Part seven of the HBO mini series The Pacific sees Sledge and the Fifth Marines continue the fight for Peleliu after having taken the airfield in part six. Whereas the last episode marked Sledge’s birth by fire, this episode observes as he and his comrades turn into (or back into) a bunch “raggedy-ass Marines.” Unbeknownst to the Americans, the Japanese have built an extensive tunnel network, and fighting in the hills above the airfield is tedious, deadly and demoralizing; the round-the-clock, close quarters combat takes its toll physically and psychologically. For a lot of Marines this is familiar territory but Sledge begins a steep descent from a God-fearing southern boy into a deeply troubled young man. He even makes an attempt at getting a dead soldiers gold teeth, but Snafu, perhaps realizing that he’s in part responsible for his comrades change in behaviour, talks him out of it. The constant loss of life, and eventually the death of Captain Andrew Haldane, who was liked and respected amongst the troops, contributes to low point in morale. Even Sgt. “Gunny” Haney, the most experienced and probably hardest Marine in the whole division, breaks under the extreme pressure. When they are finally relieved and return to Pavuvu they’re greeted by women clad in shining whites distributing lemonade, and the troops, tired and bewildered, take their time (and a good look at the girls). A soldier with the ladies asks Sledge and his pals to move along, he quickly gets death stares from the whole platoon and we watch as his the blood drains from his face. While all war films are gritty and realistic, I think HBO did a great job depicting the temperment and conduct of the soliders, in fact nothing in the whole series is sugar coated or toned down. In part seven Basilone is getting bored on the bond drive and it sets up part eight and the battle for Iwo Jima.
Read the full article »

Just over a week ago I covered the first two episodes of The Pacific, HBO’s series on the Pacific theatre of World War II. After four months on Guadalcanal the troops finally get some hard earned reprieve and a hero’s welcome in Melbourne. They are treated as the saviours of Australia, but not everybody is thrilled about the presence of the Marines, namely the few lads left down under whose compatriots have been fighting the war for a few years already. One sour soldier decides to mention said frustration just as Basilone and Morgan are toasting a fallen comrade. Blows are exchanged and a round of drinks is ordered for the ‘Cowboy Yanks’ to cool everyone’s tempers. Just as in Band of Brothers, you get beaten over the head with the vernacular of the Australians and British; slow, clear (but heavily accented) pronunciation and the overuse of slang to refer to their American comrades. ‘Hey Allan, another round of drinks for Uncle Sam’s Yankee-Doodle Cowboys.’ That wasn’t in there but you get the idea.

Despite the over-the-top Aussies Melbourne is the equivalent of heaven on earth. They’ve done a great job recreating the city at that time, with old trams and neat townhouses. It really is gorgeous and provides the backdrop for the Marines’ booze fest and tail chase, with all of the main characters having to put in various of degrees of effort trying to get their broads into the sack. Leckie meets the daughter of a first generation family originally from Greece, who take him in with heart and soul, only to be dumped later by his girlfriend out of fear he might never return. Basilone is informed he’ll receive the Medal of Freedom for his bravery on Gaudalcanal. Leckie gets into trouble for the first time (on video he mentioned that he got promoted and demoted so often they should have had a zipper for his chevrons), and Basilone gets sent home to bang the war drum and raise money.

In part four the troops are sent back into the field on the isalnd of New Britain at Cape Gloucester, once again the outnumbered Japanese throw themselves on the sword and the troops end up battling the elements more than the enemy. Some are driven to insanity and Leckie develops enuresis, or bedwetting from the stress. Even out of combat the troops have to deal with rats and crabs. Leckie gets sent to a hospital which is actually more of a looney bin and gets a break, a coke and burger and manages to stay dry and asks to be sent back to his unit. I agree with another reviewer in that I find Leckie to be a likeable guy, somewhat unpolished but genuine. It’s going to be interesting to see how they devleop, and how they cope; we’re not half-way through this thing yet and and the hardships and pressure being faced is already immense.

As promised in that other post, I’ve written a review of the first two parts of The Pacific, the HBO mini series following three marines through the Pacific theatre of World War II. Executive producer Tom Hanks narrates the opening of each episode which features original footage and maps. We also get to hear from the veterans themselves, as they describe in their own words what they were thinking or what they knew going into the war. Unlike the companion series Band of Brothers, The Pacific wastes no time jumping into the action. We catch up with the troops just before they’re about to ship off, as they’re taking in Christmas and saying their goodbye’s. In the first two episodes we’re introduced to the three main characters: Robert Leckie, John Basilone and Eugene Sledge, the latter is unable to join up due to a heart murmur. In the first episode Leckie and the 1st Marines land on Guadalcanal, one of the Soloman Islands with an airfield in striking distance of supply lines to Australia.
Read the full article »