Funny, but I was watching Jurrasic Park this afternoon on cable and when I saw the young boy Timmy I immediately thought "Sledgehammer! Seventeen years later and he still looks pretty much the same.
I had no clue either about it being the kid from Jurassic Park yet I thought I had seen him before but could not place it. I did not think to check on IMDB so thank you very much, Third Coast.
That's an interesting excerpt, ths71. It gives some food for thought for those like me who are from the following school of thought (from your article):
A poignant moment in the final episode was when Sledge's father told his mother, "Leave Eugene alone. You have no idea what men like him have been through." Thanks to authors like Eugene Sledge and Robert Leckie, we at least have some idea.
The part that got to me was the bios at the end. All but two are now dead- and many of them died recently (2001, 2005 etc.) I have liked this series from the second episode when I finally understood who the characters were and are- and understanding how their lives ended really helped put a human element on a very real albeit recreation of history. Spielberg and Hanks did an A+ job. Great acting, and great people to dedicate the series to.
What a great series. Not only did these men's stories need to be told, but the younger generations of Americans (Gen X, Gen Y, and the Millenials) need to hear them. I'm not trying to go West Mall, but amidst all the talk of "hope" and "change," there also needs to be a healthy appreciation of those who went before us and what they did to get us here.
I want to give a VERY big and hearty thank you to Shark and the others who gave wonderful insight, opinion and personal stories during this series. Your stories about experiences or that of family members (as well as what you have read or seen somewhere) aided my enjoyment and experience in ways words cannot describe. I found myself thinking about y'all, your loved ones and what you would post about next. You sort of made this 3D for me and I wanted to give all of you thanks. You are some special people and I don't mean in a short bus kind of way.
I thought the casting of the actors was very good, in that most of them had similar features to the real life heroes they portrayed. Perhaps it was because my father served in The Pacific long before I was born, but I actually appreciated this series more than BoB - and that is saying a lot. Both were amazing productions and should stand on their own merits.
Jewett is a few miles off Interstate 45, about midway between Houston and Dallas. And from the bios at the end, his Australian girl did show up after all.
Admittedly, I'm a BoB junkie. I think its a masterpiece. It's so different in every way from this series, though, and it took me 6 episodes to figure that out and enjoy this one for what it is. Leckie's character is what I was hung up on the most. He is complicated, and I don't think I fully enjoyed the portrayal of him until the very last episode. Basilone could have fit right in with the BoB crowd. An unabashed hero, the type that people worship. Sledge was great. I have said many times on this board that I think With the Old Breed is the best war memoir I have ever read, though not by miles and miles. He was damaged by the war, but he did his job and then some. His character reveals the high price many good men of character and conscience pay for their country. I was struck by Leckie's cab driver when he said something to the effect of "I might have dropped into Normandy, but I got to take leave in London and Paris. You guys got nothing but jungles and ****." My grandfather served in Europe, and once took leave in Paris where he had a fine glass of wine. Decades later, he took my grandmother back there to that cafe and shared a fine glass of wine with her. Had he served in the Pacific, such an event could never have occurred. The difference in the two theatres was pronounced, and this series did a great job of showing that. I still think that there are things that they could have done better on in this series, but all in all it is a very fine work.
I'm sorry I missed this series. I will buy the DVDs when they come out. My Dad served in Europe as a private on the front lines and was a radio operater for artillery, so I heard plenty of Nazi stories. However, I did have a great-uncle in the Pacific who was a General on MacArther's staff throughout the Pacific theater. General Robert Beightler also accepted the surrender of the Japanese at Luzon, Philippines. I heard some of his war stories before he passed and they were not pretty. Thanks to Shark and the rest of you who provided insight. God Bless!
Shark, Your story brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for your unselfish service to our country, and thanks to God for bringing home safely.
Delivered and then some. One of the elements that stuck with me were depiction of how the Marines conducted operations underfire. A real testament to the training, the responsibility of the officer, the heroism of the enlisted man. Great series.
Sharky, your story made me tear up too. Just to envision it and think of what was felt by you, her AND the cabbie was awesome.
A bit of Pacific trivia. My dad served in Australia and New Guinea. Army-Air Corp. I think that his title was crew chief. He was head of the crew that serviced planes. Not sure what kind. Apparently it was his ability to name the plane. Having spent time in Junction, Texas prior to the war and having a brother there, he named his plane the Junction Eagle. Eagles are the mascot of the Junction HS football team God bless all who served.
