Hey everyone!!! note: I mean no disrespect by saying "Soldier" I just am not good with all the terminology and rankings. I will try and get better! thanks for watching! xx ames
Nevermind that! Just a heads up, you should do a reaction to Masters of the Air (Apple TV+) when you're able. That way you can have the Spielberg/Hanks trilogy covered. It's the "aviation" successor to BoB and The Pacific.
Your respect is appreciated. Given your heart felt and genuine emotion, another great movie review for you would be 1971 Brian's Song. Billy Dee Williams and James Caan. Very moving, you could bring out the emotions...
Yeah, they get touchy about that sometimes. Truth is the US Army and the Marines both fought in the Pacific usually in different places. The Marines got the most attention in American news media probably because they seemed to get the dirtiest jobs, and because of what they did on Guadalcanal. The Army and the Marines came together in the battle for Okinawa, and both suffered about 20,000 battle casualties. Add to that almost as many non-battle casualties which would be disease and psychiatric as shown in the series.
I want to thank you for not forcing us to sit through a self-promoting, superfluous, like button begging, repetitive intro that is so prevalent on youtube. Between this and your respectful empathy, you have earned the respect and appreciation of this old vet.
@@holddowna Yes, defending Australia. If either the UK or Australia had fallen to the Axis Powers the war would've been all the harder of a fight, greatly extending America's supply lines through submarine infested oceans. Perhaps it would've been an impossible war to fight at that point. Or if the Germans had occupied the Suez Canal. If that had happened the UK's oil supply situation would've been far worse. It's hardly an overstatement to say that if the British hadn't staved off the Germans the war would've been very tough for the Allies to win. It's why the Battle of Britain was so very important. A big part of that effort was the industrial might of the USA. It's a lesson that we should heed now as we undermine industry in the USA and other western nations. Oh, and domestic oil production. America produced its own oil so it wasn't vulnerable the way the UK was. Or Japan. Once Japan lost the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) it was just a matter of time before it lost the war. Japan had no oil fields on their mainland. In the year 2000 America only imported 20% of its food and now, last I looked, it was 40%. This is getting to the point were we are vulnerable the way the UK was as WW2 kicked off, they had severe rations on food. Despite this, one American political party is STILL trying to undermine American agriculture, and the same party is doing the same to American energy production. People need to stop voting for that political party and its Canadian, Australian and UK counterparts. That end of the political spectrum is truly the enemy within the western nations.
@@holddowna If you read the books by Leckie and Sledge it really fills in the story that they don't have time to get to even in a ten hour miniseries. Leckie also wrote a good book about the American Revolution. It's out of print, but a big city library or a good university library should have it. There is also a trilogy of books by Ian W Toll on the Pacific Theater that was just published within the last few years. It really gives a sense of what these people went through out there. One thing he mentioned is that the Aussies often thought the Americans to be wimps because they were too polite, too many pleases, thank yous, after yours. Never mind that they went through some of the toughest training in the world, talk about judging a book by the cover.
The medal of honor is more than just A high honor any man wearing the medal of honor must b saluted by every single person in the United States, military. From the president on down
No medal recipient that I ever met felt he earned it on his own, but the work of the team around him earned it with him. Frankly when I was in the Corps I never expected to come home. The Cold War was hot at the time and I expected to die on some South Pacific beach to a communist bullet.
I remember this show first airing. I was in 7th grade, and the 8th grade social studies teacher at my school (who I was a student of the next year) flew out to Hollywood for the premier. His name is David Leckie, Robert Leckie's son.
The performance by Tom Budge, who plays Gibson, in that hospital scene is just incredible. One of the best performances of the series, and it never fails to bring tears to my eyes.
@@richeaton5752 He had already been through Guadalcanal just like the rest of them. That's the truly insane part about this. All of the Marines we see in this episode have already done and seen an incredible amount in this war already, and yet here we are giving them a couple of months of reprieve before sticking them back into hell. It's a wonder that ANY of the Marines of the 1st division kept their sanity after all of that.
@@ktvindicaremy grandpa explained it this way after 1 war your mind goes elsewhere after the 2nd you are where you belong after the 3rd war you thrive in it he did 26 years in the marines was 17 at Guadalcanal 18 at Gloucester 19 at Pelelui and 20 by the end of Okinawa 25 at Inchon harbor and the chosin reservoir and early 40s in Vietnam during the tet offensive
I don't know if any body has mentioned it, but for those of you that live in SoCal near Camp Pendleton Marine Base, one of the main roads that runs the entire length of the base from North to South is John Basilone Road. Just thought it was relevant to this part of the series. I seem to remember seeing a Chesty Puller Road but couldn't find it in Google Maps. It's been quite a few years since I have been there.
John Basilone is a legend in the Marine Corps. We learned about him in boot camp. One of the obstacles in the Crucible is named after him. He ended up volunteering to return to his unit. Just in time for Iwo Jima.
The Pacific War is so immersive once you go down the rabbit hole. I'm currently reading Shattered Sword about the Battle of Midway. Very good. I urge anyone that loves this show to delve deeper into the Pacific War.
That corpsman felt bad, that the worst he had to deal with, was the patients. BUT, he IS helping the war effort. Even more, he is (was) helping a soldier/marine. Helping a human. And that's something.
I was deployed with the Marines and we stopped over in Australia for an operation with the Australian Army. We got liberty in Cairns and I got away from the city a little. Once the Australians found out I was an American Marine (you're a yank are you? And a Marine?). I didnt pay for anything. They still absolutely remember the sacrifice and are wonderful people. If I had to live anywhere in the world besides the US it would be Australia.
A lot of this series was filmed in the rain forest north of Cairns - Port Douglas, Daintree, etc. I was visiting around the time it had been filmed and the locals were buzzing about it. Northern Queensland is an amazing place that I can't recommend enough, both for it's nature and it's people.
The way the country treats Vietnam and Gulf war vets compared to illegal aliens, it should probably be the first choice. The two negatives would be the crazy wildlife and the complete ban on weapons.
So after having 2 tours in Iraq, I got "deployed" to Kuwait. I could not get over the fact I was driving through Kuwait City in an SUV. The Kuwaitis loved us.
@@RTS907 guns aren't banned. Well, not all types of guns. Military style weapons are out. You just have to be a fit and responsible person and have a reason to own one.
Lots of people are quite harsh about this series always comparing to BOB’s but I think they were both outstanding shows. This really shows the reality of the pacific theatre. Total respect to all the marines that served and continued to 🙏 Ames as usual fantastic work love this channel x
And I always tell them you can’t compare the two because both have different vibes and different themes both 2 series are great my dad showed me BoB and Pacific when I was a little kid
As someone who studies PTSD, I really appreciate The Pacific for showing the toll that combat takes on soldiers. Band of Brothers was good about that somewhat, but the Pacific Theater was grueling in a completely different way and lasted much longer than the European Theater. I've talked with a lot of people who ask why severe PTSD seems to not be as present in WW2 veterans. I always explain that PTSD as we know it was researched extensively much later. By that point, many of the WW2 veterans with severe PTSD were dead. Gibson is a great representation of those forgotten men to me.
I love the family. I'm Greek. My aunt escaped Smyrna that exact way. French ship. The only one to come close enough so they could make it swimming . She would never tolerate anyone ever saying anything bad about the French
To this day, the Greeks of Crete and Rhodes often treat Australians and New Zealanders with above and beyond levels of hospitality because of efforts the ANZAC's (Australia & New Zealand Army Corps) performed helping the Greeks in the failed defense of the islands against the overwhelming German invasion.
You can truly feel the reverence she has for these actual men and what they fought and died for. So many reactors make it all about them, treating a portrayal of real events and real people like a work of fiction to be laughed and joked about. This is the most heartfelt reaction to this mini-series I've seen... Thank you.
In my time in the navy, and to this day, I've never, ever met anyone, or watched any interview, who was a recipient of an award for valor, up to and including the Silver, Star, Navy Cross, and Medal of Honor, and a few from other countries, who felt like they earned it alone. They always pointed out the men who died had helped them earn that medal and that they, the recipients, were wearing it for them. In their eyes, the men who died were the real heroes.
My uncle was a B24 pilot flying "somewhere over the Pacific" and his plane was hit. He managed to hold his plane steady enough for 6 of his crew to bail out. The last man out saw my uncle literally consumed with flames. The plane exploded and no trace of Tom was ever found. He was posthumously decorated with a DFC. I sure if you asked Tom if he was a hero, he would have disagreed: he was just doing his job, as part of the team.
Wetting the bed can be a psychological symptom for when the person experience too much tension and/or fear for the most part of their waking hours. When they finally relax from falling asleep, the brain also forgoes the part where it would keep the minimal tension on the bladder that keeps the urine in. This is also a common symptom for kids who experience parental abuse.
My grandfather was in the Army in the Pacific in WWII. He was a radio man with a 4.2 inch mortar battalion. He saw horror upon horrors. Never talked much about other he was proud to serve his country.
I got to meet Eugene Sledge through a good friend of mine who was also an instructor at Montevallo. I had just gotten my third stripe and I wore my Blues that night when we went to dinner. It was my honor and my privilege as he had been a hero to me. I was actually a bit nervous at first.
My grandfather served in Germany and Korea. Listening to him talk about what he saw and experienced in both wars is insane. The things people can and will do to each other it's, heartbreaking.
The best series to have ever been produced in my humble opinion. I can't help but tear up and even cry at each single episode. I watch it religiously every year, along with BoB of course. What a time to have been alive...
I thought earning medals meant something when I first joined the Army. And then I went to Iraq and Afghanistan, and I earned medals. I got awarded medals for the worst days of my life.
They were camped out in the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is a 100k seat stadium in the centre of Melbourne. Fun fact, a marching / folk song synonymous to Australia is a song called Waltzing Matilda. This song was adopted by the US 1st Marine division whilst in Australia, they still use it today.
as a gratitude to all member of Allies WW2 Veterans, i quote : _"I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that, at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me "_ #SavingPrivateRyanQuotes thank you for the sacrifices and freedom🥺👍
Love your content as always. A good phrase that some ww2 vets said to me a while back when I met them was “The Europe Theater makes you want to be a Hero,while the Pacific Theater makes you want to be a pacifist. 2 brothers. One in army and one in marines.
This is a really tough series to watch. I've re-watched Band of Brothers at least 6 times by now while only seen The Pacific twice. Bob is easier because it's about the comradery and is inspiring. The Pacific on the other hand focuses more on the individual experience and the absolute batshit crazy horrors of the Pacific front and is much more emotionally taxing to sit through. Props to you for taking on this series. These first 4 episodes you've seen were the lighter ones; the remaining are very gut-wrenching.
I appreciate they dedicated an entire episode to Sledges return home and adjustment rather than an idyllic and bucolic baseball game somewhere in Austria.
Not to take anything away from the guys who fought in Europe, but there was only one D-Day and one Normandy there. In the Pacific there were seemingly endless D-Days and beach landings. The Germans would surrender when defeated and if Allied soldiers surrendered they would almost always end up in a POW camp, because the Germans did honor the Geneva Conventions when it came to POWs. The Japanese did not. They never surrendered and they did not take prisoners. If the Japanese didn't kill you then the jungle would. There was no way out. The miracle is that so few of them broke. If you get a chance you should read the books written by Leckie, 'Helmet for My Pillow', and Sledge, 'With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa'. The series is largely based on those two memoirs.
There was one incident involving a US marine named Dakota Meyer in Afghanistan 2009. Also notably he was one of the dads on the MTV show Teen Mom. He stood on the back of a truck manning a machine gun with another driving and made multiple runs into a hostile zone attempting to save his teammates who were pinned down by the Taliban, unfortunately his whole squad was killed with him being the sole survivor. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, but stated that the medal, to him, is only a reminder of how he failed his brothers.
Okay I've been watching your reactions for BoB and The Pacific. You are literally spot on in your reactions about a lot. I love how this series examines the psychological toll on these men. This needed to be talked about thoroughly. It's not talked about enough. I love how The Pacific reveals it. Fantastic series!
The real story for Leckie being drunk on guard was, the LT stole some of Leckies cigars and he had a grudge against him. When confronted about being drunk, he aimed the gun at the LT and threanted to fire. He could have been sent to Plymouth and been locked up for 20 years, but at the trial they took pity on him since he was drunk and gave him 10 days in the brig on bread and water and bust down from Corporal to private. He lived up to his nickname. Lucky
Do yourself a favor and look into the legend that is Chesty Puller. The commander of the Marines here. Absolute legend. I remember in boot camp reading about both he, and John Basilone when I went to machine gunner school.
"Almost certainly" is a stretch, 108k dead, 210k wounded out of 3+mil in the Pacific. So approx 3% deaths. Not denying the bravery, just for accuracy sake.
They were built the same. Man and woman have sex. It is society and the collective norm that has forsaken this county. I hate the term built different. All the same. Woman and man mate. The end.
@@TheDemonicPenguin 8.6% of Marines were killed and 17.7% were wounded during WWII. That means if you were a Marine, you stood a better than 1 in 4 chance of being killed or wounded in combat.
I remember reading the two books this shows based on I remember a passage from with the old breed “before you leave here sir you’ll find that one of the most dangerous things in this world is your average 19 year old American boy”
8:34 Actually they were issued brand new boots after getting to Melbourne but whoever they contracted that out to did a really shit job manufacturing them so everyone's feet were destroyed on that march.
Quite a few vets that I know, honor their medals. Although that being said, I do know of one vet that was awarded the C.M.H (Congressional Medal of Honor) and he told me he was only doing his job/duty. He saved everyone in his camp from being killed. To him, he was only doing his job/duty. For those that don't know, anyone that is awarded the C.M.H can have anyone at the award ceremony that he/she wants. As the President is the one that gives that medal. Anyone that is awarded the C.M.H is always saluted, regardless of what rank you hold. As that is the highest medal that any soldier/Sailor can get in this country and just that medal deserves all the respect that any military member/vet can get.
Jennifer, the correct name of the medal is 'The Medal of Honor' (MOH), each branch has a different design, the Marine Corps receives the Navy medal as they are a branch of the navy. As for saluting a MOH recipient, that is a traditional courtesy and not a requirement. No regulation in the Uniform Code of Military Justice nor In any branch of the armed forces Bureau of Personnel would ever require a superior officer to salute a junior officer or enlisted person, that isn't how the military works. Also, most Medal of Honors are awarded posthumously as they require an act of valor above and beyond the call of duty.
It’s tough to see your friends get hospitalized or they can’t hack it anymore. Everyone has there breaking point. Every Marine salutes a Medal of Honor recipient. From the Enlisted to the Commandant of the Marine Corps (the highest ranking officer). Question for you. What is the difference between The Pacific and Band of Brothers?
I remember my grandma talking about American soldiers in Sydney, they used to always have a big mouth and were immaculately dressed and were over paid while the Australian soldiers were generally poor and were dressed terribly, they used to get in fights with the Australian soldiers everyday and the Aussie soldiers won every time, the Americans were the pretty boys but the Aussies were the fighters or so she said
I definitely recommend checking out Generation kill in the future. It is a series about the first 40 days of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Its also produced by HBO. Although it has a different vibe than Band of Brothers and The Pacific (a dark comedy at times), it has the same high quality acting, cinematography and production value. Thank you for watching the stories of these men, they were truly special.
I can’t stress enough how much anyone that is interested in the Pacific theatre should listen to the podcast Hardcore History, the series is called Supernova In The East. It’s excellent, interesting, haunting, horrifying and amazing. Short of reading a dozen or more books it’s the best insight you will ever get. And you get so much historical and cultural context from the Japanese side, it doesn’t make you agree with atrocities committed but it sure gives you some insight in to the mindset which is so fascinating.
Regarding medals and what servicemen feel about wearing them, in my experience and personal service, I’ve found they generally feel two things. One, they never earn them alone. They’ve always earned them with what whatever team, squad, platoon or whatever was with them at the time. Two, they wear the medal for those who can’t.
When i was on my last deployment in Afghanistan i was planning to go to Australia, ive heard stories from family members lol, but a week before my R and R my grandpa died so i went back to the midwest.
Some of the shenanigans in Australia were a lot wilder than they show. They were doing parkour over rooftops to get away from the MPs, and the MPs were shooting at them. Speaking as an outsider who learns this stuff from books, I'm surprised how anarchic Marine culture can be. See the series "Generation Kill" for even more amazing examples of it.
Both my grandfathers refused to collect their WW2 medals. Neither ever marched, or join an RSL (Returned Services League). My mums dad died last June, one month shy of 104. He declined every invite of local RSL's to honour him in his late age. The first and only time i saw his medals was at his funeral. One of my aunties had collected them.
Medal of Honor for US & Victoria Cross for UK. There are others. All to recognize achievements, courage & deeds in combat. Tht said, great to be able to wear a uniform w/pride, hv all sorts of cool "salad dressing" & hv people thank you (even tho it can get a bit smothering & awkward at times even tho people mean well). Nobody gave my wife a medal when I was on the plane for Iraq 5 days after we were married. I'll nvr forget landing on US soil & local American Legion & VFW Post (& their Ladies Auxiliaries) turned out to greet us & welcome us home. We had it SO much better than the guys returning from Vietnam. Families on the "Homefront" go thru a different sort of hell when a loved one is away & in danger. I was lucky my new wife supported me & held up. I'll always be proud of her, love & respect her for it.
About medals, there are awards that paper pushers get that ground pounders rearly see. These are not generally helsd in high esteam by the infantry. Then there are valor awards, Purple Heart for wounds received in combat, Bronze Star with V device for valor, Silver Star, Navy Cross (Navy, Marines, Coast Guard), then ( the Medal of Honor. Ranked lowest to highest. These are the ones Combat Arms respects.
The worst part of my wars was ms hearing a firefight kick off. You know or weapons are by the sound. Hearing it go on waiting for the call the roll in and get into the fight. Then you dont get the call or they tell you to stand down. One of the worst parts of war
Where they placed the at the MCG. Melbourne Cricket Ground! Is a sacred sporting arena where all the Australian Football Finals and games are played. Holds over 100k people now. They nailed Melbourne with all the trams which are still used a lot to get around the city
Every recipient of the Medal of Honor whom I have heard address the subject has said words to the effect of "They earned this, I'm just carrying it for them."
There's an incredible documentary you can find here on youtube about the Victoria Cross that talks all about the type of men you're asking about in this video. It focuses on the highest medal for valor in the British military, but I'd imagine that the men who win the VC would feel very similar to the way the men who win a MoH do.
From what I’ve heard from the surviving Medal of Honor recipients (most of them are awarded posthumously) the Medal of Honor is being forced to relive the worst day of your life for the rest of your life because everyone wants to know how you got it.
What is missing is the smell.... Remember that tupperware container of broccoli you forgot in the back of your fridge 7 months ago, and were then dumb enough to open ? Multiply that by 100, ...and its HOT...
@3:50 veterans will tell you they typically don't care and most of the guys and gals are just doing their jobs then suddenly "Oh you got a medal". Don't get me wrong earning one is nothing to blow off but for the most part veterans serving, seperated, or retired don't really care as much but its a measure of respect. Its the story that's more important than the medal itself. I had the privilage of attending a ceremony in 2017 where two Air Force Defenders (Security forces) at Nellis AFB were awarded medals and they damn sure deserved them. One was awarded the bronze star with V for Valor and purple heart for saving a convoy in Afghanistan while being wounded but maintaining the fight and returning fire while accomplishing the mission without any KIAs. The other defender got the Airmen's medal helping to save numerous lives at the Oct 1st Las Vegas shooting directing the large crowd of people to cover from the raining gunfire, going back in and out of the area directing people out to safety as bullets were landing all around. The only award no one wants to recieve is a purple heart, awarded for being wounded by enemy fire.
Chesty Puller, the Colonel in charge of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines is one of the most decorated Marines in our history. He was awarded: 5 Navy Crosses Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Legion of Merit with "V" device (for valor) twice Bronze Star with "V" device Air Medal 3 times Purple Heart
A native of West Point, VA, Chesty is buried about 10 miles east of there, in Christ Church, VA, Middlesex County. I used to drive Lewis B Puller Memorial Highway all the time and stopped at his grave several times to pay my respects. Good night, Chesty, wherever you are.
