In the final episode of The Pacific, Eugene Sledge and Snafu are on a train heading back home after their time in the Pacific Theater of World War II, and strangely, Snafu does not say goodbye to Sledge, leading to many questions about why he made that choice. The Pacific tells true stories of three men who fought in the Pacific during the Second World War. The series is a companion to Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg’s 2001 mini-series Band of Brothers. The Pacific premiered in 2010 and is available to stream on Netflix.
Over the course of The Pacific’s 10 episodes, the show follows the stories of three real men who fought during World War II. One of these men is named Eugene Sledge. His story begins in his home state of Alabama, when he discovers that he should not join the war effort because of his heart murmur. Despite this, Sledge joins the Marines anyway, and is shipped off to Pavuvu Island in the Solomon Islands. While there, he becomes close with a number of other soldiers, including a strange and often violent young man named Snafu.
Snafu’s Reason For Not Saying Goodbye To Sledge In The Pacific
At the end of The Pacific, Snafu does not say goodbye to Sledge, and the most obvious reason for that is because he does not want to disturb him. Over the course of the war, Sledge and Snafu formed a close, yet complicated bond. Oftentimes, they did not have the same opinions on moral matters, and this caused tension between them. However, because of their close proximity and the trauma they shared, the men became close regardless. So, when Snafu sees Sledge asleep on the train, he likely does not want to make a fuss or ruin this rare moment of peace for Sledge.
Another more personal reason could be that it is simply too hard for Snafu to say goodbye. As previously mentioned, the men formed a close relationship, and though they both survived the atrocities of war, their bond is cemented in the terrible things they saw and did together. In this way, it could have been difficult for Snafu to face the fact that he and Sledge’s friendship was likely coming to an end. He likely had many conflicted feelings, and in this way, letting him sleep was the calmest, most unobtrusive route.
Did The Real Snafu Remain Close To Eugene Sledge?
In some ways, Snafu’s inability to say goodbye is a hint at the future of Sledge and Snafu’s relationship. In real life, Eugene Sledge and Snafu lost touch after the war. For many years, they led their own separate lives. However, when Sledge published his memoir in 1981, Snafu reached out and the two reignited their bond. In fact, Sledge acted as a pallbearer at Snafu’s funeral in 1993. Therefore, Snafu’s lack of a goodbye seems quite real to life, as the men grew apart after the war, but ultimately came back together via their shared experience in The Pacific.
