HOLLYWOOD —With the pace of the war and the TV miniseries picking up and perfectly paced, some more stars are shining and coming to their own in their respective storylines. Though most of the veterans of WWII that fought in the Pacific theatre are gone, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg are making sure that those of us too young to remember, will never forget the great sacrifices these heroes made to ensure the freedom and security of the world. Never have I seen such an epic story told with such authenticity as HBO’s “The Pacific” is doing so on a weekly basis. The unflinching drama and gripping storylines tear at the human psyche while building on our desires to know the truth as these brave young men lived and died.

Last week Basilone’s (Jon Seda) celebrity grew as he traveled across the country on the war bonds tour. On Pavuvu, Sledge, assigned to the 5thMarines, 1st Marine Division was briefly reunited with Phillips (Ashton Holmes) and Leckie rejoined his company. Leckie seems to be the strongest yet most emotional of the soldiers and the actor seems to embrace the dichotomy of this role.

Sledge got his first taste of combat as he, Leckie, and the rest of the 1stMarine Division met fierce Japanese resistance while landing on the intricately and heavily defended coral island of Peleliu. I found the scenes so emotionally draining to watch. Of course this is a good thing. It proves the production values and the writing and directing are so authentic that the viewers feel like we are engaging the enemy in this war drama. Last Sunday night’s episode was written by Laurence Andries and Bruce C. McKenna and directed by Carl Franklin.

The drama continues on Sunday night with so many twists and turns planned that it’s difficult to remember this was real life in the early 1940s.

“The Pacific” airs on Sunday nights at 9 on HBO.

Photograph Courtesy: David James/HBO