: The real battle was a precursor to Iwo Jima, fought in sharp limestone caves that rendered American artillery and tanks largely ineffective.

: The series depicts Marines pulling gold teeth from Japanese soldiers. While shocking, these acts were historically documented in Sledge’s memoir as a symptom of the extreme dehumanization and racism of the Pacific Theater.

: Sledge begins to lose his civility , witnessed through his interactions with "Snafu" Shelton and scenes of body mutilation.

: In the episode, Snafu is shown throwing rocks into a Japanese soldier's skull; in reality, Sledge attributed this act to a Navy corpsman named Ken "Doc" Caswell, who was omitted from the show. Production Details Airing Date : April 25, 2010. Director : Tim Van Patten.

I can dive deeper into the Sledge used to write his memoir or look up more behind-the-scenes details on how they recreated the coral landscape. Which would you prefer? The Convolution of History: The Argument for The Pacific

The episode is heavily based on Eugene Sledge’s memoir, With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa .