Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg Salute to Veterans with 'The Pacific'

Executive producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks rounded up the troops to premiere their HBO miniseries, "The Pacific," on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. The series' ten installments chronicle the tale of three U.S. Marines who travel across the Pacific Theater during World War II.

Steven was attracted to bring this story to the screen because both his dad and uncle are veterans of the Pacific. He said, "I have really always credited my dad for instilling in me a lot of values that have come through, especially in movies like 'Saving Private Ryan.'…I made this for all the veterans on both sides of the ocean. Tom and I continue to want to tell these stories of these engagements."

"This is a story about human choices, that people were living in a world that was very complicated and had huge problems," explained Tom. He found parallels between the era of World War II and 2010, saying, "1942, 1943, 1944 you would think are very different places than they are today. Sure, we have television and we have phones and we have a connectivity that's different and the world is a substantially different place, but the human condition is not."

Both Steven and Tom are staples at the annual Oscar Awards, so they shared advice with this year's crop of nominees on how to prepare for and take in the special night. Tom said, "It's the high school prom. It's the best dance of your life. You'll never forget it. It will stay with you forever." Steven mimicked, "All the nominees are winners…It'll be something you never forget. You'll tell your kids about it, your grandkids about it."

Watch the video to see how actor Henry Nixon shaped up in boot camp to portray his physically fit character in uniform. 'The Pacific' sets sail on March 14 on HBO.