THE PACIFIC: War movies are war movies, right? You see one,
you’ve seen them all.

You might not feel that way about a series on HBO called, “The
Pacific,” an extraordinary dramatic event that pulls no punches in
showing the graphic nature of fighting in the Pacific theater of
World War II. You can practically feel the spray of the water as
the landing craft hits the beaches, feel the bullets whizzing
by.

You can certainly feel, too, the emotional impact war makes on
the ordinary soldier who literally saved the world in those bloody
battles.

Normally, we don’t get into discussing television programs. But,
before every World War II vet has passed away, we wanted to tip our
hats to these men who are the “stars” of this gritty dramatic
event. Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh is affording such a
venue — in a big way.

The center, home of the USS Requin submarine, has been selected
as one of the 16 museums partnering with HBO in a special
initiative to honor America’s troops. Visitors to the Science
Center have the chance to record a video thank-you that will become
part of a national tribute.

The HBO Pacific Tribute Campaign kiosk, located in the lobby of
the Science Center, will allow visitors to thank veterans and
active military with a 30-second video message free of charge. The
touch-screen kiosk is as easy to use as an ATM.

The kiosk uses a new technology, called MeTV, that lets
individuals record a high-definition video and e-mail it to any
address. MeTV is the first live, location-based broadcast network
that embodies many of today’s top social media trends.

Select messages will be collected for a montage that will appear
on HBO.com and will be distributed to
the troops through partnerships with military and veteran
organizations. There also is an option to send the video directly
to a soldier or those with a friend or family member currently
serving.

The HBO Pacific Tribute Campaign kiosk will be available to
Science Center visitors through the end of May.

For those who are unable to attend, HBO is also offering access
to a desktop application that lets individuals with a webcam record
a video message at home.

The Pacific is based on the true stories of World War II
Marines. Executive producers are Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and
Gary Goetzman.