The Pacific Theatre of World War II, as seen through the eyes of several young Marines.
The Pacific follows the lives of a U.S Marine Corps squad during the campaign within the Pacific against the Japanese Empire during WWII. Made by the creators of Band of Brothers, it follows a similar line of thought to outline the hardships of the common man during war. The Pacific is in parts a fast-paced war series that can be enjoyed by action lovers while containing a more sensitive side when projecting the relationships (brotherhood) of Marines on the battlefield. Where The Pacific takes a new direction from its "older brother" is in its depiction of the lives of soldiers who were picked to return home to increase the sales of war bonds. In doing this it also depicts the life cycle of returned soldiers from initial joy to the eventual feeling of regret and to a certain extent shame felt by soldiers wanting to return to the war in service of either their comrades or nation.—ahmetkozan
Based on the accounts of Marines in World War II, this 10-part miniseries follows the intertwined journeys of three U.S. Marines in the Pacific Theater--PFCs Robert Leckie and Eugene B. Sledge and Sgt. John Basilone--from their first battle against Japan on Guadalcanal, across the sands of Iwo Jima and the horror of Okinawa, to their ultimately triumphant return after V-J Day.—Jwelch5742
December 1941. Pearl Harbour has been attacked by Japan and the US has entered World War 2. Robert Leckie immediately enlists in the Marines. Eugene Sledge would like to enlist but a heart condition prevents him from doing so. John Basilone is a Sergeant in the Marines. These are their experiences in the Pacific Theatre of World War 2.—grantss
Robert Leckie, a local sports journalist, enlists in the United States Marine Corps, promising to write to a female neighbour, Vera. A doctor's son, Eugene Sledge, also wants to enlist, but he has a "heart murmur" as told by his father, and his friend, Sidney, enlists without him. Robert and Sidney are both sent to the island of Guadalcanal, where fierce fighting ensues against the Japanese. An USMC NCO, John Basilone, distinguishes himself by his service at the machine gun, carrying it to wherever the enemy attacks even at the cost of his hand, with which he has to grab the overheated barrel. After the battle is won, the marines are sent for rest and recreation in Australia, where they start sexual relations with local ladies; Basilone, however, is separated from the rest and sent back to the US to promote the sale of US war bonds, having been decorated for his heroism. The marines return to the fray (Leckie briefly leaving them as he develops enuresis from the rainy weather), and are eventually joined by Sledge, whose health has ostensibly improved, and who is in the mortar squad. Sledge meets up with his friend briefly, before the latter returns back to the US. Sledge also eventually befriends his squadmate, nicknamed "Snafu". The marines land on and fight a brutal campaign on the island of Peleliu, where Leckie is wounded and evacuated, and many others perish. Meanwhile, Basilone is tired of living the high life as the poster boy for the war bonds effort and returns to train marines at the bootcamp. There he meets and eventually marries a fellow Italian-American servicewoman (who is a Sargent at the kitchen). Later, his unit ships to Iwo Jima where Basilone is soon shot and killed among many others, in a moment of heroism and in slow motion. Meanwhile, Sledge becomes an expert warrior as his mortar squad now is at the island of Okinawa. There, as mental strain increases and brutality grows, news arrive that "a new type of bomb" was dropped on Japan, and the Japanese soon surrender. Leckie returns home and begins dating Vera, to whom he wrote many letters but never sent any, believing he'd die. Sledge returns home after 6 months more of service and has PTSD, while his friend Sidney adjusts much better, but remains loyal to his friend.
