Second this. The books that the series is based off of are definitely worth reading.
Absolutely.
That is one of the challenges with the series... and why folks don't find it as cohesive or easy-to-follow as Band of Brothers.
It's based on quite a few books. William Manchester's Goodbye Darkness. Helmet for my Pillow by Robert Leckie. With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge. Red Blood and Black Sand by Chuck Tatum. Also several campaign books such as Guadalcanal by Richard Franks and Guadalcanal Diary by Richard Tregaskis (I think).
So the stories jump all over the place and it can be hard to follow or bond with the specific characters the way you do with Band of Brothers.
My biggest takeaway from the series is how absolutely horrible the Pacific Campaign was and how hard on the Marines. And how unbelieveably tough and resiliant they were. Everyone talks about D-Day. June 6, 1944. Yup, it was huge. Omaha Beach was appalling and the Paratroopers were some of the most amazing and best-trained soldiers America has ever seen (and that includes today's SoF forces.) That was followed by a 11-month slog across Europe and terrible experiences in the Ardennes and (worse) in the Hurtgen Forest... and in Italy (which is not covered.)
But it was not a jungle war. It was at least a temperate climate. It was a slog. But it was not an environmental as well as a combat hell.
Those who have visited the WW2 museum in New Orleans may remember an exhibit called "D-Days in the Pacific"... and I don't remember the exact number. But there were something like 80-100 D-Day's in the Pacific. And for most of them, they were stubbornly defended at waters edge. Only late did the Japanese adopt a 'Draw them in' strategy... such as at Okinawa and Iwo. Otherwise, (as at Tarawa and Peleliu) the beaches were defended viciously. But in both cases, the defenders were utterly relentless and, as portrayed, glad to die for their Emperor.
The Marines had jungle rot. Biting things. Leeches. Bone cracking malaria. 120 degree temperatures. Worms. Monsoon rains. Their clothes rotted off. The Japanese fought to the last man. They wired civilians with explosives. They flew their planes into hospital ships... because denying medical attention was a way to kill more Americans. The climate was trying to kill them. The ocean was trying to kill them. The insects were trying to kill them. And they were at it continuously from 1942 until the day the Bomb dropped in August 1945. They saw far worse... lived far worse. Endured totally unendurable conditions. Almost three continuous years for many. Oh and Plus six months for occupation duty if they didn't have the points.
So I saw two totally different series. But in a good way. Someone above said they saw it as the meatgrinder. That was an apt desciption. The Pacific tells the story of a meatgrinder and the guys who survived it. I don't say 'lived it.' I say 'Survived it.' Band of Brothers tells the story of a unit and their incredible bond. (And, yes, some incredible feats of endurance.) But BoB's folks endured weeks of misery at a time. The Pacific Marines endured one continuous hell for more than 1000 days of combat in the worst conditions.
Last, I recall a study that the Army did in WW2 that said after 80 days in combat most combatants were suffering some kind of serious psychological trauma. Often serious. Not sure if the Marines ever analyzed the same thing in the Pacific. But their numbers were far higher...
That's sort of the difference I see between the series... in a long-winded way. If anyone wants a "Pacific" reading list... I have about 8 feet of books on the campaign. Glad to share!
Cheers,
Sirhr
