Seth and Bill and all their guests make this so enjoyable to watch and listen to. Fascinating for me, being a Brit, because it is educational and so easy to take in. Wouldn't it just be incredible to sit down over a couple of beers with these guys?
This monumental series of history podcasts will be remembered and consulted forever. Your names will be engraved in stone. Thank you very much from Europe.
@bcvanrijswijk check out Seth's special episode on The Real Meaning of Memorial Day aired 23 June 2023. It's the episode that contains Seth's reading of a letter from Lt Cdr John J Shea to his son Jackie, written 6/29/1942. LtCdr Shea died on 9/15 fighting fires aboard USS Wasp when she was torpedoed off Guadalcanal.
My grandfather and his family were anti-war in Japan and lived in fear of the Japanese secret police. He unfortunately was about to be drafted in the last year of the war in Japan and decided to pull a reverse Uno card and joined their OCS to avoid dying on a random island and was stationed in Hiroshima for training and survived the bomb and witnessed all kinds of horrific things and had to stay to assist cleanup operations. His family including my grandmother lived in Kagoshima at the time. If it weren’t for the bombs I probably wouldn’t be here. After the war they moved our family over to the US. My grandfather to the day he died never blamed the US for deciding to drop the bombs. He was just happy it was all over. A lot of people don’t understand how crazy it was living in Japan and how willing the govt was to just throw away its peoples lives.
@ @ I don’t know every detail, he didn’t exactly like to talk about that period. They tried to draft him earlier in the though, but they passed over him because of medical reasons, much to his relief. But by 1945 they didn’t give him a choice.
Thanks for talking about Clarence Craft. I met him at my grandmother's American Legion Post in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the city has named a park after him. What a great dude who spent his later life taking care of fellow vets at the Fayetteville VA Hospital.
I just don’t know what I’m going to do when these guys aren’t putting out an episode every Tuesday anymore. I feel like Seth, Bill and Jon are my trusty and reliable friends. I’ll be devastated without this podcast.
Always, the most horrific sight for me, will be of the Okinawan toddler being given water by an American. Her uncontrollable trembling brings me to tears almost every time I see the footage. People attempted to retain their humanity in that world.
Seems like when I think I have seen your best, you guys find a way to outdo yourselves! What a series you guys put together on Okinawa. The casualty figures are not fully comprehended. We certainly couldn't keep up supporting these kinds of losses very long, even with divisions coming from Europe. The last amphibious landing of the war and shortage of LVTs seems to suggest that we were stretching our supply channels a bit thin. The revisionists need to stay out of this--with these kind of losses and supporting thousands of troops so far away, the bomb seems justified. Certainly glad Dad's tank battalion didn't have to ship out for the Pacific. Superb job guys--thanks Seth, Bill, and Jon. You guys are really enjoyable to listen to.
Guys the battle for the Atlantic has so many untold and worthy stories. And honestly the amount of submarine actions and navel actions by the royal navy would provide a huge amount of education and discussions. And frankly I ha e looked forward to.your guys podcast every week for the last three years I don't want it to end.
I wish they would do an eto series I've learned so much that I didn't know in the Pacific. Hopefully they change their minds but if not then what we got I will listen to for many years.
Today everyone is excited about voting but I was more excited about this episode. Just finished watching and always love the job y’all always do. Thank you!!! Now I’ve got to go vote!
Captain I totally agree with your comments on the Japanese peace group receiving the Noble Peace Prize. The Japanese should keep their mouths shut when it comes to taking about peace. This is another great episode thank you very much.
A great episode and a good wrap to the ground campaign. I’m glad you got into a brief discussion of how this battle influenced opinions on the possible invasion of the home Island and the decision to drop the bomb. I was thinking that even before you said so this episode would be a great argument for how ugly that invasion would have been on both sides. And the Allied civilian casualties still happening in Asia wasn’t something I had even thought about. Well done Gentleman. A request. Is there any chance you can turn off the mid video adds? They keep getting more frequent and more annoying.
Jeez u guys, pretty friggin' grim... I didn't think anything could be as sickening as Saipan. Having read a few accounts that in hindsight glazed alot of it over, once again I am shocked at my ignorance of the actual facts. Thank you(I think) for putting me off my breakfast this morning...
USMC tanker here…..been waiting for this one!!! Thought heavily about the fighting when I was on “The Rock” in ‘86…..your series has cast a new and most interesting perspective on this last land campaign of the Pacific War! Kudos to you all, gentlemen!! 🦅🌎⚓️
@benjaminfrazier5419 I've read "With The Old Breed" by E.B. Sledge maybe the best infantryman's combat memoir ever, by a talented writer as well as a survivor. Sledge has the legitimacy of a true participant but I have to say that our three tour guides tell at least as compelling a tale. Robert Leckie in "A Helmet for My Pillow" is in second place. And he wrote "OKINAWA", but our three men, for me, bring the pathos and the tragedy home in this series with heartbreaking realism.
@ - I read “Helmet For My Pillow” as a kid in elementary school. Read Sledge’s “With The Old Breed” after I got out of the Corps and re-read it often. Agree that it is one of THE BEST memoirs of a combat Marine. 🦅🌎⚓️
"The devil is in the detail," and your series is so very illuminating because of it. Born in Australia in the early 1950s, the memory of the Pacific war was fresh in the minds of my parents' generation, but the horrible nature of this was never brought home to me until you started your series. Many thanks, and bravo.
Another excellent presentation of a battle that isn't well known to the general public. You convey the horror of war without being melodramatic or maudlin; at the same time, you never lose the pathos of war in the statistics and big-picture tactics and strategy. The combination of empathy and cold hard rationality makes for a superb, educational, and eminently engaging show. I can't say it's enjoyable to hear the stories of suffering and death in these battles, but I am always glad to have watched, and I always learn things. Glad you made it safely through the crazy weather, Captain Toti!
1:45:00 Thank you for providing the important context that is so often ignored when discussing the atomic bombings. We may have pushed to the doorstep of Japan but much of Asia was still under Japanese occupation and the war in China was still raging.
This series stands with the icon of war documentaries "World at War" as the best of history on world war two i have enjoyed this series a very heart felt endeavor thank you
Very moving. I've grown accustomed to watching you every week and I hate to think you won't be there in the near future. I urge you to stick with it. ETO? Korea? Whatever you end up doing, many thanks for all you have done!
I have loved every single episode that you have done. I hope that after you get done with the war, you continue with episodes about some of the other important figures and also hit on topics that were not covered, such as Wake Island, the salvage of the fleet after Pearl Harbor, and other topics
I have priorities every Tuesday for over 3 years. Coffee, Unauthorized History of the Pacific War by 5AM. Vote for a prepared military, America. Thanks, Dream Team, for another excellent podcast
Never been through a hurricane or a tornado, but living here in Seattle and Northwest I've been through plenty of earthquakes. Particularly the one of 1964 that devastated Alaska also nailed us hardcore! I can remember walking to school being about 10 years old or so and the telephone poles were coming in and out of the ground and the concrete looked like waves of water coming at us we were so freaked out my sister and I! Okinawa with such a tragedy obviously. In my opinion it totally justified the dropping of the bombs on japan. Love your show as always, guys❤
To Bill's point, those adrenaline dumps not only exhaust you but can distort your perceptions. During raids in Iraq we had incredible strength and endurance but when it wore off we were spent and often didn't know what day it was or even the general time of day. I wonder how many men were pulled off the line due to physical exhaustion, I'm sure it can have long term effects.
Afghanistan vet here. US Marine's, 2/7/D. You're right, the effect of huge doses of adrenaline, fear, noise and confusion make for an experience that, had you not experienced it there's no earthly way you can replicate it or understand it. I found that after some of the lengthier firefights we were in, when it was over, I could barely hold my rifle. Didn't know which end was up, like you said didn't know the time of day or even what day of the week it was. Or what direction we were supposed to be advancing in. The come down from the adrenaline and all the other effects that I listed was profound. Many of the newer guys had to be pulled off the line because they had just lost their shit and couldn't get it back. Nobody faulted them. We all felt sorry for them but happy they were being pulled off the line. I'm glad you made it home, brother!🇺🇸⚓️💯👍💖
@Jakal-pw8yq Army A-3/7 CAV. Adding to that, the sleep deprivation can cause hallucinations, especially at night those worn down units would be in a poor state, not to mention immersion foot and a lack of decent meals. I've experienced hallucinations myself after five days of continuous operations, some of those units spent over a month at a time on the line.
Seth, Bill and John-I think you are correct about the risks of invading Japan and the casualties that were expected. My father was training in the Spring of 1945 as a gunner on a B-17 that was intended to support the invasion that fall. He was told to expect not to come back by the officers' training him.
Fantastic show again, guys. As a Marine veteran, I have learned much more than my time in the Marine Corps about the Marines and other units in the Pacific during World War Two. I'm looking forward to future broadcasts as we close, but I don't hope for a while. Hopefully, you guys will be doing some of the post-war occupation of Japan. Macarthur had his flaws, but here's where he really shined. Thanks.
Thanks again guys. A bit disappointed you aren't going into Korea, but I certainly hope the Captain will share more of his experiences with Korea and it's culture. Also I hope you will continue the legend of Dugout Doug and his suzerainty of post war Japan. From what I know, there is plenty of material to cover.
Hi, as usual, an excellent video. I have read/ studied/ followed the Pacific war for about 62 yrs. If I had read about the real horrors of Okinawa, I had forgotten them. I think your statements about how this battle effected the American decision to drop the bomb deserve a separate video.Most people have no idea of how brutal the Japanese were in china, Vietnam etc. I am sure they have no idea of how many civilians across the entire theatre were dying every day, week, month. I dont think I have ever seen a video talking about that. Maybe that is why groups like the one in Japan today have so much traction. I had a friend (long since passed) who was a paratrooper waiting to invade Japan. He told me they expected 250,000 U.S. soldiers to die when they invaded. One day they were told to write their wills and write letters to their family. The next day? they heard the news of the bomb dropping. They were overjoyed. Last, the eastern front was at least as bad from6/22/41 to 5/8/45.Stalin lost 10,000 troops everyday.I think at least that many civilians died everyday too.The Germans only lost about 5 million men.
Gentlemen. How the Allies kept going after the large numbers of men made POW's in1941&1942, then regrouped to take the offensive after Kokoda, Milne Bay and Guadalcanal the casualties just got worse. It is just unbelievable how these troops just kept going. Macarthur sidelined the Australians and maybe he did us a favour. Australia had a population of 8million and all up had 1 million in the Forces in WW2 with 42,000 KIA. The USA, if I recall my history taught to me in 1960, was well north of 1million. I am immensely proud of we Australians and after the last 6 episodes equally proud of the US Forces. An incredible story is the Allied efforts in the Pacific but may it never happen again.....
I've seen that short clip of the shivering Okinawan toddler in multiple films/videos about the Pacific War. He/she would be 81-85 years old today if still alive. Wonder what happened to that child.
It is so heartbreaking to see that footage of that poor child. I too have often wondered what happened to her. In my heart of hearts, I think that she probably survived being that she's behind the lines and with the Marines at this point. Still, it's a very tough watch.
The trembling girl's name is Ms. Urasaki Sueko (浦崎末子, maiden name Kazu). On 22 June 2019, the Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper published a story about her. She was 81 at the time of the report. You wouldn't guess it from the video but she was 7 years old at the time the video was shot. Though not in the video, she was with her older sister. She lost four family members during the battle. She was was reunited with her mother and younger brother at an interment camp, but her brother later died from the effects of a tear gas grenade he was hit with in a shelter where they had taken refuge. Why was she trembling? 'It was my first time seeing an American. I was so scared of those blue eyes that I was trembling. The unfamiliar camera looked like some kind of weapon, and I was so scared I might be shot at that I was shaking like a pig.' I'd provide a link but experience taught me the comment will be removed. If you search for ' 沖縄戦 震える少女 ' (battle of Okinawa trembling girl) and her name you ought to find info about her. On this platform YOMIURI TELECASTING CORPORATION NEWS CHANNEL uploaded a documentary with English subtitles that includes an interview with her (begins @10:26) when she was 85.
One of the things I think about with all the WW2 veteran stories here is that I've heard combat stories from Vietnam veterans. You had to wait until they first decided to get drunk, and then let them cry their way through the nightmare. But their stories are worth remembering.
Oh great. Another session of pain, heartbreak, and sorrowful education about what our fathers and grandfather's suffered on our behalf. Good work gentleman, but it's tough to listen to. And I'll assume it's even more so for you.
A few years ago my youngest spent several months on Okinawa. The young indigenous people’s were fine but the old people just glared at them when they were on the town!
I’ve posted on each of the Okinawa episodes about my Grandfather-in-law, Sgt. Ken Malick, 1st Marine Division, 7th Marines, 2nd Battalion, Fox Company. He was one of the marines who joined pre-war, in 1940, via the CCC working through the depression into the Corps. He was a part of each of the campaigns. Every one the 1st Mar Div fought. I’m thankful he survived to have a family and to share his stories. Thank God for those who battled on Okinawa, for our veterans, WW2 or beyond as we are less than a week from Veterans Day.
If you want what I presume is a preview of Jon’s book, search for his 1942: Crux of War speech to the 35th Annual Admiral Nimitz Symposium. It’s a fantastic presentation and will be a great book.
The GI in the photo helping a woman and her child out of a cave could be my father-in-law. He was a pharmacist's mate in a unit that looked after the Okinawan civilians. He was particularly involved with getting proper nutrition to the children. He said once the Okinawans realized we weren't going to eat their babies, they were tremendously helpful with our efforts. He came away with a tremendous amount of respect for the local civilians.
I listened to the episode yesterday great episode as always but I'm particular I learned the likely fate or at least reason for my great grandfather being killed on Okinawa he was drafted and was likely part of the ill trained group that was sent up to right. I would love to learn more about him but don't really know where to begin. If you have any suggestions please let me know.
Thanks for diversion on this Snoutcounting Day. I will spend all day going back to the first episode and working forward after eliminating the leaves infesting the property.
In the late 1960's I was a high school senior talking with some classmates about whether we should have used the atomic bomb on Japan. Most of us said no. A teacher heard us talking said to us "I was on Okinawa. I loved the bomb." Then he simply walked away. A few years later I learned of the hell he had experienced.
The gutting of "training units" actually predated the Bulge. I had an uncle who was being officer-trained o be a member of the Italian Occupation force. When Italy surrendered, all these guys were dispersed; my uncle was sent to be an enlisted truck driver in CBI.
The tail end of the commentary about the deaths throughout the Pacific and China/Burma theaters was stunning to me. I never considered the starvation and disease of the peoples in those areas during WW2 caused by the fighting being more than the deaths in Hiroshima and Nagasaki every week or month the war continued. I was always aware that the Allies and Japanese deaths caused by the invasion of Japan were going to much greater than what the Atomic bombs caused, but when the deaths throughout the Pacific and China/Burma theaters are taken into account, the lives saved are literally uncountable.
For as long as I can remember I've had a certain affinity for General Buckner. He was one of the first WWII Generals whose name I learned simply because my father had told me that when the war ended he, my father, was aboard a ship anchored in Buckner Bay, named for the then recently deceased General. And he had been killed on my birthday, 17 years prior to my birth. But it was only today that I learned that Buckner did not die by some lucky shot, a one in a million that just happened to land near an unlucky general. Instead he had been purposefully targeted. Would have been nice to have discussed that tidbit with my father, had he not gone home in 2002.
Regarding the closing comments: The point is well-taken regarding Hiroshima and Nagasaki. An invasion of the Home Islands would have cost us 500,000 casualties if we lost a man, in my lay opinion (Mac's estimate of "only" 100,000 was equal parts hopium and balonium). I don't want to contemplate the number of Chinese, Burmese, Vietnamese, and Koreans still under the Japanese yoke, but I have to. How many million people would have died if we'd simply blockaded Japan and left the IJA running amok on the continent for however many months or years it would take to starve them out? As for the Japanese perspective: my lay opinion is that the Japanese people would at the very least have been decimated, in the literal, Roman sense, either in combat or through starvation. Radiation sickness and cancer are very horrible ways to die. So are being gutshot and starving to death. Sometimes you don't have a choice between good and bad. Sometimes, you can only choose between bad and worse.
Heck even a few of the Japanese government officials in the peace faction at the time were secretly grateful for the bombs (although they could not say it out loud). And then there is Minoru Genda stating that if Japan had the bomb, they wouldn't have hesitated to use it for even a second.
I hope you will also do a couple of episodes on the immediate aftermath of the war. Operation Magic Carpet, how the US went about to occupy Japan. The liberation of Korea, Vietnam, occupied China, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. The return of the Japanese garrisons on the isolated pacific island. Peace did not return on August 15. But what did return on August 15?
In your discussion of replacement soldiers, you righteously highlight Clarence Craft and his incredible display of bravery and patriotism. You also mention at around 23:30 that Mr. Craft's case is "rare". I'm concerned that the rarity you perceive really is a function of survival, not the number of soldiers who possessed Mr. Craft's bravery. These were brave men who we owe our America to today, whether they survived vicious duty like Mr. Craft, or they died in the first three hours in combat. In my mind the number of survivors isn't a truly reliable indicator of the number of brave men at that terrible place. I don't know if there is such an indicator. Thank you for doing this series.
My father’s ship was at Okinawa and the New Testament that he was issued has the names of places he was at. One of them was Kerema Retto. He probably didn’t know about the civilians because he never mentioned it.
1:06 ....and that can be a serious deal. I was in a hurry once and somehow caught the corner of my Impala's door with my face and for some reason it is a very painful experience. It also seems that it is a very dangerous thing to have happen as well. It only happens once for most people and in spite of warning others to be careful about hitting their face with the door , etc. it seems that most folks just don't pay heed to the warning. Its just one of those things that has to happen to a person for them to actually understand it, otherwise they just kind of brush it off: "Yeah, like hit his own face with the car door...." (You have to be in a rush....)
Seth and Bill and all their guests make this so enjoyable to watch and listen to. Fascinating for me, being a Brit, because it is educational and so easy to take in. Wouldn't it just be incredible to sit down over a couple of beers with these guys?
This monumental series of history podcasts will be remembered and consulted forever. Your names will be engraved in stone. Thank you very much from Europe.
@bcvanrijswijk check out Seth's special episode on The Real Meaning of Memorial Day aired 23 June 2023. It's the episode that contains Seth's reading of a letter from Lt Cdr John J Shea to his son Jackie, written 6/29/1942. LtCdr Shea died on 9/15 fighting fires aboard USS Wasp when she was torpedoed off Guadalcanal.
It's true. People will be watching these pod casts long after we're gone.
Well put. And true.
My grandfather and his family were anti-war in Japan and lived in fear of the Japanese secret police. He unfortunately was about to be drafted in the last year of the war in Japan and decided to pull a reverse Uno card and joined their OCS to avoid dying on a random island and was stationed in Hiroshima for training and survived the bomb and witnessed all kinds of horrific things and had to stay to assist cleanup operations. His family including my grandmother lived in Kagoshima at the time. If it weren’t for the bombs I probably wouldn’t be here. After the war they moved our family over to the US. My grandfather to the day he died never blamed the US for deciding to drop the bombs. He was just happy it was all over. A lot of people don’t understand how crazy it was living in Japan and how willing the govt was to just throw away its peoples lives.
Thank you !
I think I would have liked your Grandfather very much.
May God continue to Bless and keep his.
SEMPER FI
@@442dudeathefront Why was he anti war? Anti war with just the US? Or anti war with China too?
@ @ I don’t know every detail, he didn’t exactly like to talk about that period. They tried to draft him earlier in the though, but they passed over him because of medical reasons, much to his relief. But by 1945 they didn’t give him a choice.
@@knutdergroe9757 I agree wholeheartedly.
Thanks for talking about Clarence Craft. I met him at my grandmother's American Legion Post in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the city has named a park after him. What a great dude who spent his later life taking care of fellow vets at the Fayetteville VA Hospital.
I'm listening from Fayetteville Arkansas
My father in-law pacific war vet.
He retired from the VA
@@derrickcochran4180 Colcord ok here 40 miles to your west
I just don’t know what I’m going to do when these guys aren’t putting out an episode every Tuesday anymore. I feel like Seth, Bill and Jon are my trusty and reliable friends. I’ll be devastated without this podcast.
My Grandfather was in the pacific theater. So many lives lost on these islands. I feel so lucky that i had a Grandfather. He made it home .
Great series on Okinawa. My father was a marine. He was wounded in the stomach on Okinawa he told me it was the happiest day of his life.
@Rbjohnson-14 It aint over. Next time guys start again from late March, and talk about Naval and Air battles of Okinawa campaign.
おはようございます。 日本は５日の午後７時半です。 訪問マッサージの仕事を終えて明日の準備をしつつ拝聴してます。 お三方のお声を聞いてるだけでも何となく癒されます。 英語の意味は分からないところが多いですけれど、リラックスできます。 いつもありがとうございます。
Thank you for your participation and interest!_
@@flparkermdpc ご返信光栄です、ありがとうございます。
Always, the most horrific sight for me, will be of the Okinawan toddler being given water by an American.
Her uncontrollable trembling brings me to tears almost every time I see the footage.
People attempted to retain their humanity in that world.
Seems like when I think I have seen your best, you guys find a way to outdo yourselves! What a series you guys put together on Okinawa. The casualty figures are not fully comprehended. We certainly couldn't keep up supporting these kinds of losses very long, even with divisions coming from Europe. The last amphibious landing of the war and shortage of LVTs seems to suggest that we were stretching our supply channels a bit thin. The revisionists need to stay out of this--with these kind of losses and supporting thousands of troops so far away, the bomb seems justified. Certainly glad Dad's tank battalion didn't have to ship out for the Pacific. Superb job guys--thanks Seth, Bill, and Jon. You guys are really enjoyable to listen to.
Guys the battle for the Atlantic has so many untold and worthy stories. And honestly the amount of submarine actions and navel actions by the royal navy would provide a huge amount of education and discussions. And frankly I ha e looked forward to.your guys podcast every week for the last three years I don't want it to end.
I wish they would do an eto series I've learned so much that I didn't know in the Pacific. Hopefully they change their minds but if not then what we got I will listen to for many years.
They fought for this democracy, now go vote for it
No use. It s all gone. Oligarchy rules, sheeple succumbs.
Anyone questioning the dropping of the A-bombs needs to watch this episode.
Getting to these videos early is the best part of the week!
Many thanks gentlemen for the content you produce
Today everyone is excited about voting but I was more excited about this episode. Just finished watching and always love the job y’all always do. Thank you!!! Now I’ve got to go vote!
ME TOO.
Great stuff from history that we shouldn't ever forget.
Listening to these gentlemen is one of the finest things civilization has to offer.
Yes they certainly are 👍
@@davidpitchford6510 Truth
Captain I totally agree with your comments on the Japanese peace group receiving the Noble Peace Prize. The Japanese should keep their mouths shut when it comes to taking about peace. This is another great episode thank you very much.
A great episode and a good wrap to the ground campaign.
I’m glad you got into a brief discussion of how this battle influenced opinions on the possible invasion of the home Island and the decision to drop the bomb. I was thinking that even before you said so this episode would be a great argument for how ugly that invasion would have been on both sides. And the Allied civilian casualties still happening in Asia wasn’t something I had even thought about.
Well done Gentleman.
A request. Is there any chance you can turn off the mid video adds? They keep getting more frequent and more annoying.
Jeez u guys, pretty friggin' grim... I didn't think anything could be as sickening as Saipan. Having read a few accounts that in hindsight glazed alot of it over, once again I am shocked at my ignorance of the actual facts. Thank you(I think) for putting me off my breakfast this morning...
USMC tanker here…..been waiting for this one!!! Thought heavily about the fighting when I was on “The Rock” in ‘86…..your series has cast a new and most interesting perspective on this last land campaign of the Pacific War! Kudos to you all, gentlemen!!
🦅🌎⚓️
@benjaminfrazier5419 I've read "With The Old Breed" by E.B. Sledge maybe the best infantryman's combat memoir ever, by a talented writer as well as a survivor. Sledge has the legitimacy of a true participant but I have to say that our three tour guides tell at least as compelling a tale. Robert Leckie in "A Helmet for My Pillow" is in second place. And he wrote "OKINAWA", but our three men, for me, bring the pathos and the tragedy home in this series with heartbreaking realism.
@ - I read “Helmet For My Pillow” as a kid in elementary school. Read Sledge’s “With The Old Breed” after I got out of the Corps and re-read it often. Agree that it is one of THE BEST memoirs of a combat Marine. 🦅🌎⚓️
"The devil is in the detail," and your series is so very illuminating because of it. Born in Australia in the early 1950s, the memory of the Pacific war was fresh in the minds of my parents' generation, but the horrible nature of this was never brought home to me until you started your series. Many thanks, and bravo.
Another excellent presentation of a battle that isn't well known to the general public. You convey the horror of war without being melodramatic or maudlin; at the same time, you never lose the pathos of war in the statistics and big-picture tactics and strategy. The combination of empathy and cold hard rationality makes for a superb, educational, and eminently engaging show. I can't say it's enjoyable to hear the stories of suffering and death in these battles, but I am always glad to have watched, and I always learn things. Glad you made it safely through the crazy weather, Captain Toti!
1:45:00 Thank you for providing the important context that is so often ignored when discussing the atomic bombings. We may have pushed to the doorstep of Japan but much of Asia was still under Japanese occupation and the war in China was still raging.
This series stands with the icon of war documentaries "World at War" as the best of history on world war two i have enjoyed this series a very heart felt endeavor thank you
Thank you as always gentlemen. Always look forward to Tuesday
Very moving. I've grown accustomed to watching you every week and I hate to think you won't be there in the near future. I urge you to stick with it. ETO? Korea? Whatever you end up doing, many thanks for all you have done!
Love your reverent & detailed presentation of the Pacific war. I pray that the sacrifices made will never be forgotten or taken for granted! Thank you
I have loved every single episode that you have done. I hope that after you get done with the war, you continue with episodes about some of the other important figures and also hit on topics that were not covered, such as Wake Island, the salvage of the fleet after Pearl Harbor, and other topics
John's shirt gave Roosevelt the idea for Lend Lease!
Your intro feels like coming home. I disagree and correct on very rare occasions, but gods you guys do good work. And Jon always improves everything.
I have priorities every Tuesday for over 3 years. Coffee, Unauthorized History of the Pacific War by 5AM. Vote for a prepared military, America. Thanks, Dream Team, for another excellent podcast
Yet another eye opening episode from your show.
Amazing content and fascinating story.
"We're good at talking " Yes you are gentlemen. Keep up the good work!!!!
I have been waiting all week for this! Thank you!
Gentle man I most admit I was anticipating EUROPE in my selfish future with you guys. Please reconsider
Bill & Seth's Excellent Podcast.
Gnarly, dude
Never been through a hurricane or a tornado, but living here in Seattle and Northwest I've been through plenty of earthquakes. Particularly the one of 1964 that devastated Alaska also nailed us hardcore! I can remember walking to school being about 10 years old or so and the telephone poles were coming in and out of the ground and the concrete looked like waves of water coming at us we were so freaked out my sister and I! Okinawa with such a tragedy obviously. In my opinion it totally justified the dropping of the bombs on japan. Love your show as always, guys❤
You seemed a little tired this morning. But we're all Here! We can hardly wait!
To Bill's point, those adrenaline dumps not only exhaust you but can distort your perceptions. During raids in Iraq we had incredible strength and endurance but when it wore off we were spent and often didn't know what day it was or even the general time of day. I wonder how many men were pulled off the line due to physical exhaustion, I'm sure it can have long term effects.
Afghanistan vet here. US Marine's, 2/7/D. You're right, the effect of huge doses of adrenaline, fear, noise and confusion make for an experience that, had you not experienced it there's no earthly way you can replicate it or understand it. I found that after some of the lengthier firefights we were in, when it was over, I could barely hold my rifle. Didn't know which end was up, like you said didn't know the time of day or even what day of the week it was. Or what direction we were supposed to be advancing in. The come down from the adrenaline and all the other effects that I listed was profound. Many of the newer guys had to be pulled off the line because they had just lost their shit and couldn't get it back. Nobody faulted them. We all felt sorry for them but happy they were being pulled off the line. I'm glad you made it home, brother!🇺🇸⚓️💯👍💖
@Jakal-pw8yq Army A-3/7 CAV. Adding to that, the sleep deprivation can cause hallucinations, especially at night those worn down units would be in a poor state, not to mention immersion foot and a lack of decent meals.
I've experienced hallucinations myself after five days of continuous operations, some of those units spent over a month at a time on the line.
“We’re not going to do Europe and we’re damm sure not going to do Korea. So just cool your jets”
Freaking Hilarious. Seth at his best.
Seth, Bill and John-I think you are correct about the risks of invading Japan and the casualties that were expected. My father was training in the Spring of 1945 as a gunner on a B-17 that was intended to support the invasion that fall. He was told to expect not to come back by the officers' training him.
Fantastic show again, guys. As a Marine veteran, I have learned much more than my time in the Marine Corps about the Marines and other units in the Pacific during World War Two. I'm looking forward to future broadcasts as we close, but I don't hope for a while. Hopefully, you guys will be doing some of the post-war occupation of Japan. Macarthur had his flaws, but here's where he really shined. Thanks.
Just got done watching the pacific, good series wish it was done by you guys though, you guys do great work!
i love the show!! have you had an episode on medics , navy and army. this took a lot of courage.
Thanks again guys. A bit disappointed you aren't going into Korea, but I certainly hope the Captain will share more of his experiences with Korea and it's culture. Also I hope you will continue the legend of Dugout Doug and his suzerainty of post war Japan. From what I know, there is plenty of material to cover.
Hi, as usual, an excellent video. I have read/ studied/ followed the Pacific war for about 62 yrs. If I had read about the real horrors of Okinawa, I had forgotten them. I think your statements about how this battle effected the American decision to drop the bomb deserve a separate video.Most people have no idea of how brutal the Japanese were in china, Vietnam etc. I am sure they have no idea of how many civilians across the entire theatre were dying every day, week, month. I dont think I have ever seen a video talking about that. Maybe that is why groups like the one in Japan today have so much traction. I had a friend (long since passed) who was a paratrooper waiting to invade Japan. He told me they expected 250,000 U.S. soldiers to die when they invaded. One day they were told to write their wills and write letters to their family. The next day? they heard the news of the bomb dropping. They were overjoyed. Last, the eastern front was at least as bad from6/22/41 to 5/8/45.Stalin lost 10,000 troops everyday.I think at least that many civilians died everyday too.The Germans only lost about 5 million men.
Hello guys! great, fantastic post as usual...
Gentlemen. How the Allies kept going after the large numbers of men made POW's in1941&1942, then regrouped to take the offensive after Kokoda, Milne Bay and Guadalcanal the casualties just got worse. It is just unbelievable how these troops just kept going. Macarthur sidelined the Australians and maybe he did us a favour. Australia had a population of 8million and all up had 1 million in the Forces in WW2 with 42,000 KIA. The USA, if I recall my history taught to me in 1960, was well north of 1million. I am immensely proud of we Australians and after the last 6 episodes equally proud of the US Forces. An incredible story is the Allied efforts in the Pacific but may it never happen again.....
Really enjoying this series. Please keep it going . Very informative!
Thank you Bill Seth and Jon.
Thanks Gentlemen, this grisly, repugnant history is difficult to fathom but important none the less. Good work, you're appreciated.
Bill, on that last program don't forget a bugler and "Taps".
Seth, Bill and Jon a great presentation as per usual. Thank you men for all the hard work involved.
I've seen that short clip of the shivering Okinawan toddler in multiple films/videos about the Pacific War. He/she would be 81-85 years old today if still alive. Wonder what happened to that child.
It is so heartbreaking to see that footage of that poor child. I too have often wondered what happened to her. In my heart of hearts, I think that she probably survived being that she's behind the lines and with the Marines at this point. Still, it's a very tough watch.
I pray for her and others like her each time I see her.
The trembling girl's name is Ms. Urasaki Sueko (浦崎末子, maiden name Kazu). On 22 June 2019, the Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper published a story about her. She was 81 at the time of the report. You wouldn't guess it from the video but she was 7 years old at the time the video was shot. Though not in the video, she was with her older sister. She lost four family members during the battle. She was was reunited with her mother and younger brother at an interment camp, but her brother later died from the effects of a tear gas grenade he was hit with in a shelter where they had taken refuge.
Why was she trembling? 'It was my first time seeing an American. I was so scared of those blue eyes that I was trembling. The unfamiliar camera looked like some kind of weapon, and I was so scared I might be shot at that I was shaking like a pig.'
I'd provide a link but experience taught me the comment will be removed. If you search for ' 沖縄戦 震える少女 ' (battle of Okinawa trembling girl) and her name you ought to find info about her. On this platform YOMIURI TELECASTING CORPORATION NEWS CHANNEL uploaded a documentary with English subtitles that includes an interview with her (begins @10:26) when she was 85.
New episode!!
More books to read. Great stuff. Thanks for doing this.
Thank You, you guys deserve it, wish I could do more
One of the things I think about with all the WW2 veteran stories here is that I've heard combat stories from Vietnam veterans. You had to wait until they first decided to get drunk, and then let them cry their way through the nightmare. But their stories are worth remembering.
Oh great. Another session of pain, heartbreak, and sorrowful education about what our fathers and grandfather's suffered on our behalf. Good work gentleman, but it's tough to listen to. And I'll assume it's even more so for you.
Excellent again guys!
You guys are the best 👌
That they are.
A few years ago my youngest spent several months on Okinawa. The young indigenous people’s were fine but the old people just glared at them when they were on the town!
I’ve posted on each of the Okinawa episodes about my Grandfather-in-law, Sgt. Ken Malick, 1st Marine Division, 7th Marines, 2nd Battalion, Fox Company. He was one of the marines who joined pre-war, in 1940, via the CCC working through the depression into the Corps. He was a part of each of the campaigns. Every one the 1st Mar Div fought. I’m thankful he survived to have a family and to share his stories. Thank God for those who battled on Okinawa, for our veterans, WW2 or beyond as we are less than a week from Veterans Day.
So was he related to Terrence Malick, the dir of THE THIN RED LINE ? O er
Once again, another great video. Great work gentlemen.
Thanks! Gotta be close to taking a long well earned break! Will miss the show.
We’re not quitting
If you want what I presume is a preview of Jon’s book, search for his 1942: Crux of War speech to the 35th Annual Admiral Nimitz Symposium. It’s a fantastic presentation and will be a great book.
Thanks!
Another uplifting episode.
The GI in the photo helping a woman and her child out of a cave could be my father-in-law. He was a pharmacist's mate in a unit that looked after the Okinawan civilians. He was particularly involved with getting proper nutrition to the children.
He said once the Okinawans realized we weren't going to eat their babies, they were tremendously helpful with our efforts. He came away with a tremendous amount of respect for the local civilians.
Great show gentlemen.
The maps in John's book look fantastic! Even better than my _West Point Atlas of American Wars_.
solid content👍
I signed up for Jon's book (Crux of War). Really hoping it gets published.
I listened to the episode yesterday great episode as always but I'm particular I learned the likely fate or at least reason for my great grandfather being killed on Okinawa he was drafted and was likely part of the ill trained group that was sent up to right. I would love to learn more about him but don't really know where to begin. If you have any suggestions please let me know.
Thank you..
Looking fwd to your book, John.
Love you guys keep it up
Great as always
Thanks for diversion on this Snoutcounting Day. I will spend all day going back to the first episode and working forward after eliminating the leaves infesting the property.
All good things must come to an end I suppose, but do you guys plan on continuing in another theater? I do plan on following Parshal’s website also.
We've mentioned it several times now, but we are not stopping the show. There are a lot of stories yet to tell.
@@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWarkeep telling them. You guys are an invaluable resource.
In the late 1960's I was a high school senior talking with some classmates about whether we should have used the atomic bomb on Japan. Most of us said no. A teacher heard us talking said to us "I was on Okinawa. I loved the bomb." Then he simply walked away. A few years later I learned of the hell he had experienced.
The gutting of "training units" actually predated the Bulge. I had an uncle who was being officer-trained o be a member of the Italian Occupation force. When Italy surrendered, all these guys were dispersed; my uncle was sent to be an enlisted truck driver in CBI.
The tail end of the commentary about the deaths throughout the Pacific and China/Burma theaters was stunning to me. I never considered the starvation and disease of the peoples in those areas during WW2 caused by the fighting being more than the deaths in Hiroshima and Nagasaki every week or month the war continued. I was always aware that the Allies and Japanese deaths caused by the invasion of Japan were going to much greater than what the Atomic bombs caused, but when the deaths throughout the Pacific and China/Burma theaters are taken into account, the lives saved are literally uncountable.
I'm finally up to date!
For as long as I can remember I've had a certain affinity for General Buckner. He was one of the first WWII Generals whose name I learned simply because my father had told me that when the war ended he, my father, was aboard a ship anchored in Buckner Bay, named for the then recently deceased General. And he had been killed on my birthday, 17 years prior to my birth.
But it was only today that I learned that Buckner did not die by some lucky shot, a one in a million that just happened to land near an unlucky general. Instead he had been purposefully targeted. Would have been nice to have discussed that tidbit with my father, had he not gone home in 2002.
Regarding the closing comments: The point is well-taken regarding Hiroshima and Nagasaki. An invasion of the Home Islands would have cost us 500,000 casualties if we lost a man, in my lay opinion (Mac's estimate of "only" 100,000 was equal parts hopium and balonium). I don't want to contemplate the number of Chinese, Burmese, Vietnamese, and Koreans still under the Japanese yoke, but I have to. How many million people would have died if we'd simply blockaded Japan and left the IJA running amok on the continent for however many months or years it would take to starve them out?
As for the Japanese perspective: my lay opinion is that the Japanese people would at the very least have been decimated, in the literal, Roman sense, either in combat or through starvation. Radiation sickness and cancer are very horrible ways to die. So are being gutshot and starving to death.
Sometimes you don't have a choice between good and bad. Sometimes, you can only choose between bad and worse.
Heck even a few of the Japanese government officials in the peace faction at the time were secretly grateful for the bombs (although they could not say it out loud). And then there is Minoru Genda stating that if Japan had the bomb, they wouldn't have hesitated to use it for even a second.
I see comments “good morning” and realized dang I need to go to bed
Marvelous, gentlemen! Offshore pickets, please.
I hope you will also do a couple of episodes on the immediate aftermath of the war. Operation Magic Carpet, how the US went about to occupy Japan. The liberation of Korea, Vietnam, occupied China, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. The return of the Japanese garrisons on the isolated pacific island. Peace did not return on August 15. But what did return on August 15?
In your discussion of replacement soldiers, you righteously highlight Clarence Craft and his incredible display of bravery and patriotism. You also mention at around 23:30 that Mr. Craft's case is "rare". I'm concerned that the rarity you perceive really is a function of survival, not the number of soldiers who possessed Mr. Craft's bravery. These were brave men who we owe our America to today, whether they survived vicious duty like Mr. Craft, or they died in the first three hours in combat. In my mind the number of survivors isn't a truly reliable indicator of the number of brave men at that terrible place. I don't know if there is such an indicator. Thank you for doing this series.
I'm glad to learn you are safe Capt. Toti. I was worried for you.
Good morning
Morning!
1:26:59 Murphy's Law of Combat #3: "Don't look distinctive, it draws fire."
The lesson was learned in the Civil War. Why was Buckner still doing it 80 years later????
It’s TUESDAY……🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Near misses here in SWFL for both hurricanes. Glad your impacts were minor, Bill.
Out of curiosity how do the Okinawans who weren't south of the Shinara castle line think of the occupation?
Excellent show but you didn't even add the Naval casualties
Uncommon value is a common virtue of each episode.
My father’s ship was at Okinawa and the New Testament that he was issued has the names of places he was at. One of them was Kerema Retto. He probably didn’t know about the civilians because he never mentioned it.
1:06 ....and that can be a serious deal. I was in a hurry once and somehow caught the corner of my Impala's door with my face and for some reason it is a very painful experience. It also seems that it is a very dangerous thing to have happen as well. It only happens once for most people and in spite of warning others to be careful about hitting their face with the door , etc. it seems that most folks just don't pay heed to the warning. Its just one of those things that has to happen to a person for them to actually understand it, otherwise they just kind of brush it off: "Yeah, like hit his own face with the car door...." (You have to be in a rush....)