HBO's 'The Pacific' premieres in Mobile

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - On Sunday, HBO is premiering "The Pacific." This ten-part series takes viewers right into some of the deadliest battles in the Pacific theater: Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Two of the main characters in the stories are Mobilians.

So, what makes up a hero?

Arguably, it involves pressing on in the face of danger, putting your life on the line for a cause, defending your brothers alongside you.

World War II had plenty of heroes. But for many men who lived through it, they shrug off that title.

"I was no hero by a long shot. No one was a hero," said World War II Sailor Chuck Wheeler.

"I wasn't no hero. They had some heroes in there, but all them got killed," World War II Marine Jim McClure added.

"The heroes are the ones who didn't come home," said World War II Marine Sid Phillips.

As long as their stories are told, those heroes will never die.

On Sunday, HBO premieres "The Pacific". These are stories of danger and sacrifice, all told through the eyes of two men from Mobile: the late Eugene Sledge, and Sid Phillips, who's alive today.

"Of all the war movies I've seen, I believe this is the best," said Phillips.

The actors were given massive amounts of documents, memoirs, and handbooks to prepare for their roles. Of course, it takes more than that to become a Marine.

"When you hear actor boot camp, how tough it can be, it was tough. They put us through hell for 10 days. I wanted to quit, personally," said actor Ashton Holmes, who plays Sid Phillips.

Executive producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg went to great lengths to make a realistic movie, and allow the viewers to watch the Marines' transformation firsthand.

"You get the individual's perspective, how you can be one person and then become somebody totally different," said actor Joe Mazzello, who plays Eugene Sledge.

"It doesn't glorify it or paint a pretty picture of it. Some of it's very difficult to watch, but that's war," said Holmes.

Eugene Sledge's son, Henry Sledge, said the movie would make his father proud.

"He always felt like the war in Europe took center stage. So he would be very satisfied. I don't think he would watch it, I don't think he would want to," added Sledge.

For many veterans, sharing their tales of courage and valor in the face of evil is difficult. These are not stories from a textbook; they were real.

These heroes were real, and many of them never came home, but some did. And one way to honor all of them is to tell their stories.

The mayor of Mobile proclaimed Saturday as U.S. Marine Corps Appreciation Day, and a city councilman gave Sid Phillips a key to the city.