''The Pacific'' was spearheaded by [[Bruce C. McKenna]] ([[executive producer|co-executive producer]]), one of the main writers on ''Band of Brothers.'' [[Hugh Ambrose]], the son of ''[[Band of Brothers (book)|Band of Brothers]]'' author [[Stephen Ambrose]], served as a project consultant.
''The Pacific'' miniseries features the [[1st Marine Division (United States)|1st Marine Division]]'s battles in the Pacific, such as [[Guadalcanal campaign|Guadalcanal]], [[Battle of Cape Gloucester|Cape Gloucester]], [[Battle of Peleliu|Peleliu]], and [[Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa]], as well as Basilone's involvement in the [[Battle of Iwo Jima]]. It is based primarily on the [[memoir]]s of two [[United States Marine Corps|US Marines]]: ''[[With the Old Breed]]|With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa]]'' by Eugene Sledge and ''[[Helmet for My Pillow]]'' by Robert Leckie.<ref name="ZeitchikS-V-2007-04-24">{{cite news |last=Zeitchik|first=Steven |url= http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963752.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1&p=0 | title=HBO greenlights Spielberg mini |work=Variety |date=24 April 2007 |accessdate=3 April 2010}}</ref> It also draws on Sledge's memoir ''[[China Marine (memoir)|China Marine]]''<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.hbo.com/the-pacific/index.html#/the-pacific/about/index.html | title= About the Series |publisher= HBO | accessdate= 10 December 2010 }}</ref> and ''Red Blood, Black Sand,'' the memoir of [[Chuck Tatum]], a Marine who fought alongside Basilone at Iwo Jima.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.marineswwii.com | title= Red Blood Black Sand |website= MarinesWWII.com | accessdate= 10 December 2010 }}</ref><ref name="Tatum">{{cite news | first=Lori |last=Gilbert | title=Stockton man's Iwo Jima experience part of HBO miniseries | url= http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100314/A_NEWS/3140307 | work=The Record |date=14 March 2010 |accessdate=3 April 2010}}</ref>
