American Experience - Victory in the Pacific (2005)

Synopsis: While World War II's European theater was winding down to its final stages, there was an even more brutal conflict still raging on the roiling waters of the Pacific Ocean. As the U.S. engaged in... While World War II's European theater was winding down to its final stages, there was an even more brutal conflict still raging on the roiling waters of the Pacific Ocean. As the U.S. engaged in bitter struggles against the Japanese, both sides displayed a steely determination to win at any cost, resulting in some of the bloodiest battles and highest casualty rates in the entire war. Written and directed by acclaimed documentarian Austin Hoyt (MACARTHUR) with narration by actor David Ogden Stiers, this episode of PBS's AMERICAN EXPERIENCE series utilizes archival footage and interviews with both historians and veterans to recount the horrific events that defined the final year of WWII, including the deadly battle of Okinawa; the U.S. firebombing of Tokyo; Japanese kamikaze missions; and, perhaps the most definitive testament to the violence that marked the Pacific theater, the unprecedented dropping of two atomic bombs on the civilian cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. [More]

Director: Austin Hoyt

Director: Austin Hoyt