The Pacific

In the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Marine Sgt. John Basilone prepares to ship out, while budding journalist Robert Leckie enlists as a Marine. Eugene Sledge, unable to enlist due to a heart murmur, says farewell to his best friend.

Basilone and the 7th Marines arrive on Guadalcanal to reinforce Leckie and the rest of the 1st Marine Division as they defend the crucial airstrip. Basilone plays a key role in repelling a nighttime Japanese attack, but suffers a frightful loss.

Debilitated after Guadalcanal, Leckie, Basilone and their comrades land in Melbourne, where they are greeted by adoring crowds. Meanwhile, Basilone is awarded the Medal of Honor and is asked to return home to help sell U.S. war bonds.

Sledge trains for combat at Camp Elliott. The 1st Marine Division lands at Cape Gloucester on the Japanese-held island of New Britain. Later, while stationed on the island of Pavuvu, Leckie begins displaying the physical and mental effects of combat.

Basilone's celebrity grows as he goes cross-country on the war bonds tour. On Pavuvu, Sledge is briefly reunited with Phillips and Leckie. Sledge then gets his first taste of combat as 1st Marine Division meet fierce Japanese resistance on Peleliu.

Despite the suffocating heat and a lack of clean water, Sledge, Leckie and other Marines confront the highly-fortified enemy as they attempt to capture the Peleliu airfield. Sledge witnesses the shocking truth about what is sometimes required to survive.

The Marines continue the battle of Peleliu against an enemy determined to fight to the last man. Devastated by the loss of a revered leader, and witnessing unimaginable barbarity on both sides, Sledge veers to the very edge of moral collapse.

An increasingly frustrated Basilone convinces the Marines to allow him to train troops headed for combat. Transferred to Camp Pendleton, he enjoys a whirlwind romance with an initially reluctant female Marine.

After battling on Okinawa for over a month, Sledge and the rest of the 1st Marine Division are ordered to relieve an Army division that has been in combat against the most strongly defended Japanese position on the island.

(Miniseries Finale). After the Japanese surrender, Leckie and Sledge return home and attempt to adjust to life after war. Meanwhile, Lena visits Basilone's home and has an emotional meeting with his family.