Pacific - episode 4 (2 Viewers)

[kogu]

Yes indeed.And the Hell the Marines went through would be enough to push anyone over the edge,and of course this was not new in warfare.Its well known in WW1 young men took their own lives rather than continue in the Horror of the Trenches.

Suicide in the Trenches by Siegfried Sassoon;

I knew a simple soldier boy,
Who grinned at life in empty joy,
Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
And whistled early with the lark.

In winter trenches cowed and glum,
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain,
And no one spoke of him again.

You smug faced crowds with kindling eye,
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you'll never know,
The Hell where youth and laughter go.



I feel this poem could be for Marines or Tommies or any young men we ask to go out and kill or be killed on our behalf.

Rob

Thank you for this poem, Rob,
very true words.
Konrad

 

[Njja]

Nobody has said it better Louis and those poems can really get to you.
Mark

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I don't think I'll ever be the same again.

 

[marco55]

Even though we have never had to go through what the men in those wars went through you should try to put yourself in their shoes maybe then you would understand what those poems convey.It's easy to sit in the comfort of our homes and feel smug.
Mark

 

[kogu]

What a poignient poem, as is the one in your following post, Rob. I agree completely with your and Brad's sentiments. I for one have never heard a shot fired in anger, and I feel very blessed that this is the case. I don't think any of us lucky civilians have the slightest idea of the horrors of war. I figure the worst I can imagine it can't even begin to approximate the privations that the brave service men who protect us have gone through over the years. What is worse? Freezing until you lose your toes to frostbite, or practically drowning standing up in a monsoon until you lose your toes to trench foot? Bone chilling cold, or brain cooking heat? Snow, monsoons, or the burning sands of a desert? Or weathering a noreaster at sea?

Whether they served in the murderously hot days and bone chillingly cold nights of North Africa (or Iraq or Afghanistan), the bitter cold of Bastogne (or indeed, of a bomber at 30,000 feet), the miserably hot Pacific Islands (or deserts of Kuwait), the monsoons of Burma (or Vietnam), or the chilling waters of the North Atlantic, we owe all of them our thanks.

A very remarkable post, Louis,
it is very hard to describe the monumental amount of what we owe to the troops but you did it very well.
Konrad

 

[Njja]

Even though we have never had to go through what the men in those wars went through you should try to put yourself in their shoes maybe then you would understand what those poems convey.It's easy to sit in the comfort of our homes and feel smug.
Mark

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If you were referring to my post, let me say each man has to endure what

is laid out for him in his lifetime. No one excapes unscathed, its how we

handle the situations that we are dealt that defines us.

I am not the type of man moved by poetry, perhaps that is a shortcoming, it

is what it is.

If you define smug as "confidence in one's ability" I admit I do suffer from

that condition. After all......If not you, then who?

 

[Njja]

Not to get off point, but think about life, everyone is tested, and often tested again.

Just look at Tiger Woods, now I am not a golf fan, or a Tiger fan, but you have to respect what he accomplished.

Here is a guy earning 100 Million + a year, beautiful homes, yacht, private jet, more money then you could ever spend. Beautiful wife and family.....and best of all he doesn't have to answer to anyone.....he is on top of the world.

Next thing you know he is apologizing to the entire world. Everyone is deciding if they should forgive him.......I'm not talking about his family here, I'm talking about Joe Public that he doesn't know from adam.

It has to be a really bad dream for him.....how did this happen?

I know its his fault, but really its life, no one escapes these little tests.

Its how you handle them that really counts.

 

[jazzeum]

John,

That 45 story is amazing. That was grace under pressure. You are right however: it's how you handle the challenges that count. One of our former CFOs (who just passed away and who I'm sure you would have loved) used to say that stress is how you know you're alive.

 

[Njja]

John,

That 45 story is amazing. That was grace under pressure. You are right however: it's how you handle the challenges that count. One of our former CFOs (who just passed away and who I'm sure you would have loved) used to say that stress is how you know you're alive.

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Brad, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Since you did let me tell you how it ended.

The fellows rode behind me for a couple of miles, so I slowed down, and they did the same putting their right hand blinker on and motioning me to pull over.

I had left my Nextel at work charging so I couldn't call anyone, however this being Georgia I had my HKUSP 9mm in my armrest. I took it out and held it up

so they could see it thru the back window of my truck, I then chambered a round and continued to slow down.

Finally as we approached an exit they gunned it and decided to pass me, now what?

The only thing I could do was hold my piece across my chest just below the window and steer with my left hand. If they fired I knew I would have little

chance but they also knew I was armed. When they pulled alongside and I took a look the only thing visible was a pair of hands on the top of the steering

wheel and empty seats.....they all must have been on the floor. They sped by and I pulled off the exit and returned to work.

My Georgia pals at work all had a good laugh and told me to get me a gun rack for the back window of my truck "so's nobody pulls that stuff on you".

Thats Georgia for you.

 

[kingtoot]

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Brad, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Since you did let me tell you how it ended
The fellows rode behind me for a couple of miles, so I slowed down, and they did the same putting their right hand blinker on and motioning me to pull over.
I had left my Nextel at work charging so I couldn't call anyone, however this being Georgia I had my HKUSP 9mm in my armrest. I took it out and held it up
so they could see it thru the back window of my truck, I then chambered a round and continued to slow down.
The only thing I could do was hold my piece across my chest just below the window and steer with my left hand. If they fired I knew I would have little
chance but they also knew I was armed. When they pulled alongside and I took a look the only thing visible was a pair of hands on the top of the steering
wheel and empty seats.....they all must have been on the floor. They sped by and I pulled off the exit and returned to work.
My Georgia pals at work all had a good laugh and told me to get me a gun rack for the back window of my truck "so's nobody pulls that stuff on you".
Thats Georgia for you.

I love happy endings!! Great story ....

 

[Rob]

Well I'm sorry Njja didn't like the Sassoon poems,but glad you other guys did.

Rob

 

[marco55]

You don't have to like the poems to try to understand the horrors of trench war and the misery of very young men who haven't even lived their life and the despair they must of felt.We have all had problems and stresses in life but very few if any here have went through anything like that.
Mark

 

[Rob]

You don't have to like the poems to try to understand the horrors of trench war and the misery of very young men who haven't even lived their life and the despair they must of felt.We have all had problems and stresses in life but very few if any here have went through anything like that.
Mark

Spot on.We all suffer trauma at some point in life,I was once attacked by two guys on the way home from work who cut my head open with a box knife,but you move on and get over it.The guys in the Trenches couldn't do that,death, mutilation,personal loss in horrendous conditions,no councilling,no support,no compensation.As Louis said earlier,we owe so much that can never be repaid.

Rob

 

[lancer]

The Sassoon poem is a good one. It is a remarkable fact that the First World War spawned a huge amount of great literature. The big three in first war poetry, Sassoon, Graves, and Owen, are able to tear out your heart. IMHO, Owen was the best of them and also the only one of the three that did not survive the war. He was KIA just days before the end and the only view he was able to leave of his horrors was through his poetry. It will pay you all back to look up some of his work. WW1 and it's h*** brought out the anguish in thousands of poems by thousands of different writers. It is, literally, a whole sub-genre in history of WW1. It was a form of expression that was present, but nowhere near as widespread in the second war. -- Al

 

[VIRIATO]

I enjoyed the poems a lot Rob, many thanks for posting.I guess extreme experiences can sometimes produce unparallelled artistic inspiration and talent, and in these WWI cases, respect, a lot of deep respect is indeed in order.
Rob and Nijja, hardcore experiences indeed...

Back to episode 4 I saw it last night. I thought it was OK, looked realistic (from what I've read, mind you...). But maybe I was tired at night or something, I feel there is something missing, the genius spark that distinguishes nice or fine from outstanding. The potential sure is there but...
Is it that too much is being crammed into little time (it's a mini series after all)?
Or maybe it would be better if some heavyweights wrote the story for TV and directed it? When it comes to directing Clint Eastwood, Michael Mann or even Cimino or Coppolla come to mind, to speak just of American directors, although this is TV and not a movie... Guess the heavyweights (Spielberg and Hanks) decided to focus on the production part, and you notice production of this series is really something special, perhaps the best thing so far (battle scenes, wardrobe, scenery, filming). I'll keep following it.

The best WWII thing I have seen recently on TV is the French documentary Apocalypse: WWII, aired here on the National Geograhic channel (the English spoken version) and the French spoken version on TV Monde 5 (I believe that's the correct name).Real footage, although nicely colorized, some 6 episodes that nicely portrait the War from beginning to end, interesting and poignant sequences and music. You can really feel the weight of History on this one.

Paulo

 

[Rob]

I enjoyed the poems a lot Rob, many thanks for posting.I guess extreme experiences can sometimes produce unparallelled artistic inspiration and talent, and in these WWI cases, respect, a lot of deep respect is indeed in order.
Rob and Nijja, hardcore experiences indeed...

Back to episode 4 I saw it last night. I thought it was OK, looked realistic (from what I've read, mind you...). But maybe I was tired at night or something, I feel there is something missing, the genius spark that distinguishes nice or fine from outstanding. The potential sure is there but...
Is it that too much is being crammed into little time (it's a mini series after all)?
Or maybe it would be better if some heavyweights wrote the story for TV and directed it? When it comes to directing Clint Eastwood, Michael Mann or even Cimino or Coppolla come to mind, to speak just of American directors, although this is TV and not a movie... Guess the heavyweights (Spielberg and Hanks) decided to focus on the production part, and you notice production of this series is really something special, perhaps the best thing so far (battle scenes, wardrobe, scenery, filming). I'll keep following it.

The best WWII thing I have seen recently on TV is the French documentary Apocalypse: WWII, aired here on the National Geograhic channel (the English spoken version) and the French spoken version on TV Monde 5 (I believe that's the correct name).Real footage, although nicely colorized, some 6 episodes that nicely portrait the War from beginning to end, interesting and poignant sequences and music. You can really feel the weight of History on this one.

Paulo

Thanks Paulo.

Sorry,I really didn't mean to drift the thread,as I said before I felt the poems were linked to what the Marines went through in ridding the Pacific of the Japenese army.

Rob

 

[Njja]

Well I'm sorry Njja didn't like the Sassoon poems,but glad you other guys did.

Rob

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Rob, no offense, I'm just not a poem kind of guy. Lots of others enjoyed it

so thats terrific. To each his own.

 

[Rob]

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Rob, no offense, I'm just not a poem kind of guy. Lots of others enjoyed it

so thats terrific. To each his own.

No offence taken,be boring if we all liked the same thing!

Rob

 

[Njja]

I enjoyed the poems a lot Rob, many thanks for posting.I guess extreme experiences can sometimes produce unparallelled artistic inspiration and talent, and in these WWI cases, respect, a lot of deep respect is indeed in order.
Rob and Nijja, hardcore experiences indeed...

Back to episode 4 I saw it last night. I thought it was OK, looked realistic (from what I've read, mind you...). But maybe I was tired at night or something, I feel there is something missing, the genius spark that distinguishes nice or fine from outstanding. The potential sure is there but...
Is it that too much is being crammed into little time (it's a mini series after all)?
Or maybe it would be better if some heavyweights wrote the story for TV and directed it? When it comes to directing Clint Eastwood, Michael Mann or even Cimino or Coppolla come to mind, to speak just of American directors, although this is TV and not a movie... Guess the heavyweights (Spielberg and Hanks) decided to focus on the production part, and you notice production of this series is really something special, perhaps the best thing so far (battle scenes, wardrobe, scenery, filming). I'll keep following it.

The best WWII thing I have seen recently on TV is the French documentary Apocalypse: WWII, aired here on the National Geograhic channel (the English spoken version) and the French spoken version on TV Monde 5 (I believe that's the correct name).Real footage, although nicely colorized, some 6 episodes that nicely portrait the War from beginning to end, interesting and poignant sequences and music. You can really feel the weight of History on this one.

Paulo

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Paulo I think you really hit on something there. I especially always enjoy

anything directed by Michael Mann.

"Crime Story", "The Last of the Mohicans", "Heat", "Miami Vice",
"Public Enemies" were are killer!

 

[lancer]

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Paulo I think you really hit on something there. I especially always enjoy

anything directed by Michael Mann.

"Crime Story", "The Last of the Mohicans", "Heat", "Miami Vice",
"Public Enemies" were are killer!

Good call on those shows. "Crime Story" is a classic that deserves to be remembered. Ray Luca getting A-bombed was a TV milestone. -- Al

 

[Njja]

Good call on those shows. "Crime Story" is a classic that deserves to be remembered. Ray Luca getting A-bombed was a TV milestone. -- Al

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Wasn't it terrific! I just stumbled on it back in 1986 and couldn't believe

what I was watching! It was really something, Lt. Michael Francis Torello,

Ray Luca, Pauli, I picked up the entire series on DVD and highly recommend

it to anyone that really likes a good action show.

"Pauli you Idiot.....what have you done to us Now"!