In HBO’s The Pacific, Eugene “Sledgehammer” Sledge is the young Marine whose wide-eyed innocence turns to horror amid the brutal fighting on Peleliu and Okinawa.
🧵But the real story behind this quiet Alabamian is one of survival, trauma, and profound reflection.
Battle of Manila: Hell in the Streets (1945) 🇺🇸🇵🇭
Colorized footage captures American forces fighting through the shattered streets of Manila during one of the fiercest and most destructive urban battles of the Pacific War.
M4 Sherman tanks provide direct fire support as infantry clear buildings room by room, while flamethrower teams blast entrenched Japanese strongpoints hidden deep inside the ruins.
Entire districts of the city were left in ruins during the fight to retake Manila.