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PACIFIC, THE: PELELIU AIRFIELD {EPISODE 6} (TV)

Summary

The sixth episode in this ten-part historical miniseries, a companion piece to 2001's "Band of Brothers," depicting the Pacific Theatre of World War II as described in the memoirs of several United States Marine Corps veterans. In September 1944, Phillips visits Sledge's parents in Mobile and assures them that he is not worried about their son, explaining that he is serving alongside good men and away from the front. Temperatures soar on Peleliu as the men grow desperate for water; a small pond is soon found, but is then discovered to have been deliberately contaminated. Haldane tells his company that they must cross the airfield in order to get into the hills, reminding them not to stop for anything. The Marines run across the field under heavy fire, losing many men along the way. Runner is hit in the arm and Leckie promises him that he will find a corpsman, though he himself is badly injured in the attempt. Oswalt is killed, and Sledge assists Snafu when he is knocked down by a blast. Haldane maintains order of his men, and Sledge fires several mortar rounds at a nearby building from which the enemy is firing.

K-Company reconvenes to assess their losses and count their ammunition, and when a tank rolls by, the men are impressed when Haldane and his first lieutenant "Hillbilly" Jones force it to stop and take on their wounded. Leckie is transferred to a hospital ship, and as night falls, Sledge turns to his Bible. While on his watch, Private Daniels begins to break down and starts "counting" Japanese soldiers in a panic, and Haldane kindly allows him to assist with inventory duty instead. Sledge admits that he was terrified out on the airfield, and Haldane explains that he tries to focus on the just cause of their war when dealing with fear and the deaths of his men. In the morning, they move out towards the hills, and Sledge and Snafu bond further when the latter affectionately dubs him "Sledgehammer." They come under fire again in the hills, and Haldane realizes that they cannot achieve their objectives and departs to meet with his superiors for different orders.

K-Company anxiously awaits Haldane's return, enjoying a rare moment of laughter at a joke from their gruff gunny. Late at night, one private suffers a nightmare and the others frantically attempt to quiet him before he gives away their position. In desperation, another man hits him with a shovel and accidentally kills him, and in the morning Sledge grimly states that it was better to lose one man than several. Runner, injured but alive, finds Leckie on the hospital ship, and Leckie swears that he tried to return to him on the battlefield. They fret about Hoosier and Chuckler's fates, and head onto the deck for a bit of fresh air as they make their way towards home. Back on the island, Haldane returns with his new orders and tells K-Company that they are to fall back.

Details

  • NETWORK: HBO
  • DATE: April 18, 2010 9:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:49:45
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: 110533
  • GENRE: Drama, historical
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; World War II - Pacific campaign; Miniseries
  • SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2010
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Tom Hanks … Executive Producer
  • Steven Spielberg … Executive Producer
  • Gary Goetzman … Executive Producer
  • Eugene Kelly … Co-Executive Producer
  • Graham Yost … Co-Executive Producer
  • Tony To … Co-Executive Producer, Director
  • Bruce C. McKenna … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
  • Tim Van Patten … Supervising Producer
  • Cherylanne Martin … Producer
  • Steven Shareshian … Producer
  • Todd London … Producer
  • George Pelecanos … Co-Producer
  • Miura Kite … Co-Producer
  • Kirk Saduski … Co-Producer
  • Robert Schenkkan … Co-Producer, Writer
  • Jennifer Jackson … Associate Producer
  • Jonathan Brytus … Associate Producer
  • April Nocifora … Associate Producer
  • David Taritero … Visual Effects Producer
  • Tom Clary … Visual Effects Producer
  • Ineke Majoor … Visual Effects Producer
  • Laurence Andries … Writer
  • Chuck Tatum … Based on the book by
  • Eugene B. Sledge … Based on the book by
  • Robert Leckie … Based on the book by
  • Hans Zimmer … Music by
  • Blake Neely … Music by
  • Geoff Zanelli … Music by
  • James Badge Dale … Cast, PFC Robert Leckie
  • Joe Mazzello … Cast, Pvt. Eugene Sledge
  • Jon Seda … Cast, Sgt. John Basilone
  • Linda Cropper … Cast, Mary Frank Sledge
  • Brendan Fletcher … Cast, PFC Bill Leyden
  • Leon Willem Ford … Cast, 1st Lt. Edward "Hillbilly" Jones
  • Scott Gibson … Cast, Capt. Andrew Haldane
  • Ashton Holmes … Cast, PFC Sidney Phillips
  • Rami Malek … Cast, PFC Merriell "Snafu" Shelton
  • Martin McCann … Cast, Cpl. R.V. Burgin
  • Toby Leonard Moore … Cast, 2nd Lt. Stone
  • Keith Nobbs … Cast, PFC Wilbur "Runner" Conley
  • Conor O'Farrell … Cast, Dr. Sledge
  • Gary Sweet … Cast, Sgt. Elmo "Gunny" Haney
  • Dylan Young … Cast, PFC Jay De L'eau
  • Warwick Allsopp … Cast, Doctor
  • Andre de Vanny … Cast, Crazy Marine
  • Lia Fisher … Cast, Rose
  • James Gaylyn … Cast, Tee
  • Richard Huggett … Cast, Maj. Coyle
  • Alexander Kelvy … Cast, Pvt. Daniels
  • Jacob Kyriakidis … Cast, Radio Man
  • Andrew Lees … Cast, Pvt. Robert Oswalt
  • Adam Lubicz … Cast, Amtrac Driver
  • Pascal Mercay … Cast, Battalion Operations Officer
  • Gareth Rickards … Cast, Wounded Lieutenant