The Pacific -(Warning: Spoilers Inside)

[bolo121]

One of the main problems is that in BoB you had a strong leader to follow in Cpt Winters, while in the Pacific there is no leader through whose eyes you can understand whats going on.

[Bigfella]

The Landsberg KZ was shown in rather big detail, besides that episode I can't really think of another example.

Tarek,

I recall the episode in detail, but that comes under 'aftermath' rather than 'committing'.

[bigross86]

Just saw Episode 5. Wasn't that great of an episode, but I liked how the camera follows Eugene Sledge when they hit the beach. Showing him scared, not moving, and then getting the guts to start crawling. Showing his fear every time he has to move, but he gets up and does it anyway, and responds under fire as part of the mortar squad just like he was trained to.

[Imperator~]

has anyone read Sledges book? With the old breed?

[xinhui]

I have, one of the best book out there in this subject.

[Tarek Morgen]

Tarek,

I recall the episode in detail, but that comes under 'aftermath' rather than 'committing'.

True, but then again BoB did play on the western front. While not free of massacres and crimes (like Malmedy for example) these were much more rare then compared what happened at the eastern front or on the Balkans. In a similar show playing in those theaters one would have certainly seen more German crimes.

[Bigfella]

True, but then again BoB did play on the western front. While not free of massacres and crimes (like Malmedy for example) these were much more rare then compared what happened at the eastern front or on the Balkans. In a similar show playing in those theaters one would have certainly seen more German crimes.

I think we're agreeing in a round about way. My broader point is that in anything based on a first person account or even an account of a small group you are necessarily limited in what you will see.

The chances of anyone not actually captured personally seeing an atrocity are extremely limited - indeed there is more chance of seeing your own side do it and (in these cases) even more of seeing the aftermath of an enemy atrocity.

Fighting in the Pacific was a lot more like the Eastern front than the Western in terms of brutality toward enemy comabatants, so I would expect to see more regular evidence of Japanese atrocities & more regular depiction of US behaviour that might be deemed questionable.

[YellowFever]

OK, so I was wrong.

I wasn't familiar at all with the miniseries The Pacific regarding it's backstory and that it's based on two books, 'With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa' and 'Helmet for My Pillow' written by Sledge and Leckie respectively.
Once I realized that this series should not be viewed as BOB was but rather the war as seen by those individuals, it became quite enjoyable.

We don't see the massive air battles and the carrier war and I guess that was one of my peeves about this project. Still what the individual Marines had to go through was sheer hell and the show is doing a pretty good job of portraying that but I can't help but feel a bit dissapointed because nothing is shown with a "bird's eye view" of battle so to speak. The Battle of Edson's Ridge was glossed over and The Battle for Henderson Field was just touched upon but I guess they can't divulge into that because it is a movie after all about the experiences of three marines but it comes across as one bloody fight after another without even knowing what battle it was and how significant those battles were. I find the lack of a narrative sorely missing in the series. It would have greatly added to the whole experience (it added emmensley to BOB) of watching the show but they can't do anything about it now so.......

In my earlier post, i was a bit peeved at the "meanness" of the American Marines but the show is doing a great job of convincing me how a perfectly normal person, saddled with the experiences they've accumulated through the battles can indeed become sadistic. I guess I knew this all along and it would have been much more believable if the "target practice" and some of the other sadistic things the marines were doing to their enemies were to have occured in episodes 6 or 7 but after the first battle they had with the Japanese on Guadalacanal? I don't think so.

All these are minor complaints though.

After reading the books mentioned above, I find myself enjoying this series more than I did BOB.

[bigross86]

I saw part seven, I was wondering, what exactly is the legal status of a stretcher bearer?

[Stan187]

I saw part seven, I was wondering, what exactly is the legal status of a stretcher bearer?

Just going out on a limb here, but I'd say that he's not a medic, he is actively taking part in hostilities even if for the moment he is not firing. So he's a legit target if that is what you were aiming to define.

[bigross86]

I was, especially after the long thread about the Collateral Murder incident.

Stan, did you get that PM I sent you?

[Stan187]

I was, especially after the long thread about the Collateral Murder incident.

Stan, did you get that PM I sent you?

I did I was just responding. :)