I can't think of a more appropriate guest, outside of the men who were portrayed. I look forward to hearing more about your dad and the men he served with! His book was one of the first things I've read that describes some of the brutal acts that both sides committed in the PTO. I'm glad some of that made it to the screen, because it's important to acknowledge. I also look forward to reading what you're hoping to publish!
ruclips.net/video/x9zsPbVf01Q/видео.htmlsi=1-jCxz-O0cVanO-7 A small youtube did a side by side series of scenes from the movie right along side the words of the actual book it's pretty interesting.
Finally, The Pacific gets it's well deserved attention. I think it's extremely unfair that people try to hold it to the same standards as Band of Brothers, considering how different the Pacific theater was to the European conflict. Also, having Henry Sledge throughout this review series is so legendary. Can't wait to see the rest of it!
Seems to be getting its respect finally! First History Buffs, now Reel History! Now if Apple TV could just allow the actual "The Pacific" episodes to show the historical introductions, instead of picking and choosing which streaming services/countries get to to see it.
I'm sorry, I don't think it's unfair. People are attracted to whatever they are attracted to. If someone likes one show more than the other, that's simply their preference. People are entitled to their preferences. None of us, or very few of us, know the actual men portrayed. So all we can react to is, what we see, what we read.
When this mini series came out, I had to watch it because my Dad fought in the Philippines to help liberate them. My Dad was recalled into the Korean War, but right b4 they were to ship him over, he had another malaria attack, so he delayed. The malaria he caught during WW2. My father-in-law landed in Normandy at the age of 18. My Dad passed away at the age of 62. My father in law, lived to be 95. I remember my father in law telling me your Dad had it 10 times worse than I did. He never talked about his war experience, my father in law, but that was the only thing he said to me, his daughter in law. I read all the books on the veterans who were involved with this series. I never even heard of B.O.B. until this series came out. That's 10 yrs later. Thank you, Jared, for doing this. Thank you to the Sledge family for all they contributed to this series. I miss my Dad every day. He would have been proud to see this mini series made.
I just finished reading Eugene Sledges book "With The Old Breed", which I wanted to read after watching The Pacific. It is absolutely amazing to hear his son's perspective. RUclips channels like yours that give platforms to family members of WW2 veterans is something we need more of! As a young man born and raised in the US, hearing the stories and sacrifices that American WW2 veterans went through is something I'm forever thankful for!
I struggle to find words that express excitement over this series review. Jared you hit this one out of the park even with it being the start of a 10 part series. Im the son of a WW2 army veteran who didn't talk about his experience, but was very patriotic. It was beyond how you managed to get Sledge Hammers son in this review. Great Job. I connected more with Pacific series than Band of Brothers due to my Fathers involvement in WW2 in the Pacific. Thank you Professor.
Got to Peleliu with Scotty Gibson and Tracie Hunter along with my Marine brother Mike for the 80th anniversary of the landings there. Got to Sledgehammer’s bunker on Ngesebus and to see it in person and touch it was so surreal. To walk in the ridges and across the airfield was humbling and as a Marine Infantryman myself, the tactics and questions on how in the world we would approach those ridges started to speed through my mind. It was an incredible experience and I’m forever grateful and humbled to have been apart of that epic journey. May these legends rest easy, Semper Fi!!!
Wow, fantastic episode! What a historic artifact to have the book with notes from “Sledgehammer”! I had bought a copy of Charles B. MacDonald’s book, “A Time For Trumpets” For my dad when it came out in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of The Battle of the Bulge. Dad was in the 99th Infantry Division and had gone online in the Ardennes in October of 1944. The division was told that they were in “a quiet sector”. On December 16th, 1944, they found out that “it wasn’t so quiet”. Dad poured through the book in a few days. He then went back and reread the book, cover to cover. This time, he began taking notes in the margins on the pages. He added things to the story and gave criticism for things that he thought Captain MacDonald got wrong. Dad passed away in 2004. That copy of “A Time For Trumpets” is one of my most prized possessions. Looking forward to the other episodes.
Being raised in a home where my father was active duty in the Navy, I grew up learning more about the Pacific Theater than the ETO, because my dad served with sailors and Marines who were actually there. Between his stories and the vast amount of books that he had, I knew far more about places like Tarawa, Bouganville, Leyte Gulf, Midway, and Iwo Jima, than I did about Salerno or Operation Market Garden. I enjoyed BoB greatly, but when The Pacific was released, I was thrilled beyond belief. I had already read Helmet For My Pillow and With the Old Breed because my father had them, and I knew a great deal about the exploits of John Basilone. To finally see it all come together in a long-overdue production was absolutely glorious.
So excited to watch this! I finally watched The Pacific for the first time this year after watching History Buff’s video. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, and definitely will be rewatching it. It’s hard to comprehend what those men sacrificed for us! I also read E.B. Sledge’s With the Old Breed and China Marine after the show, and it’s definitely the best WW2 memoir I’ve ever read. My grandfather was from Atmore, Alabama and also served in the First Marine Division and fought on Peleliu and Okinawa. He passed before I was born (I’m adopted from China and 24), so I was never able to ask him questions or try to understand what he went through. Sledge’s book gave me the chance to try and comprehend a little of what he was apart of. So I thank Sledge for his insight and account. Anyway, thank you so much for making this video!! Can’t wait for the rest!
Thank-you so much for this. Many of us are the descendants of family who fought (and survived to have children). We have always sought to understand them.
As a Filipino, this is the only World War Band of Brothers -type that I can relate with. When I was in grade school, our class was able to visit the MacArthur landing site. Thanks Prof Jared for choosing The Pacific series.
I just placed my pre-order for Henry Sledge's book and I will be very happy when it arrives next year. I have read "With the Old Breed" twice and I'll dust off my copy to read again this spring as I wait for Henry's book to come out. God Bless your family, and your amazing father.
Great to have Henry Sledge do the analysis of The Pacific. I have watched the series a number of times and find that I enjoy the book more. There are characters in the book that could have helped with the continuity of the series. Great program thanks for your insight. Thanks for participating Mr Sledge.
Thanks Jared. Important work, well done. Henry's introductory comments are my sentiments exactly. The Pacific tells a different story than BOB and it grows on me with each subsequent viewing. The Asia-Pacific Theater was a completely different war than the ETO. Climate, distance, disease, enemy, rules of engagement, R&R, et al.I have grown to appreciate The Pacific series more than BOB, although BOB remains an all time favorite. I'm re-reading With the Old Breed by Henry's dad right now. One of the best first person war accounts I've ever read. A family friend served as a private with the 11th Airborne and was awarded the Silver Star for actions in the Philippines. In the 60s knew a wonderful neighbor family just down the road from us whose wife was in the Minidoka, Idaho Relocation camp while her husband served with the 442nd RCT (522nd Field Artillery) in Italy/France/Germany. He was awarded the Bronze Star, made master sergeant..
Really excited about this episode! Believe it or not but I attended the University of Montevallo in the early 80’s and E. Sledge was my Bio 101 professor. At that time, I had no idea about what he had experienced. Now I kick myself for that missed opportunity
I certainly shared Henry's feelings when I first watched the Pacific. I think a lot of people did. They were expecting Band of Brothers in the Pacific. Eventually, I got over that expectation, and I enjoyed what they were presenting.
Nice to see the in and outs and the truth and fiction of this mini series. I’ve watched the Pacific several times and missed many of the nuances you pointed out. It’s great to meet Sledgehammer’s son and hear his perspective.
This was just amazing commentary. I am beyond thrilled that Henry Sledge is doing this. I've seen him on other videos. I saw The Pacific when it premiered. I have the Blu-ray set. I try to watch it every year. It is an incredibly historically accurate piece of filmmaking. God bless the memory of these heroes! Thank you to Jared, Andy, Henry, and all those involved in making this possible!
What a treat to have Henry Sledge be a part of this look into The Pacific, thank you for bringing this to us. And how much I would give to be able to read that copy of The Old Breed!
I've been looking forward to this series on The Pacific for some time now. I had no idea you would be doing it with the son of Eugene Sledge. I have With The Old Breed book but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I pre-ordered the new book. Great video! Definitely looking forward to the next episodes of this.
I have always loved the Pacific and the story it tells. Growing up in the 60s and 70s I knew a lot of WWII vets and the Marines were always so interesting. Like most vets, they would not talk about much during the war and this series tells some of that. Thanks for sharing.
I was a good friend of RV Burgin who was in Sledge’s squad. I’m looking forward to seeing how Sledge discusses the dynamics of the Peleliu to Okinawa timeframe.
@bcarreon6409 I have an autographed copy of Burgin's book. His book was amazing. I had found out while reading, he had suffered with malaria, same as my Dad, who fought in the Philippines, RV Burgin mentions that he was told by another veteran, he was able to receive assistance or disability from the VA. Something a lot of vets who fought in the Pacific had but were unaware of. Jared, I hope this is talked about. It should be mentioned how bad the malaria situation was.
17:13 in order to thoroughly enjoy and glean solid education (both intellectually and emotionally) from The Pacific, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg rely on their audience to recognize that a miniseries following a single Company through post D-Day ETO is one endeavor. Grappling with three separate Marine Divisions, across five major campaigns in the Pacific, is quite another. The two are like comparing a 1967 Chevy Camaro RS to a 1972 Ford Mustang Mach 1. They’re both muscle cars. But that’s about it. And we can probably all agree that “WW2” is a substantially bigger subject heading than “American muscle cars.” The writers included dialogue in Episode 7 (or maybe it was 8) when Eugene is informed that Hitler is dead and Germany surrendered. I believe the actual line goes something like this “well unless they’re coming here to help us live through this shit I don’t give a damn.” Or something to that stark effect. One could postulate that the Hanks/Spielberg consortium truly chose the exact correct war theaters to bring to the screen through 29 episodes of the best television ever made: Easy Co in the ETO, the USMC (and Navy) through the Pacific and the US Army Eighth Air Force above Western Europe. Others have suggested doing a fourth installment in North Africa. Or perhaps a strictly waterborne series. I’d gladly support either or both. But it’s safe to say that the books (scripts) are closed on this tremendous project. A project produced over 21 years and over $300 million dollars. I worked briefly for Spielberg in 2001 on Catch Me If You Can. Didn’t get to meet him. But had I, with hand extended, I would’ve said “on behalf of both of my grandfathers, both of whom I knew and loved greatly, thank you. Just-thank you.”
I’ve been watching 3-4 podcast/interviews with Henry Sledge on RUclips, and this is just as great. I got to go on a Mobile Delta Historical Cruise that was hosted by his older brother John Sledge.
Eugene Sledge was definitely one of my favorite characters in The Pacific. (Not that I had a least favorite character). Thanks so much for making this!
I’ve watched it many times and each time I see details I missed before. My dad was in the Army, on different islands, and hardly spoke about the actual combat experiences so the series filled in many gaps in details of the horror they experienced. One thing that clearly left an impression on him was how the enemy could be so obedient to a figurehead to commit such atrocities then turn on a dime when ordered to do so and be so passive and cooperative. Among the most memorable scenes to me is when Sledge is eating lunch while Snafu is casually tossing pebbles into a puddle in the top half of an open Japanese soldier’s head making a splashing noise. That just captured the numbness that must develop to keep your sanity in such an endless and indescribable horror.
Thank you Jared and especially thank you Henry for this. My dad commanded an LCT on Utah Beach, and went on to be Professor Emeritus in Georgia. But I had to join Uncle Sam's Misguided Children. Again, thank you both.
During this period in episode one August 1942. My father was fighting in New Guinea at a place called Miline Bay. The Japanese landed tanks which overran my father’s battalion. In the hasty retreat back to the airstrip. My father ran into a Japanese soldier killed him and took his writing paper. My father used the Japanese writing paper to write back to his mother (my grandmother) because it didn’t rot in the tropical condition. I still have it.
@@ReelHistory Thank you my father was with the marines at New Britain in 1944. So when you see them in the series he was there when they came ashore. He was a lieutenant in the 2/10 battalion of the 18th brigade 7th Division AIF. And saw a lot of heavy fighting at Buna in December 1942 when his battalion was cut to pieces by Japanese MG fire advancing across the old airstrip.
Wow. His father's memoir is probably in my top 5 favorite memoirs of all time, combat or not. I'm glad he had the bravery to revisit what he went through in war. When the Pacific first came out, I was slightly disappointed (my views have changed over time), but then I read With the Old Breed and it blew me away.
2:25 HOLY MOLY! I haven’t been this full of anticipation to dive into a youtube series in quite some time. Jared your investment and care is definitely translating to screen value. I’m in for the entire run. 👍🏼
Ive thought the same about the missing ships and aircraft in SPR, you get a great CG shot of the fleet as Miler and his men leave for the mission a few days later but there's nothing on D-day itself. This is a great show and great to see the Pacific getting its due.
I agree that the Pacific when I first watched it was not what I expected. Especially after watching Band of Brothers. But as a former Marine and someone who studied a lot about World War II, The Pacific stands on its own and brought out the brutality of the island hopping campaign. The Pacific brings out deep emotions in me as it makes me aware of the giants who came before in the Marine Corps and fought these battles. Absolute heroes.
I met E. Sledge's widow, Henry's mother. I've visited with her a couple of times. A true Southern bell. She was very polite and welcomed me into her home.
Wow. Great stuff Jared, and I'm looking forward to these series reviews of the Pacific perhaps more than any I've watched. What a treat to also get the behind the scenes commentary of Henry Sledge.
Still remember the first time you tackled this series on here - I'll be sticking it out again this time! What an awesome guest! Congrats Andy and Jared!
Really super-enjoyed watching this first episode providing awesome perspective and insight. Looking forward to the next nine! I was dumbstruck at the part where Henry pulls out his dad's copy of "The Old Breed" with notes written in the margins by his dad. I also have my dad's copy of "The Old Breed" and consider it a priceless artifact and family treasure with dad's own marginalia notes, though much sparser in detail than Sledge's from I could tell in the video. Based on archival source material, dad's notes and Sledge's two memoirs (especially "With The Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa"), I have imagined and reconstructed the untold story of his Marine Corps days, paralleling Sledge's, fighting on Peleliu and Okinawa in I/3/5 alongside Sledge in his brother company, K/3/5. After over a year of deep dive researching and writing, I'm putting the finishing touches on my soon to be published (I HOPE!) book that frames Dad's battle experiences in the larger context of turbulent world events while also digging into his emotions and psyche, and touching on the negative impact of war on soldiers and their family members.
6:55 East Africa is also in red despite having been liberated at that time and the Caucasus is also all red despite that offensive not starting until the summer of 1942
I also hear both pronunciations of Garand. Some people say it Garand, while others say Garand. I’ve been known to pronounce it both as Garand and Garand, sometimes in the same conversation.
Leckie's war memoir, Helmet for My Pillow, along with Eugene B. Sledge's book With the Old Breed, formed the basis for the HBO series The Pacific (2010), the follow-up series to Band of Brothers. In the miniseries, Leckie is portrayed by James Badge Dale.
Nice! When I first watched Pacific, I felt it was not as good as Band of Brothers. I felt the Band of Brothers followed one group of soldiers and had a consistent story to easily understand. But Pacific was a combination of multiple books and stories. Though the show stitched them together, it still felt there was some disconnect when jumping between characters. However, I watched Pacific more times in the recent years and shed more tears. One reason is the Pacific theater was a lot more brutal and fighting was more fierce (no respect to other WWII soldiers, just the fact), the other reason is the scenes at home before and after it a lot closer to the characters. Also, I think after reading the books, they filled in a lot of gaps and made each characters story complete.
PLEASE !! We need to gather together and demand all interviews , all scenes that were cut , from both series , be released to the public immediately! There is absolutely no good reason why it has not been shown. Even if it’s not done , even if it’s rough , no one cares. Just release it all before all these family members who knew them are gone.
Awesome work. I do take exception with 14:00 (..did not cry). I sure did cry when it seemed my life in the 101st was slipping away. Just do it fast & hard then drive on.
My Grandfather fought the Japanese in WW2 as well. He played for the Detroit Tigers and was his rookie year when everyone went off to fight. He wasn’t a star player so he didn’t get the cushy desk job. He rarely talked about the war and when he did you could tell it was just something he wanted to forget. When he came back to Ky he went from someone who grew up in Jackson/Breathitt Co. in the mountains of eastern Ky and moved to Lexington Ky after the war and went to work as a surveyor for the University a f Kentucky and had a hand in a lot of the old buildings on campus. He built a home not too far from UofK and started a family which ended with 4 Daughters (one my Mother) and he passed when I was 13 at that very home. His pastime was sitting on the porch smoking Paul Mall non filters and listening to baseball on the radio. I think in his later years his favorite thing was teaching his grandchildren the game of baseball. He taught me how to throw, catch and hit a baseball and I turned out not too shabby at the game myself never reaching the level he did but I had a great time in sports. The Men who lived in that generation were REAL MEN. These guys would’ve not been standing by today if they were still young watching this country go to shit. They would’ve been stacking bodies. Maybe it’s a good thing this isn’t their generation 😂
every time i rewatch pacific i'm blown away by just how brutal the conditions were and how few marines survived. i'm also amazed that the japanese military thought it would be a slam dunk and they would defeat the US navy so quickly and easily. would they have attempted a west coast landing if they destroyed the navy? all we know for a fact is that the japanese military attempted to disable our west coast artillery (which could shoot miles and miles off shore) with air dropping fire bombs on the west coast. i'm still waiting for the HBO special about the all black smoke jumpers, the 555th who saved the west coast from being burned to a crisp in that attack. most people don't even know that unit ever existed
Thank you for a great video. I liked The Pacific but not as much as Band of Brothers. However, as time passes and reading up on how poorly BOB treated some of the characters, I’ve come to like Pacific a little more. Can’t wait for the next video. Keep up the great work!
All 3 series(Band of Bros, The Pacific, & Masters of the Air) are brilliant, real works of art, but i gotta give the nod to the Pacific. It takes at least 2-3 viewings to fully appreciate it, whereas B of B can be fully appreciated on the first viewing. I think the pacific pulls us in more deeply, is more "fully immersive", and stays with you longer.
So proud to be a part of this! Jared and Andy, you guys are great friends!
I can't think of a more appropriate guest, outside of the men who were portrayed. I look forward to hearing more about your dad and the men he served with! His book was one of the first things I've read that describes some of the brutal acts that both sides committed in the PTO. I'm glad some of that made it to the screen, because it's important to acknowledge.
I also look forward to reading what you're hoping to publish!
@@dongquixote7138, the book is available for pre-order in the caption!
Your dad's books are so good. With The Old Breed is one of the best war memorials of all time. If not THE best.
ruclips.net/video/x9zsPbVf01Q/видео.htmlsi=1-jCxz-O0cVanO-7
A small youtube did a side by side series of scenes from the movie right along side the words of the actual book it's pretty interesting.
Thank you very much.
Finally, The Pacific gets it's well deserved attention. I think it's extremely unfair that people try to hold it to the same standards as Band of Brothers, considering how different the Pacific theater was to the European conflict. Also, having Henry Sledge throughout this review series is so legendary. Can't wait to see the rest of it!
Seems to be getting its respect finally! First History Buffs, now Reel History!
Now if Apple TV could just allow the actual "The Pacific" episodes to show the historical introductions, instead of picking and choosing which streaming services/countries get to to see it.
Band of brothers is glorious.....but I love the Pacific significantly more. I'm biased because I was a greenside corpsman
Exactly.
I'm sorry, I don't think it's unfair. People are attracted to whatever they are attracted to. If someone likes one show more than the other, that's simply their preference. People are entitled to their preferences. None of us, or very few of us, know the actual men portrayed. So all we can react to is, what we see, what we read.
I prefer The Pacific, as good as The Band of Brothers, I enjoy the intensity of The Pacific.
I've waited years for you guys to do The Pacific... And you get Henry Sledge???? You've really outdone yourselves. This was well worth the wait!
Cheers!
Me too! This really is THE real history channel
@@xuedalong, no aliens to be found here! 😆 👽
@@ReelHistorygoated comment 😂
When this mini series came out, I had to watch it because my Dad fought in the Philippines to help liberate them. My Dad was recalled into the Korean War, but right b4 they were to ship him over, he had another malaria attack, so he delayed. The malaria he caught during WW2. My father-in-law landed in Normandy at the age of 18. My Dad passed away at the age of 62. My father in law, lived to be 95. I remember my father in law telling me your Dad had it 10 times worse than I did. He never talked about his war experience, my father in law, but that was the only thing he said to me, his daughter in law. I read all the books on the veterans who were involved with this series. I never even heard of B.O.B. until this series came out. That's 10 yrs later. Thank you, Jared, for doing this. Thank you to the Sledge family for all they contributed to this series. I miss my Dad every day. He would have been proud to see this mini series made.
Much respect to your dad.
Jared this is one of the best videos you have ever put out! Henry's inside baseball about the series and his father is truly extraordinary!
6:24 Helmet for My Pillow lives on the top shelf of WW2 autobiographies . Right beside With the Old Breed and Guadalcanal Diary.
I just finished reading Eugene Sledges book "With The Old Breed", which I wanted to read after watching The Pacific. It is absolutely amazing to hear his son's perspective. RUclips channels like yours that give platforms to family members of WW2 veterans is something we need more of! As a young man born and raised in the US, hearing the stories and sacrifices that American WW2 veterans went through is something I'm forever thankful for!
What a pleasure and honor it is to enjoy this Mr Sledge. My dad was 17 when he landed on Saipan and later Tinian. 4th Marines 18th.
I struggle to find words that express excitement over this series review. Jared you hit this one out of the park even with it being the start of a 10 part series. Im the son of a WW2 army veteran who didn't talk about his experience, but was very patriotic. It was beyond how you managed to get Sledge Hammers son in this review. Great Job. I connected more with Pacific series than Band of Brothers due to my Fathers involvement in WW2 in the Pacific. Thank you Professor.
Thanks for the kind words!
Got to Peleliu with Scotty Gibson and Tracie Hunter along with my Marine brother Mike for the 80th anniversary of the landings there. Got to Sledgehammer’s bunker on Ngesebus and to see it in person and touch it was so surreal. To walk in the ridges and across the airfield was humbling and as a Marine Infantryman myself, the tactics and questions on how in the world we would approach those ridges started to speed through my mind. It was an incredible experience and I’m forever grateful and humbled to have been apart of that epic journey. May these legends rest easy, Semper Fi!!!
Way cool!
@@ReelHistoryamazing to say the least. I’m loving what you’re doing here!! Can’t wait for more!!
Wow, fantastic episode!
What a historic artifact to have the book with notes from “Sledgehammer”!
I had bought a copy of Charles B. MacDonald’s book, “A Time For Trumpets” For my dad when it came out in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of The Battle of the Bulge.
Dad was in the 99th Infantry Division and had gone online in the Ardennes in October of 1944. The division was told that they were in “a quiet sector”. On December 16th, 1944, they found out that “it wasn’t so quiet”.
Dad poured through the book in a few days. He then went back and reread the book, cover to cover. This time, he began taking notes in the margins on the pages. He added things to the story and gave criticism for things that he thought Captain MacDonald got wrong.
Dad passed away in 2004. That copy of “A Time For Trumpets” is one of my most prized possessions.
Looking forward to the other episodes.
Being raised in a home where my father was active duty in the Navy, I grew up learning more about the Pacific Theater than the ETO, because my dad served with sailors and Marines who were actually there. Between his stories and the vast amount of books that he had, I knew far more about places like Tarawa, Bouganville, Leyte Gulf, Midway, and Iwo Jima, than I did about Salerno or Operation Market Garden. I enjoyed BoB greatly, but when The Pacific was released, I was thrilled beyond belief. I had already read Helmet For My Pillow and With the Old Breed because my father had them, and I knew a great deal about the exploits of John Basilone. To finally see it all come together in a long-overdue production was absolutely glorious.
So excited to watch this! I finally watched The Pacific for the first time this year after watching History Buff’s video. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, and definitely will be rewatching it. It’s hard to comprehend what those men sacrificed for us!
I also read E.B. Sledge’s With the Old Breed and China Marine after the show, and it’s definitely the best WW2 memoir I’ve ever read.
My grandfather was from Atmore, Alabama and also served in the First Marine Division and fought on Peleliu and Okinawa. He passed before I was born (I’m adopted from China and 24), so I was never able to ask him questions or try to understand what he went through. Sledge’s book gave me the chance to try and comprehend a little of what he was apart of. So I thank Sledge for his insight and account.
Anyway, thank you so much for making this video!! Can’t wait for the rest!
thank you for your interest and the backstory! this series is going to be awesome!
I am so glad to be part of this from Part 1! What an honor.
Thanks for tuning in.
Phenomenal show. I'm so glad that Sledge's son carries on not only his father's legacy but the legacy of our WW2 heroes.
Thank-you so much for this. Many of us are the descendants of family who fought (and survived to have children). We have always sought to understand them.
Respects to you family.
@@ReelHistory And respects to your family and to all as we draw near to Remembrance Sunday in the UK.
As a Filipino, this is the only World War Band of Brothers -type that I can relate with. When I was in grade school, our class was able to visit the MacArthur landing site. Thanks Prof Jared for choosing The Pacific series.
Thank you!
I just placed my pre-order for Henry Sledge's book and I will be very happy when it arrives next year. I have read "With the Old Breed" twice and I'll dust off my copy to read again this spring as I wait for Henry's book to come out. God Bless your family, and your amazing father.
Thee will definitely be some great insights.
What a nice suprise! Guess its time to watch The Pacific again
Great to have Henry Sledge do the analysis of The Pacific. I have watched the series a number of times and find that I enjoy the book more. There are characters in the book that could have helped with the continuity of the series. Great program thanks for your insight. Thanks for participating Mr Sledge.
Thanks Jared. Important work, well done. Henry's introductory comments are my sentiments exactly. The Pacific tells a different story than BOB and it grows on me with each subsequent viewing. The Asia-Pacific Theater was a completely different war than the ETO. Climate, distance, disease, enemy, rules of engagement, R&R, et al.I have grown to appreciate The Pacific series more than BOB, although BOB remains an all time favorite. I'm re-reading With the Old Breed by Henry's dad right now. One of the best first person war accounts I've ever read.
A family friend served as a private with the 11th Airborne and was awarded the Silver Star for actions in the Philippines. In the 60s knew a wonderful neighbor family just down the road from us whose wife was in the Minidoka, Idaho Relocation camp while her husband served with the 442nd RCT (522nd Field Artillery) in Italy/France/Germany. He was awarded the Bronze Star, made master sergeant..
It’s fantastic to see you two in the same room!! It’s great to that you’re revisiting the Pacific again!!
I just recently read With the Old Breed so this is quite a treat!
Wow. Semper Fi, sir. What an amazing insight.
Really excited about this episode!
Believe it or not but I attended the University of Montevallo in the early 80’s and E. Sledge was my Bio 101 professor. At that time, I had no idea about what he had experienced. Now I kick myself for that missed opportunity
You didn't know. He had moved on to a different lifetime. If you learned and passed, Professor Sledge would've been happy.
@@markwilliams2620, great sentiment!
I have been waiting for your videos on the Pacific since I found your channel last year!!! Thanks 🙏
Hope you enjoyed it!
I certainly shared Henry's feelings when I first watched the Pacific. I think a lot of people did. They were expecting Band of Brothers in the Pacific. Eventually, I got over that expectation, and I enjoyed what they were presenting.
Nice to see the in and outs and the truth and fiction of this mini series. I’ve watched the Pacific several times and missed many of the nuances you pointed out. It’s great to meet Sledgehammer’s son and hear his perspective.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yay! It’s good to see Henry Sledge again.
I am so stoked for this! Can’t wait for the rest of the episodes!
We are excited too!
This was just amazing commentary. I am beyond thrilled that Henry Sledge is doing this. I've seen him on other videos. I saw The Pacific when it premiered. I have the Blu-ray set. I try to watch it every year. It is an incredibly historically accurate piece of filmmaking. God bless the memory of these heroes! Thank you to Jared, Andy, Henry, and all those involved in making this possible!
Thanks for tuning in.
What a treat to have Henry Sledge be a part of this look into The Pacific, thank you for bringing this to us.
And how much I would give to be able to read that copy of The Old Breed!
Excerpts of it will be in Henry's forthcoming book! See the link in the caption.
Fantastic timing as I literally just rewatched this amazing series last week. Holy cow what a treat! Thank you 🙏
Wow Jared this is awesome! You are doing great work.
This is awesome, props to your channel for getting such a special guest
More to come!
@@ReelHistory can't wait
I've been looking forward to this series on The Pacific for some time now. I had no idea you would be doing it with the son of Eugene Sledge. I have With The Old Breed book but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I pre-ordered the new book. Great video! Definitely looking forward to the next episodes of this.
There will definitely be some fresh insights in both the series and the book!
@@ReelHistoryGreat!
this was absolutely great - thank you both. Can't wait for the rest of the episodes!
One the best episodes ever! Full of insights and background. Thank you!
Thank you!
I have always loved the Pacific and the story it tells. Growing up in the 60s and 70s I knew a lot of WWII vets and the Marines were always so interesting. Like most vets, they would not talk about much during the war and this series tells some of that. Thanks for sharing.
The Pacific!! Hell yeah!!!!
Awesome guest too!!
Listening to the “old breed” on audiobook now. Incredible, and to add that the actor Joseph Mazello is reading the book adds to the audio experience
We're all at the edge of our seats! When is part 2 coming? I am SO excited to rewatch the Pacific alongside this series. Thanks, fellas!
I was a good friend of RV Burgin who was in Sledge’s squad. I’m looking forward to seeing how Sledge discusses the dynamics of the Peleliu to Okinawa timeframe.
Lots of commentary on that on the horizon!
I keep running into you in the comment section 🤣
@bcarreon6409 I have an autographed copy of Burgin's book. His book was amazing. I had found out while reading, he had suffered with malaria, same as my Dad, who fought in the Philippines, RV Burgin mentions that he was told by another veteran, he was able to receive assistance or disability from the VA. Something a lot of vets who fought in the Pacific had but were unaware of. Jared, I hope this is talked about. It should be mentioned how bad the malaria situation was.
This is gonna be awesome.
17:13 in order to thoroughly enjoy and glean solid education (both intellectually and emotionally) from The Pacific, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg rely on their audience to recognize that a miniseries following a single Company through post D-Day ETO is one endeavor. Grappling with three separate Marine Divisions, across five major campaigns in the Pacific, is quite another.
The two are like comparing a 1967 Chevy Camaro RS to a 1972 Ford Mustang Mach 1. They’re both muscle cars. But that’s about it. And we can probably all agree that “WW2” is a substantially bigger subject heading than “American muscle cars.”
The writers included dialogue in Episode 7 (or maybe it was 8) when Eugene is informed that Hitler is dead and Germany surrendered. I believe the actual line goes something like this “well unless they’re coming here to help us live through this shit I don’t give a damn.” Or something to that stark effect. One could postulate that the Hanks/Spielberg consortium truly chose the exact correct war theaters to bring to the screen through 29 episodes of the best television ever made: Easy Co in the ETO, the USMC (and Navy) through the Pacific and the US Army Eighth Air Force above Western Europe. Others have suggested doing a fourth installment in North Africa. Or perhaps a strictly waterborne series. I’d gladly support either or both. But it’s safe to say that the books (scripts) are closed on this tremendous project. A project produced over 21 years and over $300 million dollars. I worked briefly for Spielberg in 2001 on Catch Me If You Can. Didn’t get to meet him. But had I, with hand extended, I would’ve said “on behalf of both of my grandfathers, both of whom I knew and loved greatly, thank you. Just-thank you.”
Hail from France ✨ amazing job !
I’ve been watching 3-4 podcast/interviews with Henry Sledge on RUclips, and this is just as great.
I got to go on a Mobile Delta Historical Cruise that was hosted by his older brother John Sledge.
Eugene Sledge was definitely one of my favorite characters in The Pacific. (Not that I had a least favorite character). Thanks so much for making this!
This was excellent! Just rewatched The Pacific and this is an amazing. Thank you Jared and Henry 🙏
I’ve watched it many times and each time I see details I missed before.
My dad was in the Army, on different islands, and hardly spoke about the actual combat experiences so the series filled in many gaps in details of the horror they experienced.
One thing that clearly left an impression on him was how the enemy could be so obedient to a figurehead to commit such atrocities then turn on a dime when ordered to do so and be so passive and cooperative.
Among the most memorable scenes to me is when Sledge is eating lunch while Snafu is casually tossing pebbles into a puddle in the top half of an open Japanese soldier’s head making a splashing noise. That just captured the numbness that must develop to keep your sanity in such an endless and indescribable horror.
I think Pacific has aged really well, i watch it every year.
Thank you Jared and especially thank you Henry for this. My dad commanded an LCT on Utah Beach, and went on to be Professor Emeritus in Georgia. But I had to join Uncle Sam's Misguided Children. Again, thank you both.
During this period in episode one August 1942. My father was fighting in New Guinea at a place called Miline Bay. The Japanese landed tanks which overran my father’s battalion. In the hasty retreat back to the airstrip. My father ran into a Japanese soldier killed him and took his writing paper. My father used the Japanese writing paper to write back to his mother (my grandmother) because it didn’t rot in the tropical condition. I still have it.
Respects to your dad.
@@ReelHistory Thank you my father was with the marines at New Britain in 1944. So when you see them in the series he was there when they came ashore. He was a lieutenant in the 2/10 battalion of the 18th brigade 7th Division AIF. And saw a lot of heavy fighting at Buna in December 1942 when his battalion was cut to pieces by Japanese MG fire advancing across the old airstrip.
Excellent episode. Just made me appreciate The Pacific even more.
Wow. His father's memoir is probably in my top 5 favorite memoirs of all time, combat or not. I'm glad he had the bravery to revisit what he went through in war. When the Pacific first came out, I was slightly disappointed (my views have changed over time), but then I read With the Old Breed and it blew me away.
Fantastic episode! Wonderful perspective from someone so close to the story itself.
Alright. You win. Imma watch The Pacific again
Wow this is so cool! You knocked this one out of the park Jared!
2:25 HOLY MOLY! I haven’t been this full of anticipation to dive into a youtube series in quite some time. Jared your investment and care is definitely translating to screen value. I’m in for the entire run. 👍🏼
Thanks for joining us on the journey!
Thank you for doing this series!
Oh heck yes I’ve read Sledgehammers book twice now! Love the audiobook version read by Joe Mazzello. So cool you got Henry on!
I made a comment a while back hoping to see the pacific content and you said “just wait” didn’t think you’d get Henry Sledge on 😂 cheers!
@@AirDave15, ha ha. Perfect.
Where can I find the audio book!?
@@musical_merri, Eugene's book is available on Amazon as an audio book. Henry's book is available for pre-order and will be on audiobook this summer.
@@ReelHistory thank you so much!
Ive thought the same about the missing ships and aircraft in SPR, you get a great CG shot of the fleet as Miler and his men leave for the mission a few days later but there's nothing on D-day itself. This is a great show and great to see the Pacific getting its due.
I agree that the Pacific when I first watched it was not what I expected. Especially after watching Band of Brothers. But as a former Marine and someone who studied a lot about World War II, The Pacific stands on its own and brought out the brutality of the island hopping campaign. The Pacific brings out deep emotions in me as it makes me aware of the giants who came before in the Marine Corps and fought these battles. Absolute heroes.
This was fantastic! Looking forward to watching the rest of the show with you.
Thank you.
I’m always happy when a new upload hits this channel
I met E. Sledge's widow, Henry's mother. I've visited with her a couple of times. A true Southern bell. She was very polite and welcomed me into her home.
What a fantastic episode, so looking forward to this series on Reel History!
Professor Kate from 🇨🇦
Thanks, prof!
Wow. Great stuff Jared, and I'm looking forward to these series reviews of the Pacific perhaps more than any I've watched. What a treat to also get the behind the scenes commentary of Henry Sledge.
Welcome!
Still remember the first time you tackled this series on here - I'll be sticking it out again this time! What an awesome guest! Congrats Andy and Jared!
We hope to have better luck this round. Thanks.
Really super-enjoyed watching this first episode providing awesome perspective and insight. Looking forward to the next nine! I was dumbstruck at the part where Henry pulls out his dad's copy of "The Old Breed" with notes written in the margins by his dad. I also have my dad's copy of "The Old Breed" and consider it a priceless artifact and family treasure with dad's own marginalia notes, though much sparser in detail than Sledge's from I could tell in the video. Based on archival source material, dad's notes and Sledge's two memoirs (especially "With The Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa"), I have imagined and reconstructed the untold story of his Marine Corps days, paralleling Sledge's, fighting on Peleliu and Okinawa in I/3/5 alongside Sledge in his brother company, K/3/5. After over a year of deep dive researching and writing, I'm putting the finishing touches on my soon to be published (I HOPE!) book that frames Dad's battle experiences in the larger context of turbulent world events while also digging into his emotions and psyche, and touching on the negative impact of war on soldiers and their family members.
Been waiting a long time for this one !! many thanks and appreciation from Iran.
This was lovely. Thank you!
Absolutely brillian. Cant wait for more!
Thanks!
Is there a difference between basic training and boot camp beyond the former being Army and the latter Marines?
Alright!!! Good stuff!!!! Can’t wait to see the rest!!!!!
Wonderful episode. I look forward to the next 9.
Welcome!
6:55 East Africa is also in red despite having been liberated at that time and the Caucasus is also all red despite that offensive not starting until the summer of 1942
Great observation!
I also hear both pronunciations of Garand. Some people say it Garand, while others say Garand. I’ve been known to pronounce it both as Garand and Garand, sometimes in the same conversation.
The creator pronounced his name as Garand, but all of the training videos from the time, and there are many, pronounce it Garand.
Leckie's war memoir, Helmet for My Pillow, along with Eugene B. Sledge's book With the Old Breed, formed the basis for the HBO series The Pacific (2010), the follow-up series to Band of Brothers. In the miniseries, Leckie is portrayed by James Badge Dale.
I read With the old breed in College his story has always stuck with me
Jared too!
Having read Sledges book , and an account by another member of his unit (who's name escapes me), i think that this series is VERY accurate.
Half way through helmet for my pillow. Awesome read.
Top tier guest.
Nice! When I first watched Pacific, I felt it was not as good as Band of Brothers. I felt the Band of Brothers followed one group of soldiers and had a consistent story to easily understand. But Pacific was a combination of multiple books and stories. Though the show stitched them together, it still felt there was some disconnect when jumping between characters. However, I watched Pacific more times in the recent years and shed more tears. One reason is the Pacific theater was a lot more brutal and fighting was more fierce (no respect to other WWII soldiers, just the fact), the other reason is the scenes at home before and after it a lot closer to the characters. Also, I think after reading the books, they filled in a lot of gaps and made each characters story complete.
How would you say that fighting in the Pacific was "more fierce"? Like, how do you quantify that?
PLEASE !! We need to gather together and demand all interviews , all scenes that were cut , from both series , be released to the public immediately! There is absolutely no good reason why it has not been shown. Even if it’s not done , even if it’s rough , no one cares. Just release it all before all these family members who knew them are gone.
Greatly lookong forward to this!
This is AWESOME!
Well done !
Awesome work.
I do take exception with 14:00 (..did not cry).
I sure did cry when it seemed my life in the 101st was slipping away.
Just do it fast & hard then drive on.
I watch both series all the way through once a year, every year. They are both one my favorite series to watch, along with GOT.
Awesome, looking forward to this!
My Grandfather fought the Japanese in WW2 as well. He played for the Detroit Tigers and was his rookie year when everyone went off to fight. He wasn’t a star player so he didn’t get the cushy desk job. He rarely talked about the war and when he did you could tell it was just something he wanted to forget. When he came back to Ky he went from someone who grew up in Jackson/Breathitt Co. in the mountains of eastern Ky and moved to Lexington Ky after the war and went to work as a surveyor for the University a f Kentucky and had a hand in a lot of the old buildings on campus. He built a home not too far from UofK and started a family which ended with 4 Daughters (one my Mother) and he passed when I was 13 at that very home. His pastime was sitting on the porch smoking Paul Mall non filters and listening to baseball on the radio. I think in his later years his favorite thing was teaching his grandchildren the game of baseball. He taught me how to throw, catch and hit a baseball and I turned out not too shabby at the game myself never reaching the level he did but I had a great time in sports. The Men who lived in that generation were REAL MEN. These guys would’ve not been standing by today if they were still young watching this country go to shit. They would’ve been stacking bodies. Maybe it’s a good thing this isn’t their generation 😂
Respects to your grandfather.
Eagerly awaiting part 2 :)
every time i rewatch pacific i'm blown away by just how brutal the conditions were and how few marines survived. i'm also amazed that the japanese military thought it would be a slam dunk and they would defeat the US navy so quickly and easily. would they have attempted a west coast landing if they destroyed the navy? all we know for a fact is that the japanese military attempted to disable our west coast artillery (which could shoot miles and miles off shore) with air dropping fire bombs on the west coast. i'm still waiting for the HBO special about the all black smoke jumpers, the 555th who saved the west coast from being burned to a crisp in that attack. most people don't even know that unit ever existed
I totally enjoyed this video!!
Great show
fantastic series
This is awesome!
Thank you for a great video. I liked The Pacific but not as much as Band of Brothers. However, as time passes and reading up on how poorly BOB treated some of the characters, I’ve come to like Pacific a little more.
Can’t wait for the next video.
Keep up the great work!
All 3 series(Band of Bros, The Pacific, & Masters of the Air) are brilliant, real works of art, but i gotta give the nod to the Pacific. It takes at least 2-3 viewings to fully appreciate it, whereas B of B can be fully appreciated on the first viewing. I think the pacific pulls us in more deeply, is more "fully immersive", and stays with you longer.
Great insight.