In the Battle of Guadalcanal there were many heroes. One that is never mentioned is not even an American. He was a member of the Island Constabulary. His name was Jacob Vouza. Jacob volunteered to scout for the Marines. They gave him a small American flag that he carried around with him wherever he went. On one scouting trip he was captured by the Japanese. They found the flag and tortured him for hours to get information on the Marines. He never talked so they used him for bayonet practice. They left him for dead tied to a tree. He managed to work himself lose.
Where did I leave off. Oh yes, he managed to work himself lose and walked 3 miles to the Marine base where he warned them of the impending attack. Within the hour the attack came but the Marines were ready. Jacob received the silver star and the Legion of Merit from the US. He was also awarded several medals by the British. In 1968 the 1st Marine Division brought him to the US. His memory lives on the Island he loved as there is a monument in his honor. I wish his story had been incorporated somehow in this series.
Thankyou for sharing his story:) The horrible things that happened are so hard to process but that is why it is even more important to share these stories
Bill Sadler is prtraying the great Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller. The most highly decorated Marine EVER, and, a total friggin' LEGEND. It was he who delivered the quote, "They've got us surrounded again, the poor bastards."
I forgot how brutal the second episode was. The cook at the end wasn't exaggerating. The Battle of Guadalcanal took on legendary status in the social imagination of the United States for the next fifty years give or take. It was the first victory in what became a campaign of island hopping pushing towards the Philippines. The first movie about the battle was made during the war, Guadalcanal Diary (1943), the others long after, Tarawa Beachhead (1958), The Thin Red Line (1964), and The Thin Red Line (1998). My father's uncle served during the war. He was a cook in the Navy in the Pacific, just like the cook there at the end.
My Uncle Reinhard Battcher served in the South Pacific. He never spoke about what he endured. He did say about being in a foxhole with Japanese soldiers dressed in American uniforms. They spoke English and when a American soldier would raise their heads the Japanese soldiers would decapitate them with their swords. My Uncle developed a code called Lovely Lalaplooza. They couldn't pronounce L it would come out R. That helped him survive the war. He was a hero to me. At his funeral they had military honors. He was my best friend.
We who watch reactions are fully versed in your Battcher stories. Dude, he wasn't the only man to serve with honor in the War. Please, no more, or at least be very selective with your narrative. Every WWII vet I grew up knowing didn't brag about or even talk about what they had to endure--why would you betray their desire to just get on with their lives?
One of the things left out of màny of these war movies is the contributions of members of the British Commonwealth. The largest volunteer army ever assembled came from India, with over 2.5 million men in uniform. They fought in almost every theater of the but especially in the brutal campaigns in Burma. Field Marshall Claud Auchinlech once said that Great Britian could not have come through both wars without the Indian troops. Winston Churchill praised their courage and dedication on the battlefields. These troops suffered nearly 200,000 casualties. We should never forget them.
A heart murmur is a abnormal "swishing" sound as blood flows through or near the heart. Some are of no consequence but others are symptomatic of serious issues. In Eugene's case, it was caused by a bad case of rheumatic fever in childhood that kept him out of school for two years.
Aria, you have one of the best post watch analysis, so far, of this series and the companion series "Band of Brothers" of anyone on RU-vid. You don't just end the show and say "see ya later!", you contemplate on what you watched. Kudos! ❤
Chesty Puller commanded the 1st Battalion on the 7th Marines. That included Basilone and Rodriguez. Leckie and Sid, Eugene's friend, were in the 1st Marines. When Eugene arrived, he was in the 5th Marines. Those are the names of divisions, about 10,000 men, I think, at the time. The numbers may have been assigned as the divisions were being formed. The 1st Marine division was likely formed around those already in the Marine infantry when the war began, though veterans were scattered through the divisions to season them. Chesty was awarded the Navy Cross 5 times throughout his long career. The Navy Cross is just one step below the Congressional Medal of Honor.
The Japanese actually had good field craft on the defense. They eventually abandoned the wasteful banzai charges and the war took a much darker, costly turn. One of the ironies of battlefields, is that when you visit them many years later, when the scars of war are mostly gone from the land, often times they really were beautiful places.
Unless you've put a lot of rounds through a machine gun, you have no idea how hot that barrel gets. I've seen them burn wood they were laying on. Perspective on John Basilone for you
I'm not sure if anyone else has mentioned this but one of the main reasons for the relentless brutality of the Japanese is that they believed their emperor was god on earth. They literally fought as a form of worship so they thought whatever they did on the battlefield would be rewarded. Another amazing reaction Aria!
According to Google, the Americans lost 1598 soldiers on Guadalcanal, and the Japanese lost 30,000 soldiers. The Americans also had 4709 soles wounded, the Japanese were all deaths.
when hordes of Japanese just kept coming at them ..... 2 things - first, that's where confidence from repetitive training on your weapons comes into play - muscle memory and instinct, ... second, the determination not to let your fellow Marines down by your side - a different level of faith in, and love for your brothers.
Japan was playing for keeps. Their soldiers believed that only through sacrifice in battle could they be welcomed by their ancestors; surrender was simply impossible, and a humiliating and cowardly act. Relatively few Japanese soldiers were taken alive as prisoners (mostly the severely wounded or unconscious). That ethos of self-sacrifice pervaded Japanese conduct. Opposite them were US Marines and others, who quickly learned to shoot first and never really ask questions at all. In as much as fighting the Germans was brutal, surrender was possible among German soldiers--against Hitler's orders--, meaning that hundreds of thousands survived the war as POW's. (the US was particularly careful in taking care of POW's) Totally different enemy.
If you want to watch something amazing, start watch the series called Silo. I just binged it all last night. Top 3 series for me of all time. Absolutely enthrawling series.
Allied Powers 7,100 dead 4 captured 29 ships lost (2 carriers 8 cruisers 17 destroyers) 615 aircraft lost Empire of Japan 31,000 dead 1,000 captured 38 ships lost 683-880 aircraft lost
@@dallesamllhals9161 It was a close fight in land, sea and air. It helped further exhaust the Japanese forces when it still had potential ... after Midway.
