The war in the Pacific

MANILA, Philippines - HBO recently launched the new World War II mini-series The Pacific at Corregidor Island. It was only an hour and a half away from Manila via a Sun Cruises boat. We watched a video, the light and sound show about the events that happened at the Malinta Tunnel and in the island itself during WWII. In one of the tunnels, HBO gave us the full trailer, behind-the-scene clips and interviews with mini-series’ lead actors (James Badge Dale, Joe Mazzello and Jon Seda) and producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. After a sumptuous lunch at the Corregidor Inn, the group visited World War II landmarks and memorials.

On April 3, 9 p.m. (new episodes every Saturday at 9 p.m.), HBO/HBO HD is airing the epic mini-series as a two-episode special. The program will surely spark new interest in America’s Pacific campaign during WWII.

After all, The Pacific is the most expensive HBO mini-series so far, made with a budget of a $200-M and based on true stories of Marines in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

The mini-series tracks the intertwined odysseys of three US Marines — Robert Leckie (Dale), Eugene Sledge (Mazzello) and John Basilone (Seda).

Private First Class (PFC) Robert grew up in Rutherford, NJ. He began a professional sports writing career for the Bergen Evening Record newspaper at 16. Leckie, christened “Lucky” by comrades in arms, was one of those who enlisted in the Marine Corps after Pearl Harbor. He served with H Company, Second Battalion, First Marine Regiment, First Marine Division as a machine gunner.

Sgt. John Basilone, on the other hand, was raised in Raritan, NJ, and one of 10 children of Italian immigrant parents. In 1934, at 18, he enlisted in the US Army and served three years in the Philippines, where he was a champion boxer. After a brief return to New Jersey, Basilone enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1940 and was a machine gunner with C Company, First Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment, First Marine Division, and later with the B Company, First Battalion, 27th Marine Regiment, Fifth Marine Division.

PFC Eugene had relatives who fought for the Confederacy. He was the son of a physician who was a medical officer during the First World War. He had turned 18 just a month before the US entered the war, but a heart condition kept him from enlisting until December 1942.

The story depicts the war a world away, in the Pacific Theater of Operations, which encompassed most of the Pacific Ocean and its islands, including the Philippines, the Netherlands, East Indies, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Viewers can also catch The Pacific on HBO Signature from April 9, 8 p.m. Encores of each episode air on Sundays, 8 p.m. and Mondays, 10 p.m.

The series is produced by HBO in association with Playtone and DreamWorks Television. Production was based at Melbourne Central City Studios in Melbourne, Victoria. The series was helmed by various directors: Carl Franklin, David Nutter, Jeremy Podeswa, Tim Van Patten, Graham Yost and Tony To.