The worst thing I've ever heard Dan reference in his show

I know these shows cover events that are likely worse in all regards of death, torture, and suffering across millions of people. That said, a story told from the perspective of a Marine Raider during the battle of Guadalcanal in the Pacific front has really gotten to me. I can't get it out of my head.

This is from part 5 of Supernova in the East. The following is a recollection from Dean Winters, part of the 2nd Raider Battalion. His squad had come upon several wounded Japanese that may have been left behind.

"We killed a lot of Japs. We bayoneted and shot anything that was still moving. It was a series of grass huts. They were on the ground, wounded, several had broken legs. It didn't look like they'd had proper medical attention because some of them were bent at a 45 degree angle. They weren't sticking straight out. We were back in Japanese territory and didn't want to make noise. So we used bayonets. I was pretty angry. We had a patrol and they captured one of our men and tied him over a log and used him as a woman. They rammed a bayonet up his butt and he bled to death. That made me angry. So whenever I get into action, I get angry, I wasn't afraid. When I was angry, we all felt that way after what we've seen."

Imagining what that captured Marine went through is chilling. It's amazing to me that ordinary Japanese soldiers could reach this level of depravity, even if they were ordered to do it. Makes me sick to think of all the incidents that didn't get written down, didn't get talked about because the witnesses were killed in action, or don't get talked about because they are too horrible to recollect.