"The Pacific" Band of Brothers for the Pacific War

[ClaptonIsGod]

[kammo-man]

c

Give me a good close up and straight on from the side and we might pin this one down as yours .

Its looking close ...

o

[ClaptonIsGod]

This should do the trick

 

[Richard W.]

Yeah, those screenshots are all from the scenes on the airstrip in episode 6.

 

Stone was a SGT on Guadalcanal, but he's a 2LT in this episode. He's the Weapons Platoon commander, I guess.

 

I'm not ready to watch the episodes all over again yet, so if someone can give me an episode and scene that shows the helmet better, let me know.

[ClaptonIsGod]

Don't know how you'll judge this, Owen, but looking at the creases in the cover in the photo and mine, and the fact the liner, shell and cover are tagged "Stone", I think it is. :think:

[kammo-man]

I am not doubting it my young man , I just want to que up the pattern real tight.

You have a winner there.

owen

[Overlord]

My question is: " Where are the beards?" :think:

I reckon we need some heavy stubble haha

[ClaptonIsGod]

I thought tonight's episode was excellent. The scene where Basilone was killed was, in my opinion, quite dramatic/impression leaving. Sure, thousands of Basilones happened on Iwo Jima, but I think part of the role of his character was to instill the fact that each one of them had that much of a background/life before they got there, and just like that with the pull of a trigger it's over. 10/10.

[Linedoggie]

I think that was tastefully done from start to finish tonight. no smaltze.

[Cobrahistorian]

I think that was tastefully done from start to finish tonight. no smaltze.

 

 

:thumbsup:

 

Very well done. Well done, respectful and to the point.

[kammo-man]

boy oh boy ..........

 

I almost fell asleep but then a bit of bedroom action spiced things up a bit..............

 

war bit was fun but short.

 

5 out of ten.

 

 

owen

[FIRE508]

This episode just depressed me, it was good dont get me wrong but the feeling of just getting married to the love of your life and then shipping off and not coming back. He had a choice to stay or get discharged but wanted to go where the action was. It is just another side of war that is often not in the movies.

[Cobrahistorian]

This episode just depressed me, it was good dont get me wrong but the feeling of just getting married to the love of your life and then shipping off and not coming back. He had a choice to stay or get discharged but wanted to go where the action was. It is just another side of war that is often not in the movies.

 

Its reality, unfortunately. Ironic that this episode aired today. Just had a real-life situation like this happen.

[HolyHappiness]

Good, but not on par with Peleliu: Hills. There really isn't any nudity necessary, the time I spent staring at her...... Ahem.... Anatomy, is precious time I could have seen the oh so well documented confusion of the initial landing at Iwo, i.e. the Japanese holding their fire until the beach was full. Granted I do see the need to develop a decent love story between those two just to have it shatter like that charcoal pencil in the beginning, but in my eyes you can tell this without nudity let alone the sex. That is my only major gripe against this series is the sex. I can see maybe one instance in which it could be mentioned (between Leckie and his Aussie girl which kinda of explains his disdain towards the end of that episode [3] and ultimately the rest of his part in the series) but for the most part it isn't necessary.

 

I understand, however, why they covered Iwo Jima so quickly and that is because two fantastic films have already been done about the event by one Clint Eastwood. My wish though was to cover a bit more than just 20min if that. I would have liked to at least have seen a briefing of the matter. I mean all of us understand the importance of the island, but other views don't, and Tom Hanks only briefly discusses why in the opening segment.

 

The basic training sequences where fantastic, gritty, and above all, realistic. I really enjoyed those as well as the brief moment we spent on Iwo Jima. I do believe that they did get Basilone's death effectively however wrong. Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember him being killed instantly by a mortar round, not slowly by a few gunshots to the chest.

 

Overall I give this episode a 7/10 only because of the sex scene otherwise a 9/10. I hate it when people kill the rating because it's "boring". If all you are doing is watching the Pacific so you can see some gratuitous violence, you should have rented John Woo's "Windtalkers" or Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Bastards" and this is coming from a 19 year old.

 

I especially like this series (other than the overuse of sex) due to the fact that we have seen the side of war that only one or two films have EVER covered. That's one of the reasons I loved HBO's other miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon"; every episode was done differently and, for the most part, throws a twist in perspective into it. The Pacific comes extremely close to the fore mentioned series in terms of that.

 

On a brighter note, Okinawa [episode 9] is written and directed by the same people who did Peleliu: Hills [7] and will hopefully impact me as much if not more. Based on the previews, I'm predicting the latter in that statement.

 

All in all this series as a whole has a solid 8/10 so far. The 3 episodes that covered Peleliu in my opinion smashes BoB themselves. I personally did not feel the emotion that I did in 3 episodes on Peleliu than in 10 episodes in Europe.

 

Onward to Okinawa,

-Nathan

[Jeff V.]

A so-so episode for me. The greatness of #7 was not matched by this one. Better than the Leckie episodes but still left me longing for much more.

best wishes,

jeff

[Nellis]

As for swearing,

 

I personally don’t think the language in this show is entirely accurate to the time period. Out of curiosity I asked my dad. He was drafted into the navy in 1944 and was sent overseas to the Marshall Islands, Majuro and Kwajalein. He was also on 3 aircraft carriers during the Korean War. He’s 85 now but still has a very sharp memory, especially for lots of little details.

 

So I recently asked him about swearing, curse words and how people talked back then while he was in the Navy. What he said was actually a little surprising but it makes a lot of sense.

 

I’ll keep this G-rated and as politically correct as possible but I think we all know the words we’re talking about without me spelling them out. My dad was a sailor, an enlisted man and not a prude by any means. If you’ve seen Clint Eastwood in the movie Gran Torino, that’s my dad.

 

You have to put things into perspective. Society was quite a bit different 70 years ago and there were a few unwritten rules. Men didn’t swear in front of women or kids. That was a big no-no. Music, movies, radio, books, magazines & newspapers were not allowed to speak or print swear words. The movie Gone with the Wind (released 1939) created an uproar and was banned by church groups because Clark Gable said “I don’t give a damn”.

 

My dad didn’t hear any woman ever use the F word until the late 1950’s. He didn’t ever hear the F word spoken in a movie or see it written in print until the 1970’s. I’d say his experiences & outlook on life was pretty typical for most people at the time.

 

Men did swear in the 1940’s, especially military men but the most common swearing didn’t include the F word. As he recalls, swearing back then meant using words like SOB, G-damn, SH&t, P#ss, BAST#$D. In other words, a military man would likely say, “Where’s your G-damn helmet?” in WWII but the same question would be asked, “Where’s your F-ing helmet?” today.

 

The F-word was used differently back then. It was the worst word you could say and telling someone “F-you” or “F-off” meant you were going to fight or get a sock in the jaw. The military was racially segregated in WWII so the white guys didn’t really hear the slang and swear words the black guys were using & visa versa. As an example, my dad never heard the word “mother-F-er” until long after WWII. He also said the F-word was used mostly with “–ing” on the end, or as an adjective. F-ing rain, F-ing mosquitoes, F-ing mud, etc. Also with “-ed” on the end like, “we’re F-ed” or “things are really F-ed up.”

 

He did agree that the F-word was not used in place of a comma to punctuate every other sentence like in “The Pacific” and definitely not like it is today. He added that most young guys at the time liked to think of themselves as well brought up and upstanding citizens from good, decent families. People took pride in things like that back then. Most guys went to church and believed in whatever their religion. Cussing and swearing was widely considered low class and the way trashy, uneducated people spoke. Because of that kind of stigma, a lot of guys just didn’t cuss or swear.

 

Anyway, that’s what he recalled about it, for what it’s worth.

 

JW

 

I am so glad you took the time to ask your father these questions. I've been wondering this from the very start of this series!

[CCA]

The John Basilone Day Parade (held every year in his honor) in Raritan, NJ. will be a more special event because of this series. Even though his hometown still honors him, more people will certainly know what he did and what he means. "The Pacific" describes the action that led to his death on Iwo Jima as it is on Basilone's Navy Cross citation, although eyewitnesses say he was killed by a mortar round. I think the series captured Basilone's character in a way that many books did not. As Capt. Dale Dye has said, "It is difficult to portray the most famous Marine ever". From him that's saying allot. Episode 8 was top shelf and much thanks to Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone for his service and sacrifice.

[Kurt Barickman]

I liked it, but I like all of them; not much else to compare it to. His poor wife, what a beauty. I don't understand why people criticize any romantic or love/sex aspects in a war movie. These are young men, of course this is on their minds. I know when I was on active duty as a young twentysomething, it was DEFINITELY on my mind and was working every angle for it possible.

 

Kurt Barickman

[gpw_42]

I've really enjoyed the last several episodes, and was pleasantly surprised at the portrayal of Gunnery Sgt Basilone's romance and subsequent death on Iwo Jima; the nudity last night was mercifully minimal. I was familiar with Leckie and Sledge from their books, so saw the Basilone portion with the eyes of the ill-informed viewer. The portrayal of the hard-nosed NCO, who TRULY cared about his Marines (or soldiers) is sorely lacking from Hollywood, and it was NICE to see it. Somehow, it seems like the NCOs are mostly portrayed as abusive (see GI Jane for the WORST of that stereotype), and it's nice to see them get credit for being real (AND GOOD!).

 

It is nice to me to have something positive to post on this thread!

 

Steve

[Cobrahistorian]

The portrayal of the hard-nosed NCO, who TRULY cared about his Marines (or soldiers) is sorely lacking from Hollywood, and it was NICE to see it. Somehow, it seems like the NCOs are mostly portrayed as abusive (see GI Jane for the WORST of that stereotype), and it's nice to see them get credit for being real (AND GOOD!).

 

 

I agree 100%, it was definitely a welcome change from the stereotype.

[giconceptsjw]

I thought part 8 last night was good, not boring or disappointing. It was nice to see the whole hour devoted to one guy. Of course it was kinda hard to watch since I already knew Basilone’s fate. I’m sure 90% of the people watching this series have no idea who John Basilone was or that he was killed so I’m sure it was shocking to them. The relatively short time spent on Iwo Jima (20 minutes?) was to be expected since Basilone’s personal life outweighed the battle scenes for the drama aspect of his story.

 

BTW, my uncle Ray (my father’s older brother) was in the 3rd Marine Division and was wounded on Guam. He was hit in the shoulder while lying prone after a Japanese machinegun opened up on them. The bullet entered his shoulder and traveled parallel to his spine for 24” before it exited his lower back. He spent 5 months in a Navy hospital recovering. They were going to send him home but he wanted to go back to his unit. As he told me, “I hadn’t had enough of the war yet.” He returned to the 3rd just in time to land on Iwo Jima. It may sound unbelievable or corny today but some guys really were like that.

 

I don’t intend to diminish John Basilone’s actions or his well established war record. He was a true hero in every sense of the word. However, in Basilone’s own words, he felt he received the MOH because of the timing, not his actions. It was 1942 and the US did not have any war victories or heroes yet. The American public had been devastated with nothing but bad news ever since Pearl Harbor. Military leaders and politicians were eager to present medals in recognition for heroism and bravery. The goal was to publicize their exploits to boost public moral. That’s exactly what they did. If you read the circumstances for the award of the MOH presented in 1942 and compare them to those presented in 1944 & 1945, the differences are quite noticeable. In other words, if men like Basilone & Mitchell Paige did what they did on Okinawa in 1945 rather than on Guadalcanal in 1942, they would have been awarded a Navy Cross or Silver Star instead of the MOH. Basilone himself knew this so he always remained very humble. In a subtle way, I think they hinted at all of that in part 8 last night.

 

Interestingly, Dye is on record calling Chesty Puller “the most famous Marine ever” and he also called Ira Hayes “the most famous Marine ever.” I don’t have anything bad to say about anyone but having worked with Dye personally, I’ve had some bad experiences. If anyone wants the truth about that guy straight from the horse’s mouth, feel free to PM me. That’s all I have to say about that.

[fortworthgal]

I enjoyed last night's episode but found it too short. Sidenotes - didn't need to see Lena's bare chest, and not sure why she was wearing an Army shirt half the episode, when the other WRs had the proper shirts. Also the WR purses looked suspiciously like WAC purses... but I couldn't get a close enough look to be sure.

 

I too thought Basilone was killed by shelling. I suppose it would be hard to show that.

 

I'm surprised they weren't able to locate any USMC blankets to use for the series.

 

I'm glad there is something out there focusing on the PTO and USMC, and I think parts of the series have been very well done, but I must admit that overall, I'm disappointed.

[kammo-man]

Nathan ,hh

Hate is a pretty strong word you directed against me and my rating.

Telling me what movies to watch like QTs IB is an insult.

owen

[HolyHappiness]

Nathan ,hh

Hate is a pretty strong word you directed against me and my rating.

Telling me what movies to watch like QTs IB is an insult.

owen

 

That was in no way directed towards you. I have heavy respect for you and you collection. I got carried away when ranting about the ratings on IMDB's website, I spend much of my time there to watch idiots argue things they don't know anything about. Many sit there and complain that more guts weren't being show or they wanted more sex, that comment was talking about them, I should have clarified. I am deeply sorry if I have offended you in any way. I respect your opinion as you know the history and are a experienced collector as well. Again, I meant no offence and a deeply apologize if I have left any.

 

-Nathan

[HolyHappiness]

Good, but not on par with Peleliu: Hills. There really isn't any nudity necessary, the time I spent staring at her...... Ahem.... Anatomy, is precious time I could have seen the oh so well documented confusion of the initial landing at Iwo, i.e. the Japanese holding their fire until the beach was full. Granted I do see the need to develop a decent love story between those two just to have it shatter like that charcoal pencil in the beginning, but in my eyes you can tell this without nudity let alone the sex. That is my only major gripe against this series is the sex. I can see maybe one instance in which it could be mentioned (between Leckie and his Aussie girl which kinda of explains his disdain towards the end of that episode [3] and ultimately the rest of his part in the series) but for the most part it isn't necessary.

 

I understand, however, why they covered Iwo Jima so quickly and that is because two fantastic films have already been done about the event by one Clint Eastwood. My wish though was to cover a bit more than just 20min if that. I would have liked to at least have seen a briefing of the matter. I mean all of us understand the importance of the island, but other views don't, and Tom Hanks only briefly discusses why in the opening segment.

 

The basic training sequences where fantastic, gritty, and above all, realistic. I really enjoyed those as well as the brief moment we spent on Iwo Jima. I do believe that they did get Basilone's death effectively however wrong. Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember him being killed instantly by a mortar round, not slowly by a few gunshots to the chest.

 

Overall I give this episode a 7/10 only because of the sex scene otherwise a 9/10. I hate it when people kill the rating because it's "boring". If all you are doing is watching the Pacific so you can see some gratuitous violence, you should have rented John Woo's "Windtalkers" or Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious @#!*% " and this is coming from a 19 year old. *Please note that was directed at the user ratings and reviews on IMDB.com*

 

I especially like this series (other than the overuse of sex) due to the fact that we have seen the side of war that only one or two films have EVER covered. That's one of the reasons I loved HBO's other miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon"; every episode was done differently and, for the most part, throws a twist in perspective into it. The Pacific comes extremely close to the fore mentioned series in terms of that.

 

On a brighter note, Okinawa [episode 9] is written and directed by the same people who did Peleliu: Hills [7] and will hopefully impact me as much if not more. Based on the previews, I'm predicting the latter in that statement.

 

All in all this series as a whole has a solid 8/10 so far. The 3 episodes that covered Peleliu in my opinion smashes BoB themselves. I personally did not feel the emotion that I did in 3 episodes on Peleliu than in 10 episodes in Europe.

 

Onward to Okinawa,

-Nathan