I'm gutted after *Epi 8 The Pacific* "Iwo Jima"

[@peterandjunko]

The first US Navy Destroyer named for John Basilone was commissioned in 1949 and decommissioned in 1977. The brand new USS Basilone Arleigh Burke-class destroyer just completed sea trials in March of this year. His name lives on…

[@adambydand1214]

OOHRAH

[@bustedupgrunt1177]

Even 79 years after his death, the town and people of Raritan, NJ still remember and honor a lad who grew up there. This year's annual John Basilone Memorial Parade is on Sunday, Sep 22, 2024.

[@TMConstructionOntario]

As it should be!! I'm glad to hear this.

[@sosaboi1352]

RAH!!!!

[@UMAD666]

He was surely a inspirational Marine to us all.

[@Hiker1792]

The scene of John putting his Marines in their place about the Japanese soldier is probably the single greatest monolog in the entire series! That last line hits hard! "Never ever fail to respect their desire to put you and your buddies into an early grave! IS THAT CLEAR!"

[@wattsnottaken1]

“Is anyone scared!?” “No Gunny!” “You lying sacks of shit” “It’s okay to be scared, it means you’re awake, means you’re ready” And the respect he shows to the fiercely dedicated Japanese soldiers is very interesting and kind of cool to be honest. It’s kind of like how strong fighters respect other strong fighters in a way

[@jooishh]

The scene of John dying is really well done. After he falls they zoom out and make you realize he’s no longer the superstar… he’s now just part of the battlefield

[@Onecooltop75]

I think that scene is what got me the most. Like me, John Basilone was an Italian kid from New Jersey. He was my inspiration for joining the Marine Corps. Men tougher than him would be a very short list

[@30AndHatingIt]

Born in Buffalo, grew up in NJ. Man is forever the model Marine in my opinion.

[@SMJ495]

When I was in the Marine corps infantry all of us NCOs went on a trip to Arlington national cemetery and we visited John Basilone’s grave. It’s among the most hallowed ground in the corps and it’s practically a pilgrimage for grunts to visit at least once. I cannot undersell how much that man’s legacy means to generations of warriors even still today. Hes buried in a simple grave with a simple white headstone about shin high, that notes he earned a Medal of Honor. From a distance you’d never know which was his, except for the visitors coming to pay respects. It’s beautiful, quiet, and there’s thousands of other incredibly brave men and women buried alongside him from civil war veterans to astronauts. I still get chills thinking about it. Semper Fi gunny Basilone

[@Onecooltop75]

I did the same last year. Gunny Basilone was my motivation for joining the Marine Corps. He’s an Italian guy from Jersey like me. I went to the parades in Raritan every year. He was probably one of the toughest men to walk the earth. Men tougher than that are on a very short list

[@ryanb-ol2pf]

Thats very meaningful... Thank you for sharing that story. Hes known well by civilians too, I knew about him around 15 years or so before this show came out. There are just countless heroic Marines! Much love and respect to all of you🙏

[@douglasiles2024]

Capt. Andrew Haldane is buried there as well. I visit his grave and Gunny Basilone's whenever I go to visit my parents' grave as well.

[@paddington1670]

"Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?" "No, but i served in the company of heroes"

[@busterdee8228]

I was not combat arms, but it was my honor to support the tip of the spear. Semper Fi to you and Gunny Basilone, my brothers.

[@JensMyers-v7c]

John Basilone's hometown of Raritan, New Jersey still celebrates John Basilone Day with a parade every year, to this day. This year it will be on September 22. Basilone was a legend at home, and a bigger legend in the Corps. All man.

[@JF-tt6wy]

There are two great movies about Iwo Jima that came out the same year, and both were directed by Clint Eastwood. Letters from Iwo Jima ,and Flags of Our Fathers. Letters focuses on the Japanese side of the battle, and Flags focuses on the marines who raised the flag and what they dealt with after the war. Both are fantastic films, and definitely worth a watch, if you're ever in the mood for another war film.

[@ProtossWannabe1984]

Yeah it’s a shame nobody ever reacts to either of those films

[@rutgaurxi7314]

Yes, glad someone remembers them.

[@frenchfan3368]

"Letters from Iwo Jima" is an excellent film. It's also from tge Japanese point of view.

[@dallesamllhals9161]

Pffth! WHO wants to know "their/the enemy" in 2020+? 😕

[@catherinelw9365]

So heartbreaking. This didn’t show it, but when John reenlisted, he was offered a commission which he refused. “I ain’t no officer and I ain’t no museum piece. I just belong with the boys.”

[@jeffalbert7497]

Every young person should be shown this series and see the price paid for our freedom.

[@wattsnottaken1]

Yes. Our Marines and Army Dogs went through hell for us They gave up their lives, limbs and sanity to stop the Ruthless Japanese Empire. That empire needed to be stopped. Big time. I say sanity because the ones who managed to survive had to live with serious PTSD for the rest of their lives 😢

[@JasonMoir]

"This is gonna be awful, isn't it?" Get ready now for the massive tears that will come soon...

[@harveyrabenold7344]

My late neighbor was a veteran of Iwo Jima. He told me he was halfway up Mt. Suribachi when he saw the flag raised.

[@Patrick-xv6qv]

He must have been in the 28th Marines 5th Marine divison. The 28th Marines landed with the other 5th Marines and they broke off to the left with the mission to take Suribachi while the other companies went right to take the airfields. The 28th Marines were nicknamed The Lions of Iwo Jima becuse they had a pet lion for a mascot lol. His name was Roscoe. No he didn't make the trip to Iwo. Roscoe stayed behind in Hawaii 😀

[@UMAD666]

thats so cool and a privilege to hear that story.

[@joshuawells835]

John Basilone's speech on the Japanese soldier and why to never underestimate the Japanese is my favorite scene of this series. The Japanese Soldier of WWII operated under a corrupted version of the ancient code of bushido, as the Japanese Soldier was believed to be the spiritual successor of the Samurai of old. Under Bushido, you either win or die honorably in battle; there is no word for "surrender" in Bushido. Furthermore, the Japanese soldier is encouraged to win by any means necessary and, as the Japanese were not signatories of the Geneva Convention (neither was the US in WWII, but we still aligned with it), the Japanese Army used methods that violate said convention, such as feign surrenders, mass wave attacks, targeting medics, etc...

[@Rogue-7.62]

Little known fact, but we, the US, are still not signatories of the Geneva Convention.

[@kevinotoole2285]

I was a kid visiting my sister and brother in law at Camp Pendleton driving down John Basilone Road all the time. I never knew the significance of it until this show. I asked him about him and maybe a group of 10 of his buddies all perk up and they told me how incredible he was and the way he carried himself as a pure warrior and all wished as 0331 machine gunners they could be as lethal as him. Since then he has been my hero and will never forget what this man did for my country🇺🇸

[@Dimetropteryx]

Grew up around veterans of WW2, and the one thing they always attributed their survival to, was luck, not skill. My grandfather wrote a chapter for a book about the veterans from my home town, and almost the entire thing was him recounting events where he should absolutely have died, but somehow didn't.

[@przemekkozlowski7835]

My grandfather was in the Soviet army and survived some really nasty fighting including the Battle for Berlin. He was then almost killed by shrapnel on the day that Germany surrendered. He lost a finger and instead of celebrating the end of the war, he had to spend months in a hospital. Good luck, inside bad luck, inside good luck. If a piece of shrapnel went a bit further to the side, he would have died and I would not be here today.

[@redhakiim789]

Agreed and that's part of the reality yet some people this days think luck doesn't matter or useless. Thing is, when you step on a real action of battlefield your skills and experience are pretty much useless. Even field captain and veterans do get themselves KIA and that's the reason why in modern tactics they usually let commission officer stand far away from crossfire.

[@aragorn50th]

Because of John Basilone, Medal of Honor recipients are no longer allowed to return to combat.

[@palladinodessa8988]

Iwo Jima is widely considered the ultimate Marine Corps battle - it is by far the most recognized. Okinawa was bigger in scope and more lives were lost. All battles by all branches are worthy of rememberance, the ultimate goal is to protect our Country, our People and our way of life. We have the freedoms we enjoy because some were willing to fight to preserve them. Thank you to everyone who has served - who chose to put our freedoms first. Semper Fidelis brothers and sisters!

[@duanetelesha]

Most emotional and heart breaking episode in this series.

[@duhbeans5600]

Disagree. The next one is for me.

[@dioghaltasfoirneartach7258]

9.) Is tough, as well. Kind of 'emotionally exhausting', actually... If anyone still had any kind of 'glory notion' about war, that should be erased by after episode 9.)

[@thax321]

For me the last episode is the hardest to watch. See them return home and having to deal with the Ptsd, people not understanding etc.

[@garry358]

​@thax321 the scenes at home where his dad sits outside his bedroom and 'dove shooting' have me in tears every time.

[@danharris5999]

I'm 63 yrs. old, and I had not heard of John Basilone before this mini-series. Or if I had, I didn't recall it. And I was a WWII history buff when I was younger. But more focused on the Navy and Marine pilots. My father was a Marine, but almost two decades before Basilone. But although we never had a conversation about him, I'm sure he knew exactly who John Basilone was. My Dad was a fiercely proud Marine. My understanding is that after John was killed, they changed the regulations so that no subsequent Medal Of Honor recipient was permitted to return to combat duty. Lena never remarried, and when she passed away in 1999, she was buried with the wedding ring on her finger that John had given her.

[@peterhineinlegen4672]

The battle on Peleliu has been pretty much overlooked, but the Navy did have a ship named after that battle for many years. Retired now, parked in Hawaii. She was an amphibious assault ship carrying Marines in the 80s, and all through both Gulf wars into the 2000s.

[@jerseyfky]

Here in New Jersey, there are a bunch of memorials to him. At our international airport in Newark, there's a road that surrounds the place called Basilone Road honoring him and his family.

[@GodOfWar221]

Honestly, if you're curious to learn more about the Battle of Iwo Jima. You should check out the films, "Flags Of Our Fathers" and "Letters from Iwo Jima" which is it's companion film. Both directed by Clint Eastwood. Flags Of Our Fathers is shown from the Marines perspective, and details the story about the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi. And the war bond drive that went along with it. Really good movie. As for "Letters From Iwo Jima" is filmed from the Japanese perspective of the battle. It is subtitled, so be aware of that as the actors are Japanese and the language is spoken entirely throughout the film. As Clint Eastwood, wanted to ensure that it was 100% authentic. Both films are shot on location if my memory serves. I really appreciate "Letters From Iwo Jima" because it shows that despite all the brutality, and tenacity shown by the Japanese throughout the war. There were many whom did not want to be fighting in the war either. Bare in mind, this is 1945. The war had been raging since 1941 and the Japanese Imperial Army, were getting stretched thin. Troops were coming up short, they were running out of ammunition, running out of fuel/oil. And the Americans were closing in on the mainland of Japan. So they were becoming desperate. So much so, that Japanese high command had made a declaration. That even though they knew that every single soldier was going to die on that island. They gave explicit orders, that no soldier was allowed to take their own life. They were not allowed to die, until they had killed at least two Marines. 20,000 Japanese defenders, and they were commanded to die in place. It was a bloody battle. One of the bloodiest of the war.

[@ninjafroggie1]

an important point about the word "casualty" in a military sense, it includes both killed and wounded. So while it is true that american forces suffered more casualties than the japanese, ~28,700 in total, only about 6,900 of those casualties were KIA, whereas the japanese garrison of 21,000 defenders were nearly all killed, only a couple hundred were captured alive.

[@dioghaltasfoirneartach7258]

As many as "a couple hundred" Japanese captured? On Iwo Jima? Thought the Japanese didn't start surrendering until the end of the subsequent Okinawa Campaign.

[@ninjafroggie1]

@@dioghaltasfoirneartach7258 most of the 'captured' were wounded/incapacitated who couldnt resist, people dont neccesarily have to surrender to be captured. There were a handful of deserters who willingly went over to the american lines, but we'll never know how many tried because most who tried probably got shot either by the marines or by their own side. And I literally meant a couple hundred. 218 to be exact. Out of 21,000....that's near enough 99 out of every 100 men killed on the japanese side, vs america's 20 killed per 100 men.

[@muhamedmusaidjr9071]

The Battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa Both of them were both nightmares battles much love to the men and women that had to endure these battles and any other battles

[@Rooster190]

I’m grateful that this, Band of Brothers, and Masters of The Air has brought WWII and all its horrors to a new generation

[@zachwilson6323]

My grandfather piloted one of the landing craft on Iwo Jima & had it destroyed around him. He was stuck on that beach with no weapon or orders for hours and had PTSD from it the rest of his life.

[@SamGray]

When I was in boot camp, young and running along in the summer heat one day early in training, I began to drag. A sergeant ran beside me and growled, "You're falling behind the platoon. You think those Marines on Iwo Jima didn't want to give up? Take a break? If you want to be a Marine you better dig deep and keep going until you drop, boy." I knew he was right, and I just kept picking 'em up and putting 'em down. Looking back, the most valuable thing I learned in the Corps was, 'Never give up.'

[@Chatenay.Charles]

the best KZbin notification, I'll watch washing the dishes😂❤

[@SPEEDPAINTER1]

There's an exit that leads to Camp Pendleton that's named after John. He is loved and respected by all Marines past, present, and future! Semper Fi, Devil Dog! RAH!

[@Anon54387]

Basilone is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, just across the road from George Marshall, the guy who was the chief of staff of the US Army during WW2 and later Secretary of State and who was behind the Marshall plan to rebuild Europe. A couple fun facts: Arlington cemetery was established after the US Civil War on land that belonged to Robert E Lee's family, and George Marshall was a distant cousin to a chief justice of the US Supreme Court in the early 1800s, a guy named John Marshall.

[@matthewhudock8378]

God Bless John Basilone, Chesty Puller and all those Marines who fought and gave their lives. You are not forgotten. Semper Fi.

[@gabby15107]

The Pacific is one of the hardest series to get through, which exemplifies why we should. Another great reaction from ya, keep it up!

[@JasonRyanWilson410]

Congratulations on the 100k Ames. You deserve it.

[@GregHansen-l5v]

It's great that you take an interest in what are vet's went through during wars. Thanks for doing that. Love watching your reaction Ames.

[@jonandkristen]

I remember this series came out while I was at the School of Infantry for the Marine Corps and getting a screening of it. The Commanding General of the 5th Marine Division at Iwo Jima is General Keller E Rockey, who is a relative of mine. An additional fact (sad) is that Lena Basilone received the Red Cross letter of John passing on her birthday.... She would never remarry.

[@bigoldjim4696]

I just found you. I'm much older than you, and a Veteran. You look at war through from a very different perspective than I do, and most people I know. Your war movie reactions are very touching. Please keep making them. I've never seen a movie reaction channel quite like yours. Thank you.

[@rickrunge4962]

As the series goes on the score becomes more and more emotional. Until the last episode you're surly tearing up while listening to it, and anytime there after.

[@glockensig]

I went to Raritan NJ to see the annual Basilone parade several years ago. His brother was there. Basilone was hero in a generation of heroes!!

[@aragorn50th]

What most people don't know is anyone who has been awarded the Metal of Honor is required by military regulations to be saluted by all ranks and all services. It is to Honor what the Medal represents.

[@Spooky1862]

Definitely. Also, more often than not, the Medal of Honor is an award that’s given to a soldier’s next of kin.

[@chippyhodude]

Visited Iwo Jima a few times while in the Navy. It was eerie exploring in the caves that are still intact and seeing the weather worn pill boxes and military equipment still decaying on the beach.

[@miker887]

Always wanted to see Iwo. On my last deployment before I got out we were told by the clown unit we were attached to in oki that it was going to happen...for it not to. Went to Iraq and Afghanistan 6 times before that to have oki be a garbage deployment. Maybe a civilian tour?

[@chippyhodude]

@@miker887 Was stationed in cag 5 out of Atsugi Japan for 10 years during two tours. The Japanese started complaining about the noise when we would do Carrier landing practice flights before going out to sea so we started doing them at Iwo Jima. Would go out there for 3-4 days detachment. There were many caves that we would go exploring in at night. Lots of history still at that place.

[@realisminscale6478]

Every time I watch the last five minutes of this episode, it brings me to tears. He gave everything he had for his country and his men.

[@jmhjmhjmh]

I always forget you haven’t finished this yet, so what a welcome Sunday treat!

[@holddowna]

I haven’t finished it on Patreon! Just had some computer issues and a busy summer so a bit behind on gettin the rest of the series up for you all!

[@jmhjmhjmh]

@@holddowna No worries at all. Sometimes it’s nice to spread out a series’ viewing - I don’t need to have my face buried in my phone anymore than it already is. I also don’t expect for a complete stranger to prioritize me.

[@JamesGilburt-lb7sg]

Hi Ames, I've never been into land based warfare, except the awesome WWII action comedy movie Kelly's Heroes (1970) you have to check that out for the channel! It stars Clint Eastwood, who in the aftermath of D-Day, leads a platoon of American soldiers on a mission to steal nazi gold that's behind enemy lines. The late, great Donald Sutherland steals the show as a hippie tank sergeant. Plus please react to aerial warfare too - it's a tragically overlooked and underreacted to sub genre of war. I highly recommend the new series Masters Of The Air + classic movies like Memphis Belle, Red Tails, The Battle Of Britain & The Dambusters. And 1941 is an hilarious WWII farce set in the aftermath of Pearl Harbour!

[@eraualum]

I spent 27 years in the Corps and remember the abuse we took from the public when we came back from 'Nam. Thank you for taking the time to watch the documentaries and appreciating those of us who served. Watch "Full Metal Jacket". It is fiction but deja vu when I watch it.

[@solvingpolitics3172]

Thank you for your service. I am soo sorry you had to put up with those awful people when you returned from war.

[@skyhawksailor8736]

I met my wife in 1978 at the Memphis International Airport, she is a Marine and was wearing her dress Green uniform, the same uniform Lena was wearing at the end of the movie. I drove my wife to NATTC Millington and waited till she was checked in and got her room. I did not see her for two months when we ran into her and asked her out. We started dating and got married in March after we finished our schools in Millington. This episode and the Battle of Okinawa hits me real hard, I just told you why this episode hit me hard, I will tell you why the Battle of Okinawa hits me hard after you post it.

[@ArmatekAutomation]

Thank you so much for doing these reactions on The Pacific and BOB while staying true to your feelings. For in a sense I am sure that you are helping a lot of men who never had the chance to watch these with a woman and girlfriend.

[@williamwood9355]

This Episode only shows a little of Iwo Jima. watch Clint Eastwoods movies Flags of our fathers which shows the American Marines point of view of the battle and then watch Letters from Iwo Jima which is the japanese point of view of the battle. it’s an interesting concept i wish they would do more with war movies.

[@Jmiranda70]

The reason they didn’t spend much time with Iwo Jima was because the 2 Eastwood films had already covered it so well. Those movies were produced by Spielberg also

[@Brent-g1o]

Hello . My Aunt served in the Navy during WW2 ,she met a man that was a Nose Gunner on a B-24 Bomber . They decided to get Married. They had a month together before he shipped out to Italy . Two months later his plane was shot down on a mission to Munich Germany ,he was declared Missing in Action . In 1946 a year after the war was over ,he was Declared Missing in Action Presumed Dead . In 1952 some people were Mushroom hunting in the hills around Munich and found the wreckage of his plane . His Remains and four other Crewmen Remains were found. He is Buried in an American Cemetary in Europe . A lot of Tragedy in War

[@daletaylor5589]

Ames kinda reminds me of actress that played Lena, must be the beauty and dark hair.

[@andrewluong6031]

Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima are two amazing movies I highly recommend 👌🏽 happy watching

[@danstaicer7562]

Japanese resistance on Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa played a role in Truman's decision to use atomic weapons. Allies estimated over a million casualties if home islands invaded.

[@Shortfuse39]

The purple hearts (given to those wounded in combat) given out since WWII ended were all made for the invasion of Japan. There were some 500,000 purple hearts made. So men wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq were getting purple hearts made in 1944/45.

[@deepdragon2]

@@Shortfuse39 Never knew that and I and old.... thank you for that...

[@dudermcdudeface3674]

The Empire ironically lost everything by being too tough. They would probably have gotten concessions if they'd feigned being softer, lured us in, and then ground us down in the home islands. Nobody likes an edgelord, but everybody likes an underdog.

[@catherinelw9365]

It was also the kamikaze attacks on our ships. The naval losses set us back to 1942, the worst year of the war for the Allies.

[@dioghaltasfoirneartach7258]

@catherinelw9365 There were mostly 'picket ships' destroyers and smaller vessels, which were hit by the kamikaze. Very few Aircraft Carriers were sunk. While causing casualties, and losses (some 300 ships lost) the kamikazes had no real impact on the battles of Philippines and Okinawa.

[@lilj3070]

Love this series Ames but please stop edging us 😂

[@wattsnottaken1]

“I SAID LOOK AT ME! You wanna live? GET OFF THE BEACH!” not religious but god bless John Basilone and Rest in peace Gunny ❤

[@rickchollett]

My uncle fought on Okinawa. My aunt said he had nightmares for years after. He didn't talk about it much other than to say, "Bad stuff happened and you just have to get over it and move on." He was a machine gunner and said after the first day he had a pile of spent casings about 18 inches high. He despised the Japanese from then onward and said they had no souls.

[@williambranch4283]

My grandma's 2nd husband, lost his on Iwo. We visited his stateside grave when I was a boy. Whole 21,000 Japanese defenders were underground. Last Japanese soldier surrendered on January 6, 1949. Letters From Iwo Jima tells the Japanese story. Iwo was as bad as Omaha beach, but it was all beach ;-(

[@JimFinley11]

Iwo Jima was hell. When I was in boot camp, we learned about John Basilone; one of the main roads on the base at Camp Pendleton is Basilone Road. I always wonder what their life together would have been like if he had survived. Two of the best films Clint Eastwood ever directed were a great pair of movies about the battle of Iwo Jima, one from the American perspective (Flags of Our Fathers) and one from the Japanese point of view (Letters From Iwo Jima.) Especially the latter, they're both superb.

[@everypitchcounts4875]

"Taking Chance" provides a different side of war that no one really talks about but gets done very often in times of war.

[@PaulDrake-u7m]

Kudos to you for reacting to this. I wasn't even aware of the series until I saw it on your channel.

[@williamivey5296]

Iwo Jima was made worse by the Japanese commander being smart and having time to prepare his defense even knowing it would eventually fail*. His goal was to drag it out and cost the Marines as much as he could. There were miles and miles of tunnels connecting everything. When the navy bombarded or bombed the place, the Japanese pulled back into safe chambers, and reoccupied their positions later. The Navy failed to appreciate this and didn't even complete the planned bombardment, stopping after only a few days to not "waste ammunition", congratulating themselves on a successful mission. * There's a scene in "Letters from Iwo Jima" where he looks over his broken down tanks and remembers a visit to America when he watched an endless river of cars on a city street one day.

[@nataliestclair6176]

That would be General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, he was the best General the Japanese had. He studied in the US as a military attache and studied at Harvard. He refused to allow his officers to order Banzai charges because he knew it was a waste of his men's lives. Holland Smith, the Marine General of the 5th Marine Division that landed on Iwo, said after the Battle of Iwo, Thank God the Japansese don't have any other generals like Kuribayashi" After the battle of Iwo, Holland Smith personally went in search of Kuribayashi body to give him a traditional Samurai buriel, Kuribayashi came from a long line of distinguished Samurai, but they never could find his body or when and where and how he died. Some speculate he died leading a late night attack but one Japanese soldier who survived the battle said Kuribayashi was killed in an artillery barrage

[@cvanluen]

This is such an amazing series. Episode 9....for me. Brutal.

[@skerr808]

The next episode..... I can't even describe it...... it's jaw dropping.

[@williamivey5296]

The Japanese were forbidden to surrender no matter what so fighting went on sporadically after the battle supposedly ended, and digging out, sometimes literally, the survivors was dangerous to say the least. Several American soldiers and Marines of Japanese descent bravely entered the tunnels to try to talk them out. Some didn't come back. One Japanese medical officer, though, came up with a clever idea. Because his medical staff and patients were officially non-combatents, under the Geneva conventions, they wouldn't be surrendering, but placing themselves under the protection of US forces as prescribed by the conventions. He and the Japanese-American negotiating with him brought out around a hundred Japanese from the underground hospital.

[@Masterfighterx]

Just as I was thinking about you watching this, you upload Congrats on 100K😀

[@lassenlautta]

You shoud do Generation Kill, highly recommend.

[@robgoose8126]

Screwby

[@DavidGriffith-r3s]

My dad was on Iwo and landed in the first waves. He saw Basilone die. He said he was killed by a mortar round, which is what it says on his official citation. He was a combat engineer, using explosives to take out fortifications. He was on the island till the very last days of the battle when the Army took over. The Pacific does not show much of Iwo. The best movie about the battle is Letters from Iwo Jima, from the Japanese perspective. It shows what the Marines were up against. The entire island was fortified with caves and tunnels. The Japanese general forbid his troops from suicide charges. He made the Marines pay very dearly for every inch of that island. I once went to a reunion of my dad's unit in the '90s. A lot of the men--and there were very few left--had been wounded in the battle. Out of some 250 Marines in his unit, about 80 walked off the island.

[@joshuacordero8163]

My only critique of the Pacific, is that it skips the sacrifice of the US Navy, as the allies got closer to Japan, the desperation turned into a weapon called "kamikaze", Japanese pilots would fly there planes full of explosive into the Allies' ships. The death toll and destruction at sea isn't really portrayed that often. If can suggest a few movies that give the navy it's due, "Greayhound" with Tom Hanks, and "U571" with Matthew McConaughey, I think they will give a better understanding of the war at sea.

[@Carln0130]

Letters From Iwo Jima is what you are thinking of. Told from the Japanese side. Flags of our Fathers was the companion movie to it. But Letters focused on the battle more. Congrats on 100K followers. One side note. Casualties are KIA, WIA and MIA (Killed In Action, Wounded In Action, Missing In Action) American total CASUALTIES (all three) were higher than the Japanese, but virtually all Japanese casualties were KIA there. Marines lost over 6,000 KIA. The entire Japanese garrison of over 20,000 men died with only a handful captured.

[@BrianW1964]

Yeah, I felt so bad for you, knowing what was coming. And ooof, there's still Okinawa to get through, which is even more hellish than the battle of Iwo was. Buckle up for that ride.

[@mtnman8783]

You've got to watch the water diviner. Amazing beautiful heart wrenching movie

[@jakesanchez7235]

1:29 letters of Iwo Jima, and flags of our fathers I would HIGHLY recommend if you get the chance. My gramps is a Marine and served in the 1st Marine division. (Same as these men in this show). He fought in Korea, but I seriously am so fucking proud to know that my grandfather is a Marine. My gramps doesn’t ever talk about his service and never ever brings it up even around vets day. He packed all that stuff to storage when he got home & out the Marine Corps as an E5 (sergeant). He is 94 years old and still alive, the Korean War vets are the most forgotten veterans we have that served and fought in a war. I couldn’t be more proud to know that my grandfather is a United States Marine and a Korean War vet at the least. I say “is a Marine” and not “was a Marine” because once a Marine ALWAYS a Marine. When you die and you get to the pearly gates of heaven you’ll see a United States Marine guarding the gate.

[@blakebufford6239]

I agree. It's very sad and unfair how the vets of the Korean War are virtually forgotten.

[@blakebufford6239]

Respect to your Grandfather. 🇺🇲💪👍

[@robertsistrunk6631]

"She's gonna fall for him" She already did. over coffee

[@MzQTMcHotness]

I am in this episode! It was an honor to film. My grandfather, Earl Branch, fought in every landing of the war from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima, where he was wounded. He spent the rest of the war recovering and was discharged after the war ended.

[@erikdavies2572]

Who are you in this episode? One of the Marines during the Iwo Jima sequences? That either was a superhuman effort across multiple service branches or perhaps I misunderstood your meaning about your grandfather involved in every amphibious landing from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima?

[@MzQTMcHotness]

@@erikdavies2572 I was stunts for this episode. It’s hard to pick up on me, but I’m one of the shooters through the sequence. At one point, I’m firing a BAR and another, I’m firing a Garand. You can see me moving up to the left of the flame thrower in the final sequence. That was a brutal series of day. But it was amazing to film.

[@digitalbegley]

Hi, I think you might find the railway man with Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman pretty interesting. Certainly another side of the Pacific War that's pretty well unknown in the US I guess.

[@RasEli03]

Thank yoy for your respect for the troops

[@edwardlittle5686]

John Basilone won the Navy Cross for his actions on Iwo Jima. He had already won the Medal of Honor. There are precious few men who have ever won both of the highest two citations for valor in combat, no matter which service or which era. We're down to less than 20 I would guess. John Basilone is a name every American should know. The finest example of American fighting spirit, professionalism, and dedication. RIP and Semper Fi!

[@xxchaos315xx6]

My grandfather fought on guadalcanal and iwo jima. He didnt talk about it much until after i joined the army and had been through combat. He told me that when they got off the landing craft, they sunk to their knees in volcanic ash. He said it was like trying to run through deep snow. If youve ever run through deep snow before youll know that it kicks your ass very quickly. I can only imagine having to run through that then having to fight for your life every inch of the way. Always had great respect for him for living through that hell

[@walterblackledge1137]

Every Marine who goes to Infantry Training School (now School of Infantry) at Camp Pendleton, CA lived on John Basilone road that runs though the base.

[@RayBetterThanEvilCanival]

Can’t wait for her to watch Episode 9 in 3 months ❤

[@martinsky2086]

During the wedding scene, I was just amazed, you have the most beautiful smile. Just to know it wouldnt last long on this ep. I love your smile

[@MauriceCalis]

OMG Ames, you hit 100K!! Woohoo!

[@sirsimonthesentry4787]

More people really need to know about war and details thru history because there are always signs and you can see it coming if you pay attention- we need to learn from history.

[@Anon54387]

Indeed. All that sacrifice to keep us free, and we have people willing to vote for tyrants. Disgusting. One woman who posts her photos on a photosharing website posts photos she takes of WW2 era warplanes such as the P51 and those DC3s that the paratroopers jumped out of and says they'd be behind HER political opinions, but she is one of those who always wants the power of government to grow. And she doesn't even realize the contradiction of what she said, and when I pointed this out to her she responded by banning me from commenting. You can lead a horse to water....

[@ryanmassey586]

Great reaction video! I've been waiting for this one since you did episode 7! Can't wait to see 9+10. Great job!!

[@dubya_tee_eff]

There are two films that tell the story of Iwo Jima. Flags of our Fathers is our side of the story. Letters from Iwo Jima is the Japanese side of the story. I highly recommend watching both films.

[@LeeMoore-tu4gr]

You should really really watch the 2 movies Flags of our fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. They both tell of the battle for Iwo Jima but one is from the US perspective and one from the Japanese perspective. 👍

[@thejalexander1837]

Word traveled fast on Iwo Jima "If Basilone couldnt make it, how could we?"

[@BouillaBased]

Lena's like, "It takes more than a Medal of Honor to impress me."

[@busterdee8228]

French toast with cheese? Sacrilege! Now, swimming in maple syrup from the South bank of the St. Lawrence....

[@spencerquimby4726]

Imagine feeling blessed because you were wounded and had to be evacuated. Thankful you had been maimed and not killed. Thats something i never want to know.

[@johndrews206]

driving south on the pacific coast highway in California. When you get close to Camp Pendleton it is renamed John Basilone Highway.

[@blakebufford6239]

My uncle fought in the Pacific. He was from Arkansas and his CO was from up north. At night he always stayed in my Uncles squad because he said he felt safer with the Southern boys because they were meaner in a fight.

[@agustinvaladez7370]

Not sure if you're local in Southern California? But, I was stationed with the 1st Marines during the mid 90's. Always drove on a road that was named after John Basilone, "Basilone road" on my way to Camp Horno in Camp Pendleton.

[@ystxlegendxx564]

Is there an episode 9 and 10?

[@MouseOfTerror1]

6:25 the marine here referring to Tarawa is probably a bit bitter for similar reasons why the peleliu veterans were at the beginning. The battle of Tarawa was a very bloody battle for a very small island. In comparison with Guadalcanal which received positive coverage in the news, “Bloody Tarawa” was seen as a relatively costly and grisly battle for the marines with marginal benefit.

[@chadmalcuit1804]

Finally I. Wait once a month. For you to put this out on the KZbin I do. Enjoy your other reactions.❤

[@TD-mg6cd]

The vet from Tarawa was likely bitter because he had seen many acts of heroism unrecognized, largely because they were so common. I have read that there was some resentment regarding Basilone's CMH ("A lot of men did what he did."). It can't be avoided. That does not take away from what Basilone did, but in so many of these cases it was dependent on whether the right superior officer was aware of it. In this case it was "Chesty" Puller, at least in the film. I was in the Police Service for 42 years. I saved 13 lives, that I know of. But I received only one life saving award. That was because my sergeant was there to see it. The award ribbon program devolved into upper ranks giving themselves awards, to exclusion of the "rank and file". As a result, the program died.

[@bradw.-tz2ej]

I hope Masters of the air is the next series you watch, Ames!

[@RZK1966]

My grandfather was on Saipan, Okinawa and I believe Guadalcanal. It was on Saipan where he received a Purple Heart.

[@tylersimplot13]

I think as young guy ready to accept some violence and endure, I think the real tragety is the experiences in the final episode

[@bruceanderson1165]

RIP PFC Milan C. Lien(Minnesota) KIA on February 19th, 1945. 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division.

[@vincentbergman4451]

I knew a man who was in the 4th Marine Division, he fought at Iwo Jima, got his ass blown off, said it saved his life. His company landed with 285 Marines, all but 33 were casualties

[@adambydand1214]

John Basilone's brother was a 4th Division Marine.

[@vincentbergman4451]

@@adambydand1214 yeah, my buddy was at Kwajalien, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima

[@NewBritainStation]

The “movie” about Iwo Jima is actually two movies, both directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood. The first, Flags of Our Fathers, portrays the battle of Iwo Jima. The second, filmed in Japanese, is Letters from Iwo Jima and portrays the same battle from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers. You should watch both.

[@colehamel9114]

I know you said you didn’t know anything about Iwo Jima, but if you’re familiar with the iconic picture of the group of marines raising a flagpole that picture was taken on Iwo Jima