The pacific ep 8
Added 2024-01-02 13:55:55 +0000 UTCsorry Guys for the sniffles
Comments
Do you remember Episode 2, when John was fighting? He was in a foxhole with his machine guns and the Japanese just came running at them in a ‘Banzai Charge.’ Well, you saw how well that worked on Guadalcanal. Did you notice any banzai charges in this episode? Did you ever really see a Japanese soldier? They were in their bunkers, fighting from there until you ran a flamethrower up to the opening and burned them out. This reflected changes in Japanese military policies. To be fair, there was no formula, no strategy, to give the Japanese victory. When you’re defending an island from superior air and naval forces you have three very basic strategy options available: 1. Resist the landing while the troops are still in their landing craft. Try to turn the landing back before they land. The problem with this is you’ll have to bring your weapons in sight of the beach which means the Navy ships and planes can pulverize you. The US never just sent those little landing boats ashore alone, they’d be supported by huge Navy ships with huge guns and swarms of planes from aircraft carriers. This didn’t work. 2. Allow the troops to land, then attack them as they try to advance inland. Recall Basilone’s repeated warning/command, “Get off the beach if you want to live!” This strategy used Banzai charges as methods of attack. Japanese High Command issued orders against banzai charges. They didn’t win battles and only cost lots of men. 3. The Iwo Jima plan was to turn the whole island into a massive bunker complex. You don’t just sight your weapons on the beach, you try to make every inch of the island a killing zone. Still no banzai charges. Each Japanese fighting position would have to be dealt with one by one. This 3rd strategy didn’t turn the Americans back, it just cost a lot more lives than if the Japanese had tried the old banzai charge.
Lamar Smith
2024-03-25 05:19:04 +0000 UTCYou wondered about whether or not Basilone “regretted not having a life with Lena outside the Corps.” I’ve read a little on his life. The services were, sort of, a dumping grounds for our court system. Judges would take a guy who’d been in a bar fight or who had punched a cop and, once they’d been found guilty, offered them a choice between, say, 2 years in jail or 2 years in the service. Basilone joined the Marines under somewhat similar circumstances. He was a rowdy, loud guy who loved to fight and cause trouble and being in the Marines didn’t change him. He was stationed in Manila before the war and his career path was a series of earning promotions for competence and toughness in the field only to have stripes removed for drunk and disorderly behavior back in garrison. I knew guys like him. They’d do horrible in the civilian world. All services talk about certain guys who should be kept in a locked case with a label, “Break glass in case of war.” They can’t balance a checkbook, they have no social graces, anywhere you try to take him, he’s going to get drunk and embarrass himself or you, get in a fight, etc. You tell them during a war, “You hold this position at all costs,” and the biggest concern you’ll have is making sure the dead bodies don’t pile up so high blocking his field of fire. Basilone’s courage wasn’t in reenlisting. He was a MoH recipient, every Marine base would love to have him just be around. He could have reenlisted but stayed as a trainer, lived with Lena, came pretty close to having a 9-5 job, worked on those 6 kids. His courage was in not letting the boys he’d trained go to war without him. He volunteered for combat.
Lamar Smith
2024-03-25 04:59:37 +0000 UTCJohn Basilone was Italian, that is what his parents revert to speaking sometimes
Andrew Morris
2024-01-13 03:33:33 +0000 UTCThere is a statue dedicated to John Basilone in New Jersey where he’s from. They still hold an annual parade in his honor. His wife never remarried after his death. She became the official sponsor of the ship named after him, the USS Basilone.
MonoElm
2024-01-03 15:55:35 +0000 UTCNCO = Non-Commissioned Officer. Basically a higher ranked enlisted person, like an E-5 or above.
Robert C
2024-01-03 01:37:11 +0000 UTCShe's not getting shy in front of the other female marines because of her traditional family values. She is in charge of those other female marines and she can't appear soft or weakness in front of them it's how things are in the USMC.
Michael Aalgaard
2024-01-02 17:37:32 +0000 UTCNever underestimate your enemy
Michael Aalgaard
2024-01-02 17:30:09 +0000 UTCBasically like all military personnel sign a legally binding c9ntract to serve X amount of time when they enlist. After they serve the X amount of time they can re-enlist or leave the military and become a civilian again. The military/government cannot force them to serve more time once they serve their enlistment time re-enlistment is 100% voluntary.
Michael Aalgaard
2024-01-02 17:29:25 +0000 UTCNC0s = NON COMMISSIONED OFFICER. They are enlisted ranks that have authority and power to carry out orders given by officers. In BOB Major Dick Winters is an officer and Sergeant Lipton was a Non Commissioned Officer(pre episode 9 when he gets prom9ted to an officer then transferred to another unit). NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER = CHEVRONS/STRIPES ON THE COLLAR OR UPPER ARM. COMMISSIONED OFFICER = SILVER BARS, GOLD BARS, SILVER OAK LEAFS, GOLD OAK LEAFS, SILVER EAGLE, and SILVER STAR(S).
Michael Aalgaard
2024-01-02 17:24:56 +0000 UTC
