Pacific

[Kermit de frog]

Great Uncle was a radio-man on B-17s out of the Philippines. Got captured by the Japanese, survived Bataan Death March, spent war in POW camp. Liberated by Russians.

  to your great Uncle.

[Saurdaukar]

Anybody know anyone who was in WWII.

Sure.  All below ground now, though.

[rpm]

My Dad was a coxswain on LCVP's at Iwo Jima and served on LST's in several other battles. I wish he was still around to see this. He would have relished it. I watched a 30 minute "Making of The Pacific" on HBO a couple weeks ago. It is basicly the telling of 3 different Marines stories before, during and after the war. It will not be all battle like Band of Brothers. They wanted to show how the war affected these men's lives. The largest portion of the series (4 episodes) will be about Peleliu.

[Masherbrum]

Sure.  All below ground now, though.

Ditto, my grandpa was USMC 43-46.   He passed on in 1998.   He survived the 1st waves of Guam and Okinawa.   He went to Tsingtao China until Jan 46.   Finest man I've ever known.   He never cussed, never watched an R rated movie.  If I'm 1/64th of the man he was, I've done excellent.   

The Pacific will be tough for me to watch because of Guam.   Upon the ramp coming down at Guam, my grandpa lost his best friend from Parris Island/LeJune.   His buddy was 6'2" and my 5'7" grandpa carried him ashore under fire and brought him ashore to receive a proper burial.   

[maddafinga]

Great Uncle was a radio-man on B-17s out of the Philippines. Got captured by the Japanese, survived Bataan Death March, spent war in POW camp. Liberated by Russians.

Wow.  Just wow.  What a trial and hardship and what an amazing story!

[maddafinga]

My Dad was a coxswain on LCVP's at Iwo Jima and served on LST's in several other battles. I wish he was still around to see this. He would have relished it. I watched a 30 minute "Making of The Pacific" on HBO a couple weeks ago. It is basicly the telling of 3 different Marines stories before, during and after the war. It will not be all battle like Band of Brothers. They wanted to show how the war affected these men's lives. The largest portion of the series (4 episodes) will be about Peleliu.

Well that absolutely seals it for me then.  I've long said Peleliu was THE great unknown and under-appreciated battles of all time.  The things that those guys went through were simply horrific and unbelievable.  I've read everything I could on it and continually find myself shocked at the endurance those guys had of simply inhuman conditions. 

[SgtPappy]

As I sit in my comfy chair at home, it's impossible to visualize and feel the pain these men must have went through; both then and now.

Many sacrafices, they offered but those sacrifices are just so insanely high in price that I can't even try to comprehend. I wonder if that's just one of the reasons they fought and still do... to make sure none of us ever have to even feel their pain.

[Masherbrum]

As I sit in my comfy chair at home, it's impossible to visualize and feel the pain these men must have went through; both then and now.

Many sacrafices, they offered but those sacrifices are just so insanely high in price that I can't even try to comprehend. I wonder if that's just one of the reasons they fought and still do... to make sure none of us ever have to even feel their pain.

One memory of my grandfather I will take to my grave, is a story he shared for the first time, roughly 6 months before he passed.   On Okinawa he said: "Jay, to hear the screams from the caves after we threw in White Phosphorus grenades is something I have never forgotten.   I still wake up in the middle of the night hearing the screams, I wouldn't wish it on anyone."   We always discussed the usual stories of his time abroad, but this was one he never shared before.  I remember us having this discussion like it was yesterday.