Plot Synopsis

THE PACIFIC WAR IN COLOR is an eight-part documentary series that traces the epic struggle of the Pacific War using rare and never-before-seen color visuals from every corner of the conflict, examining the pivotal moments, wartime innovations and social upheavals that still reverberate today. Rare home movies from servicemen capture intimate images of troops on tropical beaches, naval hazing rituals when sailors cross the equator, and morale-boosting USO shows on dusty desert islands. Personal movies shot by pilots in cockpits Crackle with intensity, and color combat footage bursts with the nervous energy of storming beaches, white-knuckle dogfights and face-to-face island-hopping warfare. Remarkable home movies from General Douglas MacArthur show his family in the Philippines before the war and later in Japan after the surrender, offering a different view of life during wartime. In each 60-minute episode, viewers hear unvarnished first-hand accounts from the men and women who lived it, revealing their humor, fear and courage as they confront the limits of the human experience. From Pearl Harbor to the Philippines, Burma to Tarawa and Peleliu to Iwo Jima, the series adds authentic perspective and dimension to the gripping story of a campaign waged across a vast ocean. The series also goes beyond the battles and bombardments, strategic invasions and critical turning points to address the internment camps, the role of women and other changing social norms. The series opener, "An Ocean Apart," reveals some of the first color images of the peaceful locations that the Pacific War will soon make infamous - Midway, Wake Island and Guam. They are among the last films taken before the region is thrust into chaos. Viewers relive the surprise attack on America's naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 through the only known color footage of the raid and devastation, filmed by sailor Clyde Daughtry. As the world struggles to respond to Japan's blitz, a patriotic surge unites a divided America and inspires tens of thousands to enlist.