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The Pacific Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
10 Episodes 2010 - 2010
Episode 1
Guadalcanal/Leckie
Sun, Mar 14, 201052 mins
Directly following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Sgt. Jon Basilone ships out to fight the enemy somewhere in the Pacific, and young journalist, Robert Leckie, enlists in the Marine Corps. Sidney Phillips ships off to boot camp after saying farewell to his friend Eugene Sledge, who cannot go with him due to a heart murmur. Eight months later, Phillips and Leckie have completed boot camp and are sent to secure an airfield on Guadalcanal, and defend it against counterattack.
Episode 2
Basilone
Sun, Mar 21, 201050 mins
By October 1942, the Marines on Guadalcanal are fighting hunger and the jungle as well as the Japanese. The arrival of an Army unit helps somewhat but the Marines realize just how under-equipped they are by comparison. The Japanese are reinforcing their troops with ease and the men are facing nightly attacks at Henderson Field. Sgt. John Basilone takes charge during a particularly powerful Japanese attack and is recommended for a medal. He loses a close friend however. Back home Eugene Sledge, no longer needing his father's permission to sign up, announces he is going to enlist in the Marines.
Episode 3
Melbourne
Sun, Mar 28, 201056 mins
After four months of combat on Guadalcanal, the 1st Marine Division is relieved and the men are transported to Melbourne, Australia. Shocked and befuddled by the heroes' welcome they receive, the men soon find that they are in something akin to paradise with plenty to eat, drink and an endless number of beautiful women to keep them company. Sid Phillips meets a young girl, Gwen, whose grandfather makes sure he understands the rules of behavior when it comes to his granddaughter. Bob Lechie meets Stella Karamanlis on a tram and is soon taken in by her family who see in him the son they never had. Bob and Stella are soon lovers but the war and the never-ending pall of death casts a shadow on their relationship. John Basilone is awarded the Medal of Honor and soon realizes that he can no longer act like he did before. He also has to leave his men when he's asked to return to the US to help sell War Bonds.
Episode 4
Gloucester/Pavuvu/Banika
Sun, Apr 4, 201054 mins
The men of the 1st Marine Division leave Melbourne and on the day after Christmas 1943, land on the beach at Cape Gloucester. They encounter little initial resistance - reminiscent of their landing at Guadalcanal - but the jungle and the weather work against them. It rains almost constantly affecting the men's morale and their health. Bob Leckie has been assigned to the battalion Intelligence officer but like the others, feels that the jungle is closing in on him. They are eventually evacuated to Pavuvu where Leckie falls seriously ill. He spends some time at the hospital in Banika before eventually returning to his unit. Back in the US, Eugene Sledge undergoes training at a Marine camp in California.
Episode 5
Peleliu Landing
Sun, Apr 11, 201049 mins
Gentle-natured, fragile PFC Eugene Sledge arrives on rats and crabs-infested Pavuvu fresh from boot-camp, where hazing-minded Merriell 'Snafu' Shelton gives him a rude welcome to the mortar unit, which is bitterly disappointed not to get another Australian shore leave. Meanwhile Basilone leads the empty life of spoiled Hollywood star, while his brother George leaves for the front. Eugene's joy over being reunited with mates from home is cut short as Sidney Phillips eagerly packs to travel back home, but Leckie, who rejoined, is pleased his 'library' finally has an avid reader, albeit not an atheist like him. While the land on coral Peleliu, strategically close to the Philippines, Eugene crumbles under heavy Japanse fire, but the Marines pull trough, despite heavy losses, and the real fight for the air base is till to come.
Episode 6
Peleliu Airfield
Sun, Apr 18, 201050 mins
The battle on Peleliu goes on as the Marines continue towards the airfield. It's only the second day of fighting on the island but water is in short supply and the heat is excruciating. They are under constant bombardment from Japanese artillery located in the Peleliu Hills but the only way they can get there is to cross the airfield, a vast, open expanse. Bob Lechie is wounded and subsequently evacuated to a nearby ship. Sledge proves to be a steady hand in the battle. Back in the USA, Sid Phillips drops in on Eugene Sledge's parents.
Episode 7
Peleliu Hills
Sun, Apr 25, 201055 mins
Although they now control the airfield, the battle continues on Peleliu with the Marines trying to dislodge the Japanese from their hillside fortifications. The Japanese are well entrenched and are proving difficult to get at. Sledge continues to do his job well, but is profoundly shaken by the death and destruction all around him. All of the men are affected when one of their officers is killed. Back in the US, John Basilone is still making public appearances and selling war bonds.
Episode 8
Iwo Jima
Sun, May 2, 201057 mins
The men have been relieved on Peleliu and return to Pavuvu where they are resting and awaiting their next assignment. Sledge sees something being thrown out in the trash and decides to keep it. Back in the USA, John Basilone requests re-assignment from his bond promotion duties and is transferred to Camp Pendleton as an instructor. There he meets Sgt. Lena Riggi, who is in charge of the mess hall. She's no pushover and it takes several attempts before she will even go out with him. Basilone's enlistment is up in a few months and he must decide if he is going to return to civilian life or sign up for another tour and accompany his men to Iwo Jima, their next assignment. He and Lena decide they are going to make the most of the time they have together.
Episode 9
Okinawa
Sun, May 9, 201058 mins
The 1st Marine division is now on Okinawa and coming ever closer to defeating the enemy. The weather and the heat are still proving to be difficult but the physical conditions reflect their own mental state. Constant stress from never-ending fighting results in a variety of reactions from the men. For the first time, the men also have to deal with the presence of Japanese civilians, who are being given safe passage through the US lines to safety in the rear. They arrived on Okinawa on April 1, 1945 and in early August they hear that a special type of bomb has been dropped on Japan.
Episode 10
Home
Sun, May 16, 201061 mins
The war is over and the men wonder what the future might hold for them. Robert Lechie returns home to his cold family and gets his old job back. His main purpose is to see if he can start a relationship with Vera who lives across the street. Eugene Sledge makes it home some six months after VJ Day and is met by his old friend, Sid Phillips. Eugene is having trouble settling into civilian life and cannot quite understand why some men like himself survived with no physical injuries when so many others died. Lena visits John Basilone's parents and has something of John's she thinks they should have.
