John Basilone - Slap a Jap

[@LS-oq3qh]

"The Japanese soldier doesn't care if he gets hurt or killed, as long as he kills you". John Basilone describing the horror of war to a bunch of kiddies who thought the warfare was a school playground.

[@ShadowMoon878]

That's why more than 6000 Marines got wiped out at Tarawa in just 70 hours and 1 aircraft carrier sunk (USS Liscome Bay), taking 644 men with her. Out of the 5000 IJA troops, only 16 soldiers and 1 officer surrendered. The IJA soldiers defending Tarawa were battle-hardened and veterans of the Southeast Asian campaign against the British and the Dutch while the Marines consists of mainly new recruits.

[@LS-oq3qh]

@@chrisj9700 Horrible act but it was the best way to minimize the american casualties.

[@robertmorris8997]

@@LS-oq3qh And Japanese casualties.

[@dgray3771]

@@chrisj9700 Can't blame the Japanese. Even though they were our enemies. And regardless of what they did abroad. If you would just roll over and die letting the enemy attack your home where your women children and elderly live, you do not deserve to live yourself. So, of course, they would defend their home islands to the death.

[@ShadowMoon878]

@@chrisj9700 And yet your president refused to drop an A-bomb on Beijing when the PRC army helped North Korea during the Korean War. Not even when the commies invaded Seoul and killed every single western people including women and children. Not even when General Douglas MacArthur said the PRC army outnumbered the Allies 10 to 1.

[@Yorgar]

A man who had the chance to go home and stay there, yet he chose to lead his marines and teach them. thats a great leader

[@ThePennyPincher]

And it is a testament to our times now, Sir, that there are so very few like him today. Ex Coelis

[@bobmowreader5546]

ThePennyPincher there are still marines like gunny baselone,more than youd think.its just that the press is so busy showing murderers like army SSgt Robert bales or traitors like randall manning,that your baselones' in all the services never seem to get mentioned.

[@automachinehead]

semper fidelis

[@Seriona1]

Plus I think because John died as a MoH. I think if you get it, the military forces you to retire.

[@Seriona1]

@Old man Goat I'm sure, my dad was in Nam and MoH could stay but I keep hearing about people who get it today will sometimes try to refuse it so they can stay.

[@MattMonk]

An enemy worth fighting is an enemy worth remembering.

[@orneryokinawan4529]

Except we're a much different Japan today. I'd like to imagine we're a people more than remembering. Some of bv us still feel shame from this war. Being okinawan, i get it both ways. People either love us or hate us.

[@hardwirecars]

@@orneryokinawan4529 did you start it? did you even fight in it? were you even born yet? if you didnt answer yes to each of these questions feel no shame you are not responsible for the sins of your father same as i am not responsible for the sins of mine.

[@119winters5]

The Japanese Infantryman of WW2 were a well-disciplined force to be reckon with. A true fanatics of their modern terms of bushido of which they've devoted to. It is therefore that we can respect them as a worthy opponents in combat and as a warrior. From Guadacanal to Okinawa, their tenacity grows higher as fighting for one's homeland is a true factor of motivation. What is done is done, it has been well over 70 years now and we can only respect the man for fighting for their nations friends or foes

[@seanwalters1977]

@@orneryokinawan4529 You don't have to answer for the actions of people that are long past now. Japan and the US are important, strategic allies now and that is all that should matter to anyone. Both countries had trials and tribulations that shook both countries to their core but as the years have passed both countries have learned from their pasts and are both better for it. I used to live in Tokyo for 5 years in Hiroo, Shibuya and I've been wanting to go back ever since my family moved back to the states. Incredible country and people.

[@orneryokinawan4529]

And believe me it was an honor. The first country to defeat us in thousands of years. I can only respect that. I got to meet American WWII veterans. To live through what they did, and for how long they did. It's amazing.

[@paulvenkman]

The actor's performance as John Basilone is incredible. This is one of my favourite scenes from the series.

[@Tipi83]

Jon Seda is great. Have you seen him with Woody Harrelson in Sunchaser (1996)..

[@JOEL00111]

This is the best scene of the series

[@georgetunstill2341]

Jon Seda captured perfectly a good military NCO looking out for his men. I was in the military myself and I met my fair share of good NCOs and not-so-good ones.

[@georgetunstill2341]

@@Tipi83 I loved his work ever since he starred in Homicide: Life on the Street. He did a great job playing Selena's husband to now his role on Chicago PD. He's a very underrated actor.

[@btmacster1]

Definitely pal. Goosbumbs every single time I watch this. I've never been in war and hope never be too but the script is just awesome and also that's the way how all people supposed to respect their enemy indipendently of what unit or nation's army are belongings. Always respect the enemy.

[@CalvinMagnusMusic]

"The Japanese Soldier, he has been at war since you were in fucking diapers" the way he delivers that line is my favorite moment in the entire series.

[@sirkermitthefirstoffrogeth9622]

And that line hits more knowing it's true. The majority of the Japanese soldier has been fighting since 1933.

[@shadowling77777]

Yuh

[@nkt0811]

@@sirkermitthefirstoffrogeth9622 actually the Japanese soldier already been fighting since The Russo-Japanese War till end of WW2...

[@robwalsh9843]

Japan surprised the West. Not only did they maintain their martial tradition, they adapted to Western weapons and tactics in a terrifying amount of time. Even though the Japanese lost in the end, to face them in battle was never an easy operation.

[@CRAZYUNCLE117]

He's right. One fo the first rules of combat: You should not like your enemy, but you better respect them.

[@บุญธรรมทวีบุรุษ]

Better than respect blow off their little shithead instead.

[@anti-loganpaul7827]

@@บุญธรรมทวีบุรุษ You should respect the fact that you'll probably get lit up before you even get the chance to.

[@davecrupel2817]

And NEVER underestimate them or their inhumane resolve.

[@theguy6082]

Never underestimate your enemy? For sure. Respect? Normally I would agree, but the shit the IJA did made the Nazis look like fucking angels. An enemy that bayonets babies, kidnaps hundreds of women into sexual slavery and holds contests for civilian killing deserves absolutely no respect. There is no honour in that kind of thing whatsoever. Not that these American boys would care anyway since at the time, anyone who wasn't white was just another second class human being to them.

[@edm240b9]

@@theguy6082 I think they are using word respect in a different context. It’s like what Gunny said: “never fail to respect their desire to put you and your buddies into an early grave.” Respect their fighting ability and tenacity in combat. Respect the fact that the enemy is a tough opponent that has no problem surrendering his life to make sure he takes your own.

[@gray2283]

Best part of this speech is, he actually yelled it in real life

[@imawsomeandyournot6108]

No fuckin way. That's fucking badass.

[@BipoIarbear]

Well fuck i just came knowing that 😲

[@Smoove_J]

That’s crazy. I thought they had taken some creative liberties with this scene.

[@joshuastrobel6826]

Awesome. Citation?

[@spectre1725]

@@joshuastrobel6826 probably the book I myself still have to read. "With the old breed".But I dont know for sure

[@binder38us]

The scene proved 2 points: 1. A Combat Veteran knows the truth of what you as a recruit is about face. Listen, learn or you will die. 2. A Marine Gunnery Sergeant knows all, hears all and sees all.

[@holdmybleach2651]

When Gunny's back is turned, that is when he is looking at you the most.

[@CommisarHood]

Rule Number 1 of military service if an NCO is present don't speak, move or even breath if you can avoid it unless he tells you to.

[@AnEruditeWolf]

@@Venezolano410 Dipshit comment of the year

[@binder38us]

@@Venezolano410 I do not know what made you what you are, but let me be clear: I have a childhood friend whose name is on the Wall. Take your fake hippy crap( I lived in the late sixties and those people became yuppies and then became right wing conservatives) away with you.

[@binder38us]

@@Venezolano410 apparently you do not care about humanity in general. And my politics are left leaning but I respect My Country and those in it. I respect those men and women who defend it. I respect your right to disagree with me, as you should respect mine. That being said: go f yourself.

[@MrZomfgasauras]

The second you fail to respect the enemies' motive is the second you already lost the battle/war.

[@xXSgtWolfXx]

+Adam Gresham Respect their motive? That wasn't the point of his speech, you got it wrong. The message was "never underestimate your enemy". Stop trying to sound philosophical, it's annoying and pretentious. You aren't Eisenhower.

[@MrZomfgasauras]

my bad......the second that you fail to respect the enemies motive to want to kill you and everyone else like you....I didnt think i would have to explain it to a Sarn't

[@xXSgtWolfXx]

Adam Gresham Got it, that makes more sense. Your comment was kind of vague and I thought you meant political motive.

[@miguelalejandro4357]

German fail to respect the soviets .. the soviet destroy the 3 Reich in the end

[@perturbedxtirade7428]

@@xXSgtWolfXx who the fuck liked this dumbass comment?

[@waltertaljaard1488]

This reminds me of a German WW2 novel by Remarque I read, where a Wehrmacht recruit uttered a simular remark about the Russians. And their instructor, Oberfeldwebel Klautke, gave the whole platoon a simular description of the avarage Red Army soldier; 'Iwan, as you call him, is not fighting for f&%ing Stalin, or the Communist Party. He fights for holy mother Russia. He fights for the bare survival of his entire nation. And because he knows SS Heini and uncle Adolf hate his guts, he hates us to! With a vigour you cannot even imagine. He can march 40 kilometers a day with a full load and a rifle on his back through the worst terrain. And even then is fully prepared to charge straight into our machine gun fire to stab a bayonet into your guts. He and his ancestors have been fighting Western invaders for centuries. And so far have never been defeated. You boys are up against a formidable enemy! Never forget that!' (Erich Maria Remarque; 'A time to live and a time to die.')

[@navblue20]

That is not surprising. The professionals that have fought the enemy know and understand what their enemy is.

[@navblue20]

Only idiots and armchair quarterbacks and people who have never ever seen it say oh it's so easy.

[@ktvindicare]

I love this. The Germans were educated people, they knew damn well how much history had said "DO NOT INVADE RUSSIA" by that point in time. But there they were, stuck in the middle of it. all they could do is prepare best they could and hope they could beat the odds.

[@parajay6575]

Thanks for sharing the knowledge

[@nihil5743]

"The Russians are not men, but some kind of cast-iron creatures; they never get tired and are not afraid of fire." (Wilhelm Hoffman's diary)

[@lovatojonasfan1]

This guy was pissed with his Marines because they thought Japanese soldiers were just cartoon idiots. He had been in the thick of it on Guadalcanal and he had personally seen the Hell and the tenacity of the Japanese soldier and how hard he can fight

[@scottgieben896]

@vzdorr b ww1 weapons?

[@michaellam901]

@@scottgieben896 for the most part. The arisaka wasn't really updated except for the 7.7 caliber change which even then was supplemented with the 6.5 arisaka. Nambu stayed the same. The only thing might have changed was the machineguns

[@Seriona1]

I argue against that Japan was one of the most modern nations in WWII, the problem is that their military doctrine was not prepared for Modern Warfare. For example, Japan did not believe in the concept of Combined Arms, they were the only major nation to do that. If you watch Letters of Iwo Jima, you see a little bit of this where the Japanese Navy refuses to take orders from their Army even though the Army officers outranked the naval ones. Plus also you have to remember the situation Japan was in. The Bulk of their military was raging a campaign in Asia mainland where their best equipment was being used. The Navy had nothing to do with this since Japan was the dominating naval power in the region. So when Japan began the war against the Allies, there focus was islands where you didn't need much firepower to secure these islands. So their garrison units lacked better equipment to defend these islands.

[@jamesdakrn]

@vzdorr b They also did unspeakable things in Nanjing btw

[@robertmorris8997]

@@scottgieben896 the Japanese primary infantry weapon was bolt action. M-1 Garand was semi-automatic. BIG difference.

[@CORLEONESPORTS97]

basilone wasnt sent back, he requested to go back because he saw so many young kids and he wanted to save as many lives as he could. i use to be part of the first marine division on camp pendleton ca, theres stories of him all over the place

[@MrAlumni72]

They still have an annual parade in his honor in Raritan, NJ where he lived at one time.

[@Seriona1]

I think now the DOD has a clause for MOH; go home, no questions asked.

[@JOEL00111]

@@MrAlumni72 I'm born in raised in jersey I'm in the south jersey, I'm gonna look up Raritan now!

[@licktin1091]

Martin Corleone lol no, i was in first div too and i haven’t heard of his stories being mentioned there in the 4 years I was there aside from Basilone road

[@SizzlerHD]

And left a wife and kid behind. He served his time with the Marines, he did his duty. His new duty was to be a father and a husband, but instead he went back only to get his guts shot out on a beach.

[@Alex201988]

"IS THAT CLEAR?!!!" Respect the fucking enemy.

[@cockerm8220]

+J.A. Kempton isn't lowering the morale punishable??

[@j.a.kempton3350]

so lying to your troops is preferable?

[@cockerm8220]

+J.A. Kempton not lying but telling to someone that you are nothing infront of an enemy isn't that defeatism?

[@cockerm8220]

+J.A. Kempton I heard nazis got shot for doing that if I am correct

[@j.a.kempton3350]

for telling their troops the truth?

[@snakes3425]

Never underestimate your enemy, that's a motto every marine, airman, soldier, and sailor should live by,

[@codranine6054]

“SHOULD”

[@nikotheophanis8795]

Or in general

[@BillyButcher90]

Tell that to Sensei Kreese

[@grandcanyon-d4d]

Should have listened in Vietnam

[@Assault-Roomba]

That's a gunny doing his job.

[@Pavia1525]

The Japanese soldier and marine was committed to victory and not committed to coming home with anything less. That’s why there were many holdouts that refused to surrender. Coming home in defeat was worse than death, while dying for the Emperor was the ultimate state of grace.

[@stoggafllik]

Same thing as the Waffen SS

[@AntiFed1791]

All those guys are gone now. All we have left are the myths and stories they left behind. We will never truly know how hellish that war really was.

[@thenachochannel6149]

Like 3 of who were interviewed are still alive.

[@yannick245]

I've read that Sid Phillips passed away 'bout two years ago.

[@yannick245]

Yeah, not that many WWII vets left...

[@anthonyp2018]

Yup these guys were true badass running in to the face of battle with a simple Longsleeved shirt on no bullet proof vest or any protection to their vital organs besides the helmet.... if you survive the World War II and were in the Marines you truly had a angel by your side

[@orneryokinawan4529]

My neighbor was a 100 year old Iwo Jima veteran. He was a cool old man. It was really hard. Sucks getting to know someone who's already elderly, then they pass away. I visited him more than his own family.

[@Gamerweazel]

ahhh I love ww2 video comment sections, where everybody is an asshole AND has a history degree

[@fluffynoses]

lol

[@chrisd2051]

And those who actually know history keep quiet.

[@JonathanToolonie]

+Chris D LOL, Amen to that!

[@Dr.s3RTH]

+Gamerweazel 200% accurate

[@laxjoh]

Are you doubting my 1000+ hours of expert knowledge from wikipedia reading up on The pacific instead of actual war documents and records/reports?

[@codyking4848]

The typical Japanese soldier was every bit as tenacious as stated here by Basilone. The reports, the REAL reports, from the Pacific theatre are simply horrifying. Right or wrong, victor or loser, the Japanese soldier was a force to be reckoned with and should be respected.

[@robwalsh9843]

I've heard stories from Saipan about how starving Japanese troops with barely any ammunition or food would still put up an insane fight.

[@theguy6082]

A force to be reckoned with? Yes. Respect? An enemy that commits horrible war crimes that includes human live experiments, holding contests for killing civilians, and raping hundreds of thousands of women and bringing them into sexual slavery deserves no respect. Don't get me started on nanking. Hell, even the Nazis told them they were taking it too far.

[@codyking4848]

@@theguy6082 What do you think US troops were doing in Germany and occupied Japanese territories? The victors write the history books. Last I checked, we were the only ones to drop not one but TWO atomic bombs on what were majority civilian populated cities. Don't be a fool.

[@theguy6082]

​@@codyking4848 I won't deny the fact that the US is definitely not sin free and that the usage of atomic bombs is an atrocity in itself. But let's put some things into perspective. The upper death estimates of Hiroshima+Nagasaki is around 200k. But a land invasion would be even worse. The Department of the Navy estimated that the Americans speculated to die were 800k and Japanese around the millions. The numbers of people who died in the atomic bombing in comparison are tame. The government sent leaflets telling the civilian population, the majority of whom enthusiastically supported the Imperial government, to evacuate not once, but twice. They had plenty of warning to leave the city. And some did, thankfully. I won't deny that the Allies weren't always clean either. All sides in war commit atrocities. However, the Allies weren't the one committing mass genocide on the entirety of southeast Asia and Korea in an attempt to wipe out entire cultures. You know, Nanking one of the worst massacres not just in WW2 but in all of human history where the IJA forced family civilian members to rape each other, mutilated, tortured and bayoneted babies for the fun of it? Around 350k. That was fifty percent, FIFTY percent of China's then capital. And that's just ONE event out of the 2-13 million deaths that would occur out of Imperial Japan's atrocities, how many times is that more than Nagasaki and Hiroshima? You do the math. You don't want to listen to the victors of the war like the US? Fine. You can ask the Koreans who were under Japanese colonial rule for 35 years and had 200k of its women forced into sexual slavery. You can read about WW2 from a Chinese textbook about the war atrocities committed in China that would make an Auschwitz guard vomit. Or a Filipino textbook about the Bataan death march. And Malaysia, Burma, Indonesia and many more of these nations who lost to Imperial Japan. I'm sure they'll tell you *wonderful* things about them. There is a reason why China and Korea still have animosity against Japan to this very day.

[@JohnSmith-zk8xp]

@@theguy6082 look up the meaning of respect there, tough guy

[@robwalsh9843]

I would be terrified at the prospect of facing the IJA in combat.

[@davidk2628]

A truly ruthless enemy

[@Kakashi19-69]

Constant BANZAI screaming

[@GeorgiaBoy1961]

@ Rob Walsh Re:"I would be terrified at the prospect of facing the IJA in combat." In the now-distant time before the Second World War, international travel and communications were nothing like they are today, and people and nations were much more-insular and isolated from one another than they are now, particularly ones so distant from one another as Japan and the U.S. It is simply a fact that both sides engaged in racial stereotyping about one another prior to and during the war. If you examine some of the propaganda posters and other material produced -by both sides - it is very extreme to modern sensibilities. In the Anglosphere - the U.S. and other English-speaking nations (Britain and the CW nations in particular) - the views of Japan before the war were dismissive, often, not allowing for the fact that the Japanese had, in a remarkably short amount of time, gone from being a neo-feudal society in the 1860s and 1870s to being a first-world power by the turn of the century, when Japan decisively beat Russia in the Russo-Japanese conflict. The very stereotypes mentioned, i.e., small, slight people with bad eyes and thick glasses, not the material of first-rate military men. These dismissive stereotypes, then, just added that much more to the shock felt by the Western nations in the greater Pacific, when Japan launched her attacks of December 6-7th 1941. It wasn't just that Pearl Harbor was hit, but that our great fortress in the Pacific at the Philippines was lost, as the British lost Singapore in one of the largest surrenders in her history, and the Dutch lost their possessions in the SW Pacific region. The British were so badly-surprised at Singapore that all of their artillery was pointed seaward, in the wrong direction to repel the Japanese attack, which came over-land down the Malay peninsula. The shock and awe continued when Japanese aircraft sunk the British battleship Prince of Wales and battle-cruiser Repulse - without any surface naval aid whatsoever. Thus arose a panic or near-panic over the newly-recognized Japanese military superiority. That first year of the war or so when all fell before her military might, gave Japan what some Japanese officers and men later called "victory disease," an over-confidence borne of her easy victories early on in the war. so that sword of overconfidence cut both ways.....

[@theguy6082]

Then you can search up the war crimes that the IJA did during that time. I'm sure you would have no problem going to war with those folks considering the shit they did back then.

[@sytincer5708]

@@theguy6082 that’s why I’m scared.

[@samiam1254]

I served in the very same unit, with the very same rank and the very same billet as John Basilone.....it was the highlight of my military career. I am humbled....

[@jordanwhite8567]

Amazing! Respect to you, what an honor that must be.

[@DemonWarp65]

Thank you, and everyone you served with, for your service and sacrifice.

[@storytsunami]

"He can live off of maggoty rice and muddy water for weeks and endure misery YOU COULDN'T DREAM UP IN YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE!" probably my favorite part of the speech :D. The actor's performance is incredible.

[@anthonyspitery6332]

I went to this park with my girlfriend in New Jersey. Turns out there was a John Basilone memorial at the end of the trail. I told my girl we’re running to the end, cuz I wanted to pay my respects.

[@followme8238]

Raritan NJ, great statue and monument to a great American

[@sithius99]

One of the best reality check speeches I've seen.

[@C45Auto]

Noble and respectful even towards the enemy, Basilone really does justice to "The Old Breed"

[@GeorgiaBoy1961]

@ C45Auto: Basilone's respect towards the Japanese during wartime is motivated by wanting to train his men properly to get the job done, but afterward, in peacetime (if he is lucky-enough to survive), an old combat soldier or Marine may make a curious discovery - that he has more in common with his erstwhile enemy than many of the civilian non-combatants in his own nation. Not just between the Japanese and U.S., but between the U.S. and Germans, too. That old veteran from Germany may have been at the Battle of the Bulge and frozen his butt in a water-filled foxhole, too, something that the folks back home literally can't fathom, since they weren't there and didn't experience it. This is not to say that such odd friendships always develop. Only that the enmity of war can sometimes be replaced by grudging respect for one's former foes.

[@katiushastroya3291]

"You can call him whatever you want. But never ever FAIL to respect their desire to put you and your buddies into an early grave ! "

[@oporciuncula]

Respect the kind of enemy especially the one's who are trained to kill. I believe that is what gunny Basilone is trying to tell his men.

[@orneryokinawan4529]

I can't imagine what it was like for my female relatives at the time, to prepare to fight even with sticks with bayonets attached. If that isn't desperation I don't know what is! I'm glad it never came to that. I couldn't imagine stabbing someone's son, father, brother, cousin, etc.

[@GeorgiaBoy1961]

Race hatred and racism were staples of the Great Pacific War, on both sides. Prior to the war, many Americans - including professional military men who ought to have known better - believed that the Japanese were a backward, weak people, militarily-inept and not able to compete with westerners in military affairs. The common image of the Japanese soldier was a weak, buck-toothed, nearsighted sad sack - not a warrior at all. Of course, the ABCD powers - America, Britain & the Commonwealths, and the Dutch - all learned the hard way that the Japanese were very formidable warriors indeed - throughout the course of the Pacific War. Gunnery Sergeant Basilone was doing the right thing by his men, teaching them that the Japanese were a formidable opponent, one worthy of respect even though our enemies at the time. His getting in their faces may seem harsh to modern sensibilities, but he's doing it to make them better Marines and to prepare them as best he could for the hell of combat. The hateful propaganda existed on their side as well. According to Japanese wartime propaganda, the Japanese people had been told - and believed - that when the victorious Americans and their allies occupied Japan, that they would be bayoneted, roasted over a fire and then eaten. Ordinary Japanese were therefore stunned when American GI's were friendly, had smiles on their faces - and wanted to give them chocolate bars and cigarettes.

[@Jupiter.141]

@@orneryokinawan4529 if Hiroshima and nagasaki bombing didn't happen. These men would've experience an all out war against the Japanese people itself. Kids to old men and women all civilians no exceptions must fight to the death for their god emperor

[@korsekil]

@@GeorgiaBoy1961 The difference is that for the US, they were taught to mock their enemy and underestimate them, while for the Japanese they were taught to hate them to their core. So the Japanese were willing to fight even harder than before, even giving their lives for it.

[@theguy6082]

@@GeorgiaBoy1961 Respect? The IJA committed some of the most horrid war crimes ever known to human existence that they make what the Nazis did look like kids play. I don't see anything respectable about that kind of enemy that bayonets babies, does live human experiments and uses hundreds of thousands of girls, a lot of whom were underage, as sexual slaves. Every IJA soldier that participated in those acts should've been lined up and shot.

[@MMircea]

I was raised by parents who have both served in the military and although they weren't involved in any combat throughout their service I could notice their reaction towards those who talk about war and soldiers as they live in a videogame. War is HUNGER, DISEASE, INHUMAN INHABITANCE, HATRED, MANIPULATION, HOPELESS SITUATIONS, LIFE OR DEATH DECISION/MOMENTS and after all that DEATH (whether you or your comrades). Anyone who has fought during WW2 that I know have told me that once it all ended they felt nothing honourable regarding it and if sent back in time, they would have killed anyone who had caused it in the first place. Thank whoever isn't on the other side that YOU HAVE NOT LIVED DURING THOSE TIMES.

[@madlarkin8]

@@xaolin8546 youre right, an imperialist war, thats why we proudly fly the american flag over Baghdad and take all of their oil as we add iraq as a territory of the united states. And if those things arent true you can all call me haji.

[@madlarkin8]

@@xaolin8546 so is imperialist just a word used for people you dont agree with? Because I would say Iraq invading the sovereign nation of kuwait with the desire to annex them and control their oil and ports is imperialist. What is an example of imperialist war that wasnt to control the territory of the victim? Besides iraq war obviously since we already disagree on that.

[@madlarkin8]

@@xaolin8546 well I would argue against the vietnam war as south vietnam had already declared war and were in open conflict against the communists before the last french soldier left, let alone the americans got there, massive foreign funding from the soviet union to help the communists win their civil war is also a justification for intervention. If the Soviet Union was allowed to supply weapons, "volunteer" soldiers, and funding to any nation they wanted without the western "imperialists" stopping them, they could topple any third world government they wanted and replace the government with communists and call it the "people's revolution" And as far as chemical weapons in Iraq i would suggest you check facts on that, chemical artillery rounds were intentionally mislabelled as HE/FRAG and WP rounds and were quite often discovered when being disposed of by coalition EOD techs in Iraq. It is a known and recognised fact that Saddam used chemical weapons to suppress and exterminate the kurdish population. I concede that an active chemical program wasnt found, but the presence of the munitions was confirmed and I think a genocide with or without WMDs is reason enough to intervene. Gun to my head, if asked which USA wars were imperialist, i would say the indian wars against the north american natives and then the phillipines, possibly panama. I think the cold war period was a legitimate effort to stop the growth of communism which represented a danger to human liberty across the globe, without any real american desire to conquer these places. Simply making them stable thriving countries is beneficial to a free market society like the US examples would include japan, south korea, taiwan, west germany. The serious error the US has made was treating muslim countries in a similar way where as soon as US forces leave, the devout population (or just devout leadership) naturally drifts towards anti western sentiment... but now newly equipped with western weapons.

[@madlarkin8]

@@xaolin8546 so the two more modern examples you showed are reflective of modern US foreign policy shifting after the USSR dissolved. During the cold war, many american and russian military leaders saw WW3 as an inevitability and everything we did was geared towards preparing the chess board for the ultimately pivotal conflict that would unfold across the globe, with nations inside the opponents sphere of influence granting strategic accessibility. Towards the end however, it was realized that the best way to win was to consolidate our economic superiority, thusly we endeavored to simply make it extremely profitable to do business with the US, which was something the USSR could not match (for long). I think this is still our strategy today, people look at this as a form of imperialism, but these people are not our slaves, they are compensated immensely and their otherwise stagnant economies are flooded with foreign dollars to help develop infrastructure that may one day form the basis of an economic ally against say.. the peoples republic of china. They are granted an opportunity to leap ahead in technology and development that would simply not have been possible without a first world patron country. The greatest flaw in this system is how to ensure the aid is being used to truly develop the country and not flow into corrupt pockets and thats something we need to work on greatly, but if it is not us doing it, those countries WILL and HAVE reached out to china for the same support and they definitely dont give a fuck about those people, they just want those tasty african rare earth metals. I would rather it is us than them.

[@madlarkin8]

@@xaolin8546 thats a nice, reductive way to break it down. How much oil exactly (or approximately) did we steal from iraq after the invasion?

[@hanky.9476]

Great acting. John Basilone just busted those new recruits' bubble. War is cruel and unforgiving.

[@tomurg]

John Basilone was a great warrior....

[@nicholasb2341]

🇺🇸he was a bad ass gun machine.

[@johnwilliamson2276]

That is an understatement if I every saw one! Even if you disregard his Medal of Honor, he was a great Leader of Men!

[@hjmendoza71]

He was a Marine!

[@o.4500]

This is the most memorable piece of dialog in the entire series. When I think of 'The Pacific', I think of this speech immediately.

[@ered203]

The scene of the basic training "out of your racks in 5 seconds" at 3:30am situation has been done in every movie to the point of being a trope. Most movies don't show the Guadalcanal scenes when it illustrates what really happens when you can't get out of your hammock in under 5 seconds at 3:30 am when the Japanese decide to attack. I always loved this scene for driving home that point.

[@charlesfiscus4235]

Probably the greatest description of the Japanese soldiers ever described. Specifically by someone who had already fought them , and earned the MOH.

[@theguy6082]

Not really. He left out the fact of them being sadistic war criminals that did things so horrid they would make an auchwitz guard vomit.

[@Yes_Fantasy_419]

@@theguy6082 Japan has not been in a war since World War 2. China however is an authoritarian Orwellian 1984 regime that crushes dissidents like at the Tiananmen Square massacre. Invades and annexed countries like Tibet and many others. Has invaded India, Vietnam, and tried to invade Taiwan. Literally engaged in genocides against the Tibetans, Uyghurs, and many others. During the Cultural Revolution millions were raped, murdered, and cannibalised by Chinese Red Guard Students. During the Great Leap Forward implemented by Mao Zedong where TENS OF MILLIONS of Chinese civilians died from famines. China has killed more of its own population than the former Imperialist Japanese Empire ever dreamed of. Which of these two countries would you rather side with? The one that's having violent border clashes with India another nuclear power or Japan a modern democracy? China has become the new Imperial Empire of the 21st century who want to conquer and dominate all of Asia because the Han Chinese see themselves as the superior master race among Asians.

[@JackRogers-x9e]

@@theguy6082well yeah they were ruthless which is what made them such great soldiers

[@theguy6082]

@@JackRogers-x9eYou can be great soldiers without stabbing pregnant women and engaging in civilian beheading contests.

[@jpanderson2569]

One of those speeches that feels stereotypical and overdone in every war movie...until you read the actual history and realize that everthing Sgt. Basilone says is historically accurate and true: many of the Japanese soldiers had been fighting since 1933, and some of their Sr Staff had fought the Russians in the 1900s or the Germans in WW1, so quite literally when these young Marines were in diapers. And it is well documented that Imperial Japanese soldiers literally ate maggoty rice and dirty-dysentary-causing water for weeks and still fought at levels most other armies could only dream of for their top units.

[@jordanhicks5131]

No different than the US military today, they are the most experienced fighting force on the face of the planet today, they have been in combat for nearly 20 years in some corner of the globe. Neither china nor russia have that kind of continuous experience under their belt

[@joshuagrover795]

@@jordanhicks5131 you could say the Nato alliance overall has the most combat experience over 20 years of continuous war.

[@NoQuestions4sked]

@@joshuagrover795 The actual percentage of troops in the US military and by extension NATO that have actual combat experience is a very small and rapidly shrinking percentage. 4 of the 5 US soldiers deployed to Iraq never left the safety of their bases. Even fewer got shot at. Fewer had the opportunity to return fire. Fewer returned fire. Iraq has been over since 2012. Afghanistan has been practically over since 2014. Initial contracts are 2 to 6 years. Retention rates for combat arms is low, the lowest of all the branches in the military. The winner of the next war will not live and die based off of "combat experience," but resources, technology and logistics, the same as any war.

[@yianni911]

@@NoQuestions4sked history is full of examples saying otherwise.

[@NoQuestions4sked]

@@yianni911 Lol. You're confused bud

[@18roselover]

Mr Basilone makes an excellent point . Don/t let your guard down and underestimate your enemy . You kill him first , before he does it to you.

[@endutubecensorship]

You can hate your enemy, but respect your enemies ability to end you.

[@theguy6082]

Considering the extent of the horrid war crimes the average IJA soldier did that would make an Auschwitz guard vomit, no. I would not respect an enemy like that even as a combatant. I would see them as a barbaric psychopath that needs to be lined up and shot.

[@JohnBanana]

@@theguy6082 I dunno what your deal is I've seen several of your comments. You must think you're super smart / some genius, but you're totally missing the entire point of the speech. Went over your head. You're not respecting the enemy for who they are, you're respecting their ability to..as said in the video..put you and your boys into an early grave. As terrible/stupid/bad as they were, such as in terms of war crimes, they are still extremely dangerous enemies. He's saying you need to realize how much of a threat they are to you, so that when you go into combat and face them, you are not underestimating them and shrugging them off as idiot 'bucktooth' foolish incapable soldiers that you're going to 'slap.' Do you respect their deadly ability in combat? Or do you disregard their abilities (which killed thousands of marines)? No one cares if you respect them as people. I bet you think 'respecting them as a soldier' = you are respecting them individually and their values/actions/opinions. that's not the case. You're probably like 14, though.

[@JohnGreasyGamer]

I like how Basilone tells the truth about his "enemy", admiring him rather than humiliating him. When he says that the Japanese soldier is not just "some buck-toothed goofy eyed cartoon character", and says he's a combat veteran, fighting for years non-stop, it makes you think. It makes you think how ruthless, how much damage that one Japanese soldier can do. Very good film, and thanks for the upload, it's an awesome scene ^_^

[@theguy6082]

The IJA were sadistic psychopaths known to commit some of the worst atrocities known to man. Nothing about them is admirable.

[@SamFisher007]

He doesn't admire them. He simply won't underestimate them and respects their desire to win at all costs.

[@stoggafllik]

@@theguy6082 cry more

[@shawnofdanaukota3843]

@@theguy6082Also those sadistic psychopaths were honour as heroes at a Shrine it makes me sick to the core.

[@Killzoneguy117]

"If you know yourself and not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer defeat. If you know neither yourself or the enemy, you will succumb in every battle." - Sun Tzu Sergeant is completely in the right here. These guys are going expecting the Japanese to be cartoons and pushovers. Failing to respect the capabilities and tenacity of their enemy will undoubtedly get them killed.

[@MrRockmarco]

0:45 the moment Basilone knew they were not ready for the horror of the war

[@crusaderclarkplays5466]

That's your drill sergeant, listen and he know the enemy in your combat.

[@wukanimation]

That's no Drill Sergeant. He's a Machine Gun Instructor.

[@RejectedTheOnes]

In Raritan, NJ-the town where John Basilone grew up-there's an annual parade in commemoration of him and his actions in WWII. This is the same town where I grew up, so I got to march in the parade one year with the local scout troop, which was cool. They march down the main road, then end at the statue of him right outside town where everyone gives a thanks and cheers

[@brittanywetherill472]

Respect for your enemy- who he is, what he can do, and why he does it- keeps you alive. That was really well said.

[@keithbarrett8629]

Statue stands to this day of this hero in NJ... Rest In Peace Marine - Semper Fi

[@MrAlumni72]

Raritan, NJ to be exact. And they hold a parade every year on John Basilone Day.

[@Darthbelal]

Basilone. He ain't on a power trip. He KNOWS what the Japanese soldier is capable of and is doing all he can to see to it as many of his men as possible survive in combat. As hard as training was, it was so much worse on Iwo and Okinawa. Bless him.

[@MattTheStatt]

Absolutely love this part of The Pacific. Goosebumps every time I watch it.

[@acedrumminman]

The great thing also in this scene is the casting of the requites...boys had just lived through the depression, the majority of Americans were small and skinny by today's standards...there were no muscular kids then...most soldiers got healthier, ate better, gained weight and were fitter than at anytime in their short lives after joining the Corps...well researched...

[@jcn268]

the Japanese soldier was brainwashed so hard that they forgot they had a life to live.

[@hu3bman]

Ikr, and their determination & endurance is so admirable it's other-worldly

[@clearcreek69]

This motivational speech is like all the wartime posters everywhere but just a hell of alot more eye opening & self explanatory.

[@deltacs4934]

I’m Japanese but I think this is one of the most iconic and great moment of whole series

[@stevenpremmel4116]

Are there any Japanese WW2 shows like the Pacific?

[@spirz4557]

@@stevenpremmel4116 Letters from Iwo Jima by Clint Eastwood. Shows both US and Japanese sides.

[@nighthawkdutchchameleon9815]

My mothers uncle joined 44 as a dutch marine trained in the states and ewuipt with the dutch marine brigade supposed to land shoulder to shoulder with usmc. Bit war was over he wss shipped to soerabaya island were he was killed in hand to hand combat with the enemy. His name was corporal od the marines jules rutten. You can google him.

[@luket1085]

Politics aside (being Indonesian), much respect to your family

[@jonasnorden8916]

May he rest in peace and we all thank him for his service

[@vernhoke7730]

One of the many Marine legends we heard stories about at Parris Island. "Manila" John Basilone, Dan Daly, Chesty Puller and the like. I had the honor to lead, as part of the color guard, a couple Basilone day parades in his hometown of Raritan, NJ in the mid '80s.

[@julian-gen]

The best short speech on respect for your enemy I've ever heard. Great delivery by John Seda.

[@jamess7264]

Spoken as the one who has seen/fought the enemy. You can hate them, but don't discount them. Many of the Japanese soldiers had been fighting for 5-10 years by that time.

[@JohnSmith-zk8xp]

"fighting"

[@ieuanhale]

Wow, I think this is the perfect description for who a Japanese Soldier really is... John Basilone was a hero wether he wanted to be or not..

[@spectre1725]

He is a fucking legend. Just a great leader. I would follow him without hesitation,

[@dgrmn12345]

Its true what Basilone said about the Japanese soldier. The ones he faced have been fighting the Chinese in the mainland years before the first American Marine got in the first boat fresh out of bootcamp.

[@devonharrison9951]

Wow!! That is a true warrior. He even showed respect for the enemy in order to keep own his men in check. That's hardcore.

[@michaelmorrigan614]

John Basilone is one of my personal heroes. To me he represents a selflessness that you just don’t see in current generations.

[@villagernumber9233]

I love how he puts all the cocky recruits in their place.

[@johnwilliamson2276]

We "The Marine Corps" still have senior noncoms that do this! Of course there will never be another Gunnery Sgt like John Basilone! Semper Fi Gunny.

[@kevinramsey417]

Oo Rah!

[@rockndude87]

"The most dangerous weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle" -General Pershing (United States Army)

[@anti-loganpaul7827]

Debatable

[@บุญธรรมทวีบุรุษ]

Bullshit just ignored IED ,spy and back stabbing Ah?

[@rune.theocracy]

The Army praising the Marines, go figure lol

[@toasterpastries5811]

*"Never underestimate your enemy." -Sun Tzu*

[@yannick245]

You don't need Sun Tzu or Clausewitz for that simple conclusion. It just has to be told to eager recruits.

[@jord_2wYT]

Easily the most powerful scene from this series, and that's saying something

[@Grant80]

This bloke is a true hero. He could have stayed home trained others but decided to go with his men and died for it. True respect.

[@rafaelmedina5950]

Basilone is such a myth!!! Incredible scene! Cheers from Brazil!

[@ミタソン]

Nullifying the enemy will hurt you. The enemy is also serious about killing us.

[@ronniecoleman2342]

By 1944 some Japanese units had over a decade of combat experience. With the war in China from 1931 through southeast Asia, and the Pacific, Japan had been at war a long time.

[@doyoulikecrystalgel]

This was one of my favorite scenes in this entire miniseries, quickly followed by another best which was the French toast/breakfast scene with the beautiful Lena and our boi John. What struck me as amazing in this scene was the level of respect he shows his enemies. You can hate your enemy, but show them some respect. They’re just trying to do the SAME thing for their countrymen as you are.

[@cubefarmerhkc9105]

This man is a legend, best character of the series. So sad he died on Iwo

[@boongonewild]

The actor who played Basilone did a fantastic job.

[@ELITESrBAMOFOS945]

Back when Americans were truly great. RIP Gunny, Semper FI.

[@thatdudewelove8498]

the word needs more people like Basilone

[@slatermclatchey2294]

world

[@ADHDgonewild7]

Adolf Hitler fucking grammar nazi

[@fredlandry6170]

Basilone knew what it was like fighting the Japanese.

[@BlkPhoenix1111]

Slap a Jap sounds like a discontinued cereal brand lol

[@Reddog794]

This series is so underrated.

[@joshuagayle8473]

Can't disrespect the enemy who's willing to charge at you knowing they'll die.

[@Kyle-ht5qg]

I've been out of the Marine Corps for 6 years now, but God damn if this scene still doesn't get me hyped up! Semper Fi Gunny!

[@ElephantDropBomb]

Best scene in the whole series. Thanks for posting this.

[@xFlared]

Slap a tab.

[@orneryokinawan4529]

Lol

[@kokikoda8203]

criminally underrated series

[@XiangYu94]

As someone with Chinese grandparents who had to resist the Japanese on the mainland, I respect the Japanese for being the toughest conventional opponents we ever faced. More than half a century later the hate between the two nations still simmers, but I hope one day it turns into respect when we realize that we both can learn from one another.

[@alexvermaak1759]

i would think that the simmering hate may have something to do with the hundreds of years of slavery and occupation not just WW2

[@Soleilasens]

Sadly today China is the new Nazi Germany

[@derps8690]

@@Soleilasens no, it most definitely is not... not even close.

[@Soleilasens]

@@derps8690 yeah it is 😞 I hope they are stopped

[@derps8690]

@@Soleilasens no, it isn't. nowhere near the close. you should apologize for even trying to compare the two... it might save your life.

[@mikesumner2827]

Show respect to the enemy.

[@martincarbosin3431]

Main rule known by any army in today. Never underestimate your opponent!

[@dominicvasquez6469]

The ultimate way to respect your enemy is to kill him ruthlessly, efficiently, and recognize he is trying to do the same to you.

[@josephvalvano829]

Ask the British in Malaya, how skilled Japanese infantry were. What a hero and example for all Americans, Rest In Peace Gunnery Sergeant Basilone.

[@wattsnottaken1]

“He can live off muddy water and maggoty rice for WEEKS and endure misery you couldn’t dream up in your worst NIGHTMARE!”

[@huemungy3212]

Japan is a nation which has spent almost the entire previous 2000 years practicing war in almost an art like precision. If it were not for the man power and industrial might of the USA, things could have gone very differently.

[@Rikki0]

Kuaminifu Mwenzi Don't count on that. Americans at Guadalcanal were outnumbered in men and equipment both on land and at sea. Japanese had superior equipment and ships and especially aircraft. At the Battle of Midway it was even worse for the Americans than at Guadalcanal. Battle of Coral Sea, same.

[@huemungy3212]

Guam, Philippines, Wake Island, The defeat of ABDACOM, etc. Naming individual battles won and lost doesn't really make an argument.

[@Rikki0]

Kuaminifu Mwenzi I'll assume you are just joking. Wars are won by winning individual battles. And except for the Phillipines, we were vastly outnumbered in every battle you just posted.

[@huemungy3212]

Rikki0 i think you're missing my point, yes battles win wars, but you have to look at why the battles were won or lost. History judges the pacific theatre very clearly. The Japanese made many large initial advances because they held the element of surprise and already had significant experience in warfare. This expansion eventually ground to a halt due to the length of supply lines. As the USA began to increase it's industrial might, more and more battles were won by the allies as they were better supplied and equipped as the war continued.

[@lgmmrm]

Kuaminifu Mwenzi We didn't win because of superior soldiers, superior manpower, superior industrial might, or superior technology... We won the war because the U.S. had the best Generals and Admirals of WWII (quite frankly the best since then too), and our leaders did NOT insist on actions (Hitler's 2-front war, Hirohito's attacking Pearl Harbor) that were suicidally stupid and that the officers themselves did not want to do.

[@gregrock7451]

I recall a quote from a former Japanese officer in the Pacific about the Marines I learned at Parris Island. Well, not **exactly,** but he said something to the effect that there was no dishonor in being defeated in battle by men who fought the way the Marines did. If you understand anything about the Code Bushido that guided the culture of the Japanese Imperial Army, you know how heavy that is. A similar speech to the one in this clip was made by a Soviet airborne instructor to a class of recruits training for duty in Afghanistan in "9th Company." True warriors may lose a war, but they can still win the respect of their foes; I think if they can do that, there is no true defeat.

[@Kakashi19-69]

Respect for everyone. Friend or foe.

[@theguy6082]

The IJA soldier was a barbaric war criminal that would rape underage girls and participate in contests for beheading civilians so no, they don't deserve respect even as a combatant.

[@Kakashi19-69]

@@theguy6082 respect your enemy that they can kill you if you underestimate them. Respect that fact, not their actions

[@rifelaw]

Underestimate your enemy, and you underprepare for him. If your enemy is worthy only of your disrespect, any losses become embarrassments, and your victories are hollow.

[@michaelward9880]

Never underestimate your enemies.

[@marcobildan6255]

If you start to understimate your enemy you'll be dead already

[@aznfattass]

every person who enters the military should have to read Sun Tzu's art of war. “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

[@sethkimmel7312]

They do in West Point, Annapolis, Colorado Springs, Sandhurst and most if not all of the other service academies throughout the world.....I'm sure that EVERY officer at least once has studied Sun Tzu and Von Clauswitz's Vom Krieg (on war). I'm looking at my copies in my bookcase as I write this....(took the Navy AVSEB, but the police department called first....STUPID decision; should have joined the Navy FIRST then joined the department). It would have helped me be a better police officer...

[@Conmon115]

Simply put, never underestimate your opponent.

[@sniperRobert]

one of the best parts of the Pacific

[@blorkysenior]

An enemy you don't respect is an enemy that will constantly surprise, and likely defeat you

[@nevermindus9352]

Never ever underestimated your enemy

[@stonytrees8573]

One of my favourite scenes from the series

[@HUNTERKILLER20001]

Whatever you think of your enemy, never fail to remember he wants to kill you.

[@MSRLR]

never underestimate the enemies' desire to kill you.