The Pacific- The Stench- Edit

Interview with WWII Pacific Veteran: • Heroic WW2 Marine Reve...
Show/ Video Source: HBO's The Pacific

[@squirlysquirly969]

For those wondering, the interview is from Raider Marine William Gosch, who took part in close quarters fighting in the Battle of Okinawa.

[@Bob-tn5xn]

Raiders were disbanded by then but maybe he was in tony walkers 180 man ex Raider recon team with my grandfather and the other guys from 4th C/P co. ! God bless em all !

[@garyowen9044]

The stench is pretty similar to a fully grown white tail deer carcass in decay, but it’s everywhere, all the time.

[@jarpentnextgen]

A friend of mine was there, he was only 5 yrs old and told me how he saw first handed how a marine got shot in the chest and died inmediately there in Okinawa, he never forgot about that and I heard this story when he was nearly his 80 yrs old, that and lots of other stuff he lived and witnessed stuck with him all of his life.

[@biggtrux]

I'm sorry you had to go thru that. You did what you had to do to survive. Someone MUST survive to speak for those who's lives were lost in battle.

[@glennbrymer4065]

Many paid a terrible price after they came home. I remember serveral from my childhood. I never really understood their behavior at times. But later, after I myself became a disabled veteran and gotten hurt. I began to understand why they had acted as they did. It was a sobering idea.

[@Bobbyo60]

It must have been terrible for these vets who would have had the time to reflect upon their situation and their actions. I can’t help but think many of them had such feelings of guilt.

[@AAAComics]

Survivors guilt was when a vet saw a comrade die and wondered why it wasnt him instead. Crazy world.

[@wyattmann8157]

"Had he and I but met By some old ancient inn, We should have sat us down to wet Right many a nipperkin!" "But ranged as infantry, And staring face to face, I shot at him as he at me, And killed him in his place." - Thomas Hardy

[@user-lh1hd8ss9i]

As someone who was born in 1957, I can see the war from the point of view of a son and nephew of WWII Army vets, two of whom fought in the European Theater and one who fought in the Asia-Pacific Theater. I dated a wide variety of women from many cultures in the US, Latin America, Africa and Asia as well, including two Chinese, two Japanese, two Vietnamese, a South Korean, a Thai and a Malay. Almost all of them were the children of those who had fought in the war as I was. I had friends from these cultures and when I visited New Zealand as part of a US Air Force sponsored Civil Air Patrol International Air Cadet Exchange program in 1977, I met many people who had fought in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam as well as the British war in Malaysia(1947-1957). I met their families many of whom had children who were my age. When we did talk about those wars, I tried to consider their points of view as well. War is truely HELL and it's impact on those that fight in it as well as those who bear the price of loss of loved ones or the damage of loved ones can never be minimized. As my generation passes away, leaving this world to our children and for those who have grandchildren and great grandchildren as I do not, they will have to live with the impact of history as we had to. Human growth happens when we accept reality and view humanity realistically but hope idealistically for a better future as well. As Washington once said if you desire peace, then prepare for war. I say that strength is the only way to insure peace along with a mutual desire for the survival of humanity. Good Luck with the threat of war as well as the quest for peace!

[@AAAComics]

Interesting take. Great commend

[@thomasrussell7135]

My grandfather was a POW in the Pacific, he never talked about his experience in the camps but he did leave me his Autobiography and added a little more depth about his experience. He talked about when he was in Japan for medical experiments to find the cure for Beri Beri disease. He talked about one time on work detail a woman risked her life and her child to smuggle them some food, and he also spoke of a camp commander who very cruel in the day time but would steal from his warehouse at night to give them some food

[@user-lh1hd8ss9i]

I have heard similar stories! There were commanders who refused to carry out the order from Imperial Headquarters issued by Emperor Hirohito to massacre all allied prisoners(military and civilian) and others who did massacre them. One must never forget that the Samurai cultural influence was still strong and Japanese society stressed group think and group action over individuality. Therefore if the group killed, raped and robbed, all did the same...in some cases to avoid punishment or death and in others because they enjoyed doing so. Recently, some Japanese war veterans have begun to talk about their war(1931-45) and their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren as well as other Japanese have begun to ask questions or outright question what they have been told in the past. They have begun to establish groups to interface with those from other countries who fought in the war. This is a very positive thing and should be encouraged. There is also greater moves towards friendship and intermarriage. This is also a very positive thing and should be encouraged for who can you hate those that you have learned to love and respect. We must see each other as people and not as just as members of a government, knowing that governments often try to gain their objectives by way of making US think as they would prefer us to think and then act as they would prefer us to act not as WE would prefer to think and act. We should seek truth and refuse lies, seeking to work together for the sake of humanity. Have a great week.

[@AAAComics]

Yeah it must be rough man. I thank him for his service. I hope his autobiography is out there for people to read

[@MsFrostitute]

God bless the men of the US Marines and many of the japanese soldiers who were good people but wound up in a horrible situation. Thinking of the enemy as a human like you is enough to make someone really suffer.. war is hell.

[@seer775]

Because they are a human like you. Your leaders would have you think otherwise.

[@madprofessor5966]

And don't forget the men of the U.S. Army who fought and died along side the Marines on Okinawa and the other Pacific islands.

[@seer775]

@@madprofessor5966 for nothing at all

[@MsFrostitute]

@@madprofessor5966 You bet.

[@MsFrostitute]

@@seer775 That's a sad way to see the world

[@8bitgamer85]

My cousin and her husband are both registered nurses. I asked her husband what dead bodies smelled like. He told me after awhile it smells like poop.

[@AAAComics]

That’s a horrible question to ask man. 💀

[@kd741]

Half way down the trail to hell in

[@lemmdus2119]

They might have a child somewhere from before they got neutralized.

[@erichvonmanstein6876]

How do you know they didnt already have kids🙄

[@AAAComics]

Haha true. But also consider many of the troops were 16-20+++ Also on the Japanese side. So it is safe to say many guys didn’t have kids yet. Or couldn't watch their own grow up.

[@erichvonmanstein6876]

@@AAAComics that's two very different scenarios

[@AAAComics]

@@erichvonmanstein6876 Yes but both are mostly true. The Vet could be saying that because maybe most of the guys he had killed were relatively young Japanese soldiers. Or maybe not. Who knows. Regardless his point still stands true, MANY young people died and many of them couldn’t continue their family lineage. But I respect your opinion though and it makes sense.

[@erichvonmanstein6876]

@@AAAComics first how the phuk does he know how old the people he killed are. Second (as you said) regardless my point still stands true, how the phuk does he know if they already had kids

[@erichvonmanstein6876]

@@AAAComics and actually your point does not "stand true". It isn't "safe to say" most didn't have kids. You have absolutely no idea how many did or didn't much less enough information to say "it's safe to say"