The Pacific

For the last six weeks, HBO's latest mini-series, "The Pacific," has been transporting views to the battlefields of WWII's Pacific Theater.

In 2001, HBO presented the landmark mini-series "Band of Brothers." The 10-episode series offered a look at a company in the 101st Airborne Division, Easy Company, as they made their way through the European Theater. Based on a book by Stephen Ambrose and complete with interviews from the real-life heroes who fought the battles, "Band of Brothers" was a once-in-a-lifetime event. I was completely hooked and have watched the whole series through on several occasions, each time moved by the dedication and sacrifice of the soldiers who fought to protect our freedoms.

When I learned that the producers would again tackle WWII with "The Pacific," I was excited. I waited for years, watching production and waiting for it to debut. When it finally did debut in March, I was taken back. The series, while good, didn't feel like "Band of Brothers." In fact, those that went in expecting "Band of Brothers" pt. 2 are probably disappointed.

It wasn't until the fourth part that I finally understood what the producers were doing. They didn't want to replicate the first effort, they wanted to explore a different aspect of front line combat — the psychological aspect.

So far it's been an exceptional exploration. I was particularly moved by a comment made in the second episode as a father prepared to send his beloved son off to war. Having some experience with combat himself, he knew what awaited his son and he wanted his son to be prepared too. He said, "When I treated the men that came back from the great war, the problem wasn't that they had their flesh torn, it was that they had their souls torn out. I don't want to look in your eyes some day and not see that spark."

William T. Sherman, the Union general, once remarked "War is Hell." There is truth in that. It was true in WWII, and it is certainly true of the brave men and women that defend this country today. And all who've seen combat must wrestle with how to keep their humanity intact in the face of unimaginable brutality and suffering.

We may not face the horrors of war, but we all face difficulties in our lives. A good lesson I take away from "The Pacific" is the importance of guarding our hearts and minds against the evil of this world. As Hebrews says, we must "fix our eyes on the author and finisher of our faith." That is where the spark comes from, and that is how we keep it in our lives.

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