World War II was a dirty, ugly, and absolutely miserable six years of combat, no matter what battle, country or theater of operations you look at. This becomes especially apparent when looking at events like the battle of Stalingrad in 1942, where the Russians intentionally shot their own soldiers when they tried to retreat because of Joseph Stalin's declaration of "Not one step back", or the Battle of the Bulge in the dead of winter, 1945 where the 101st Airborne were ordered to hold a line against almost impossible odds with little ammunition and no winter clothing. We're taught about the European aspect of the Second World War in history class, and it's used as a point of great reverence in our culture.
While the war in Europe should absolutely be remembered with the utmost reverence and the memory of those men held up with great vigilance, there's another aspect to the war that I find is very much overlooked culturally, and it's a mistake to overlook it. The "aspect" I'm referring to is the war in the Pacific. In our culture there is a shocking lack of knowledge (and therefore, respect) to the men who fought tooth and nail on tiny jungle islands in 110-115 degree heat (that's low-to-mid 40s Celsius). Really, the only thing most people know about the Pacific war was that it occasioned the first (and only) atomic bombs ever dropped in combat.
To this end, and since I know that history books are pretty dry, I'm recommending an HBO miniseries aptly named "The Pacific" that focuses on the experiences of three US Marines, Robert Leckie, Eugene Sledge, and John Basilone. All three of these men were actual, real-life marines who served during the war, and the miniseries is based off of the memoirs "A Helmet for my Pillow" by Robert Leckie, "With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa" by Eugene Sledge, and the close military records kept on Medal of Honor winner John Basilone. From exhaustive research into these memoirs and records, as well as collaboration with men who fought alongside the three main characters, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg create a mercilessly authentic look at the Pacific war and how it affected the men who fought in it. I also highly recommend the film "Letters From Iwo Jima" which tells the story of one of the most pivotal battles in the pacific war from the Japanese perspective, a mindset and attitude that is integral to understand.
