Moved and Very Grateful

I’ve been meaning to post something about the HBO The Pacific series. If you have not seen this series, you should watch it. Now. I am a better person and a more grateful American citizen after watching this touching film series. There are many books that have deeply affected my life, and some movies as well. This was one of them!

The Pacific is based on the memoirs of two foot soldiers who fought in the Pacific theater during World War II. The series does an incredible job following the lives of three soldiers and their comrades, and putting you in the shoes (usually very muddy shoes) of these ordinary heroes.

After World War II, our soldiers came home and had difficulty talking about what they had gone through. Years later, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks have used historical data and personal testimonies to piece together what happened and put it in dramatic form.

These men (or, rather, boys) fought the brutal Japanese on muddy and malaria-infested islands in the middle of nowhere. They watched their friends die and be wounded and they prayed for death themselves at times. They saw things and had to endure things that most of us would think humanly impossible.

I now have a much deeper understanding and appreciation for our soldiers in World War II. I am so proud of our brave soldiers who have fought and made so many sacrifices for our freedom.