With the US Navy cut off, the Marines are stuck on the island of Guadalcanal and find themselves facing the threats of starvation, malaria, and constant bombings from the Japanese. They now have to hold out long enough for the Navy to break through.
Tropes:
- 100% Heroism Rating: After being annoyed at how useless the island seems to be and how unappreciated they are, some of the Marines in the mess hall learn they're on the front page of newspapers at home as national heroes. This takes the edge off a little.
- Five-Finger Discount: The Army scatters when they see planes flying overhead, not knowing they won't bomb the beach. The Marines use this opportunity to steal from their supply bags. Leckie manages to score some nice moccasins and cigars.
- Hold the Line: The Marines have to protect an airfield above anything. They spend a lot of the episode fortifying the border around it, with barbed wire and ditches.
- I'll Take That as a Compliment: Colonel Puller reads an excerpt from a Japanese newspaper to boost morale at a meeting.
- "These are not soldiers. These are Marines, who are recruited from jails and insane asylums for bloodlust!"
- I'll Pretend I Didn't Hear That: An MP sees Leckie wearing moccasins he stole, but lets it slide. Even telling him to be careful to not let the owner see him wearing them. As Leckie notices the MP is holding a random box of Johnny Walker, this is out of self-preservation as much as anything.
- Interservice Rivalry: The Marines are not pleased when they hear that the US Army has landed to reinforce them. This leads to a small prank war between both sides when an Army truck nearly runs over a group of Marines for no reason and the Marines respond by stealing Army supplies during an Air raid, since as mentioned above, the Army doesn't know that the Japanese planes only attack the airfield.
- Killed Off for Real: Manny Rodriguez gets shot during a night battle while moving between positions. Since he wasn't visible from the other side, it wasn't even on purpose.
