That portion of "The Pacific" is almost lifted word for word from E. B. Sledge's book "With the Old Breed," which is a factual account of Mr. Sledge's time as a mortarman in the USMC.

It would be incorrect to imagine every Marine/Soldier in the US military in the Pacific grabbed their pliers once the shooting stopped, or that it was even an especially common practice. But there's strong evidence such brutality did occur.