot...all of their sacrifices will be in vain...
ps. Anyone who doesn't believe or think the US was not a target then and now should begin learning their history NOW! We are on the threshold and our young people are being indoctrinated with BS similar to how the Japanese, Soviets, and Germans indoctrinated their young people & society. I'm thankful every day for these men & all who sacrificed at home and on the front lines. God Bless them all. RIP & thank you. (apologies for the rant)...
SFC Edelman, Afghanistan 2011 RIP CPT Schultz, SFC Apolnier and SSG Balgio. Also thank you guys for your kind words and support! God bless.
I interviewed a WWII Army veteran a few years ago. He told me about serving as a rifleman in France and Germany in 1944-45, which ended with him being seriously wounded. His daughter said afterward that he had never told her any of it. In the course of his story, which included HORRIBLE experiences, he said more than once how glad he was that they'd sent him to Europe instead of the Pacific. Even then, he knew how much worse things were there.
World War II was my stepdad's war. He served in the Navy in the Atlantic, and then in the Pacific in the Far East. When I told my parents I wanted their consent to enlist in the Marine Corps (I was seventeen and couldn't enlist without their signing for me), he told me that going into the service was one thing, but joining the Marine Corps was different. I asked why, and he said every Marine he'd ever known was crazy.
I argued with my folks about enlisting for three days before they would sign the papers.
Finally my stepdad told me that they would let me enlist, but only on the condition that I wrote them a letter explaining why I wanted to give up a college scholarship (I knew I was nowhere near ready for college) and join the Marine Corps.
I said, "Why do you want me to write a letter? It won't have anything in it you haven't heard twenty times in the last three days."
He replied, "I'll tell you why. I am going to put that letter in a folder with your name on it in our filing cabinet. And if you EVER call us up with tears as big as horse turds rolling down your cheeks and ask how we could let you make this terrible mistake . . . I'll mail you a copy."
I ended up serving for twenty years ('76 to '96), went to OCS at about the nine year mark and became an officer, and retired as a captain. At my retirement ceremony, after all the pomp and circumstance were over, he walked over to me, shook my hand, and said, "Well, maybe this Marine Corps thing worked out okay after all."
I came back to my home town of Albuquerque to spend time with my folks while they were still around - I always counted my mom and stepdad as two of my best friends, and my stepdad was and still is my hero and my role model. He's gone now, but I still have all the life lessons he helped me learn. He was a good, smart, kind, funny man.
As for Mom - I had two younger brothers, and they both followed me into the Corps, each of them also when he was seventeen. Once she had gotten a new car, and she walked into a Marine Corps recruiting office, walked up to the young sergeant on duty, stuck out her hand, and said, "Gimme some stickers."
He was startled and said, "Excuse me?"
She said, "I signed for three sons to enlist in the Marine Corps when they were seventeen. I'm a wholesaler. I gave them to you in good shape, and you gave all three back broken. I always put Marine Corps stickers on my car, and I just got a new car. I want some stickers. Gimme some stickers!"
The recruiter thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you have any more sons?"
True story.
Semper Fi!
Jim Finley, Captain, USMC, retired
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Please react to Letters from Iwo Jima, you should know the Japanese side story too.
The scene at the college was straight out of Sledge’s book.
Yea, this is a tough series to watch, and the horrors they went through.
My grandfather served in the Pacific during WWII, and he never talked about it. I can only imagine what he went through.
One thing a lot of people forget, when they watch the scene of Leckie and his parents in his room, when he first comes home, is the earlier scene in Australia when Leckie explains how his family is emotionally stunted from his older brothers' deaths when he was a boy. His parents, especially his father, never showed emotion. Some motherly love does come out, though, when she tells Leckie he should put on his dress blues and go see Vera.
I've been fascinated by the Second World War since the age of 7 after watching Band of Brothers when it first came out. As a Brit with 2 Grandfathers that fought in the conflict in North Africa, Italy and Western Europe, our struggle has always resonated with me more, however I have to say that both "Helmet for my Pillow" and "With the old Breed" are two of the best first hand account memoirs I have ever read on the U.S perspective.