The Pacific

[9dreizig]

Any of you watching it ? First I've ever heard of our guys digging the gold out of the Japanese's teeth.. Anyone ever hear much about the atrocities ??

[m21sniper]

The Japanese committed atrocities against US (and other) forces many, many, many times worse than those that the Nazis committed.

It is, quite frankly, utterly amazing that more is not made of the Japanese war record.

[James Brown]

And they did use a lot of gold for fillings.

[johnnywishbone]

digging the gold out of the Japanese's teeth

POOR FORM, BUT NOT AN ATROCITY. JMHO

[9dreizig]

I understand all of that Snipe, but I was amazed at the amount of atrocities by the US

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by 9dreizig

I understand all of that Snipe, but I was amazed at the amount of atrocities by the US

Different times, different attitudes...Let's just say that the Japanese did not believe in the Geneva convention...and we responded in kind.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by 9dreizig

I understand all of that Snipe, but I was amazed at the amount of atrocities by the US

It seem like we are always apologising for the past.

Fact is in war it's always like this. Get some young guys in stressful situation and you'll find the few "bad eggs" doing stuff like this.
It's "their" way of handling what's happening. The problem is that civilians think that all soldiers behaved like this which simply isn't true.
Most go home with some bad memories and a clear a conscience.

What you're seeing depicted was relatively rare.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

It seem like we are always apologising for the past.

Fact is in war it's always like this. Get some young guys in stressful situation and you'll find the few "bad eggs" doing stuff like this.
It's "their" way of handling what's happening. The problem is that civilians think that all soldiers behaved like this which simply isn't true.
Most go home with some bad memories and a clear a conscience.

What you're seeing depicted was relatively rare.

Ahhh, but leave it to TV to make it seem commonplace...

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Different times, different attitudes...Let's just say that the Japanese did not believe in the Geneva convention...and we responded in kind.

I'm not even talking about just soldiers. Even when measuring their civilian atrocities against those of the Nazis, the Imperial Japanese Empire was IMO leaps and bounds worse.

The Japanese, for instance, conducted numerous chemical weapon attacks against population centers during the war.

[pwd72s]

The Battan death march comes to mind...

[dewolf]

The Japs were ruthless

Alive and safe, the brutal Japanese soldiers who butchered 20,000 Allied seamen in cold blood | Mail Online

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

It seem like we are always apologising for the past.

Fact is in war it's always like this. Get some young guys in stressful situation and you'll find the few "bad eggs" doing stuff like this.
It's "their" way of handling what's happening. The problem is that civilians think that all soldiers behaved like this which simply isn't true.
Most go home with some bad memories and a clear a conscience.

What you're seeing depicted was relatively rare.

Was it?

It was Anzac Day in AUS yesterday, as you would know. Here is an example of the famed Light Horse, the unit resonsible for the last mounted cavalry charge in history, being caught up in a very unfortunate incident. This has only come to light in recent years.

Surafend affair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Japanese war record of atrcocities is well documented. The victors write the histories.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by stuartj

Was it?

It was Anzac Day in AUS yesterday, as you would know. Here is an example of the famed Light Horse, the unit resonsible for the last mounted cavalry charge in history, being caught up in a very unfortunate incident. This has only come to light in recent years.

Surafend affair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Japanese war record of atrcocities is well documented. The victors write the histories.

Thanks for telling me about ANZAC day. I knew there was a reason I got up early and marched with my "mates"...

As far as the atrocities committed by the Light Horse. Well lets leave that one to history. There's a lot more to that story than is written on "Wikipedia".

I will say that in my experience professional soldiers are just that, professional.
They get the horrible job done as efficiently as possible.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

The Battan death march comes to mind...

I met several survivors of the Bataan death march when i was in the infantry.

The 31st Infantry Regiment was my unit...


Polar Bears!

[Bill Douglas]

Thanks for this thread. You remminded me, it's on right now. I'm loving it having just watched the last of band of brothers a few weeks ago - ad beak over soon, gota go.

[red-beard]

Doesn't have the same feel as "Band of Brothers".

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Thanks for telling me about ANZAC day. I knew there was a reason I got up early and marched with my "mates"...

I didnt tell you about ANZAC Day, I simply mentioned it happened to be yesterday.

As far as the atrocities committed by the Light Horse. Well lets leave that one to history. There's a lot more to that story than is written on "Wikipedia".

More than Wikipedia you say? We'll just have to wait for the Peter Fitzsimmons book. It happened in 1918, when can we talk about it?

I will say that in my experience professional soldiers are just that, professional.
They get the horrible job done as efficiently as possible.

Neither the Light Horse of 1918 or most of the characters being portrayed in the The Pacific circa 1943 were, by and large, professional soldiers.

ffs

[sc_rufctr]

"Neither the Light Horse of 1918 or most of the characters being portrayed in the The Pacific circa 1943 were professional soldiers."

That's the point I was trying to make. There is a big difference between "conscripts" and "professional" soldiers. I was trying to be subtle.

"More than Wikipedia you say? We'll just have to wait for the Peter Fitzsimmons book. It happened in 1918, when can we talk about it?"

I don't mind talking about the incident. It was never a secret. We were taught about our military history in the Army.

Lots more info here... Australian Light Horse Studies Centre

"I didnt tell you about ANZAC Day, I simply mentioned it happened to be yesterday."

I was being a smart ass.

[mca]

Band of Brothers is better IMHO.

I ordered HBO specifically for this series. Last 3 episodes have been great (5,6,7).

I have a feeling that Speilberg couldn't round up enough Japs for this series. Seen what? Three Japs up close?

[sammyg2]

I'm sure the show mentioned the Bataan death march, but did it mention the many millions of Chinese the japanese exterminated?