Semper Fi

Escape capture and join Carlson's Raiders for a surprise attack on the Japanese fortifications at Makin Island

-Level Description

"Miller, thank God you're OK. We'll make them pay for what they've done..."

"Fuckers!"

- Sergeant Sullivan

"Makin Atoll, little more than sand, trees and a small Japanese military base. Miller's reconassiance team landed there almost a week ago, since then we've heard nothing. The waiting's over, were going in, for all we know they're already dead. If what little we know about the Japanese is true, it might be better if they are."

Semper Fi is the first single player level of Call of Duty: World at War. This mission takes place on Makin Atoll, which is home to a small Imperial (Japanese) army base. The player, playing as Pvt. Miller from the 2nd battalion of the Marine Raiders, Carlson's Raiders, is held captive by the Japanese, and witnesses the brutal murder of his fellow Marine. The player's life is saved by Cpl. Roebuck, who then says "we will make them pay for what they did". The player then makes his way through the island to rescue another group of soldiers, who are under siege. The player then proceeds to blow up the Japanese bunker, crippling their operation there. While making his way to the boat, the player is attacked by an enemy banzai wielding a katana (a Japanese longsword) and is seriously wounded, but his life is saved by a Sgt. Sullivan. He is dragged to the boat and witnesses a large explosion.

Opening Cutscene

 * Cpl Roebuck: Makin Atoll - little more than sand, trees and a small Japanese Military Base.


 * Cpl Roebuck: Miller's reconnaissance team landed there almost a week ago. Since then - we've heard nothing. The waiting's over, we're going in. For all we know they're already dead. If what little we know about the Japanese is true, it might be better if they are.

Gameplay
Pvt Miller, Pvt Pyle, Pvt Cook, and Pvt Henderson and captured by Japanese soldiers.


 * Japanese Officer: "You think because you say nothing... You are strong? "


 * Pvt Pyle: "Don't tell them a fucking thing!"


 * The Japanese officer says something to Pyle.


 * Japanese Officer: "Kisama wa tsuyoku nai. Gohjoh na yatsu me. Beihei domo ha minna kounanoka?" (Japanese: 貴様は強くない. 強情な奴め. 米兵共は皆こうなのか?) (You are weak. You persistent bastard. Are all American soldiers like him?)

''Pyle then spits blood in the officer's face. The officer wipes the blood off and inhales on a cigarette, then sticks it in Pyle's eye. Pyle screams.''


 * Japanese Officer: "F'utari tomo korose!" (Japanese: 二人共殺せ!) (English: Kill them both!)

The officer orders the private to execute Miller and Pyle and walks out of the hut.


 * Pvt Pyle: "Go to hell."

The Japanese soldier slits Pyle's throat


 * Japanese private: "Kisama wa tsuyoku nai." (Japanese: 貴様は強くない. ) (English: You are weak.)

''He starts to walk towards Miller. Miller backs up. The soldier looks to his right quickly as a shadow appears, then gets stabbed in the back by Roebuck.''


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Miller, you're okay. Thank God! We're going to make them pay for what they've done!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Fuckers!"

Sgt Sullivan gives Miller a helmet and a Nambu pistol.


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Grab a rifle. We're going to tear this place apart! Roebuck, signal the strike team!"

Rockets explode around the base


 * Sgt Sullivan: "We are go! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! Roebuck, right flank! You two, take the left!"


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Miller! Over here! This way! Keep behind me."


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Don't leave so much as one of those bastards standing!"

''Private Ryan takes point and moves up to the next hut. A flaming Japanese soldier runs out of the hut and attacks him.''


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Help Ryan! Save him!"


 * Pvt Ryan: "AAAA! Get him off me!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Well done, Marines."

(if Ryan isn't saved) Ryan catches fire and dies.

''The door to the next hut bursts open and a Japanese Officer falls out. Cpl Lozano comes out and shoots the officer several times in the head with a pistol and the officer '' falls over the railing.


 * Cpl Lozano: "You like that? You piece of shit!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Take out that MG!"


 * US Marine: "I can't get a clear shot!!!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Then shoot through the damn wood!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Keep on that MG!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Hit that MG! NOW!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Don't let them get another crew on it!"

The Marines clear up the area and move into the jungle.


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Good work, Marines! Keep it up!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Support squad will hit the beach just up ahead... Let's move!


 * US Marine: "This place creeps me out."


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Tojo's at home in this shit."


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Eyes peeled."


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Shhhh!!!"

The Marines come upon a shrine


 * US Marine: "What the hell is this?"


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Check it out..."

A Marine approaches it


 * US Marine: "Looks like a temple or some shit..."

''The Marine's foot is caught in a rope trap and is raised into the tree. He is killed by an explosion.''


 * Japanese Soldiers: Tennōheika banzai! (May the Emperor live for 10,000 years!)


 * Cpl Roebuck: "SHIT!"


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Damn it! Booby trap!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Hold your ground! HOLD YOUR GROUND!"


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Here they come!"

The Marines clear the area, and moves on


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Support squad should be there any minute now..."


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Pick up the pace people."


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Shit... they've been spotted"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "They're pinned down at the beach!"


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Japanese infantry in the river... Moving in from the west!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Roebuck, MG on right... the other one's mine."


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Go..."


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Take out that spotlight!"

The Marines rescue the second squad and proceed to the extraction point.


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Listen up..."


 * Sgt Sullivan: "I want to get to the rest of this quick and clean."


 * Sgt Sullivan: "You hear me? Quick and clean."


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Stay sharp..."


 * Sgt Sullivan: "What the hell?"


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Who took these guys out?"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Radio command... Find out if another unit came in ahead of us."

A flare flies in the air, the marines were blinded


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Ambush!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Move! Move!"

The fake dead Japanese soldier charges to Pvt. Rooker with a katana, stabbing him

The Marines clear the area move through the jungle.


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Compound's just ahead... Keep movin'."


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Roebuck! Start the truck!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Miller, use your knife to put a hole in that barrel."

Miller knifes a hole in the barrel


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Go, go, go!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Hudson's squad's landing over there on the right!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "That's our extraction point!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Roebuck, blow that ammo bunker."


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Miller, back me up!"


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Come on... Let's go."

Roebuck, Sullivan, and Miller proceed to the ammo bunker.


 * Cpl Roebuck: "SHIT!"


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Guard that door."


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Miller, get to work planting those charges..."

Roebuck and Miller plant the charges in the ammo bunker.


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Damn! Timer's fried... We only may only get a few minutes before detonation."


 * Cpl Roebuck: "We need to get to the extraction point ASAP!"


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Sullivan, we had to jerry-rig the charges!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Get to the boats!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Charges are ready to blow! MOVE!!!"


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Miller! You're with me!"


 * Japanese Soldier: Tennōheika banzai! (May the Emperor live for 10,000 years!


 * Sgt Sullivan: "SHIT!"

''A Japanese soldier with a katana, goes to Miller. Then Sgt. Sullivan comes out and shoots the Japanese soldier''


 * Cpl Roebuck: "They're all around!"

Sgt. Sullivan grabs Miller on to the boat.


 * Sgt Sullivan: "I got you!"


 * Sgt Sullivan: "OK... We're leaving! Everyone keep down."


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Come on. Come on!"


 * Cpl Roebuck: "You're gonna be okay, just hang in there."


 * Sgt Sullivan: "Where's the fireworks?"


 * Cpl Roebuck: "Tell me those charges weren't duds..."


 * Sgt Sullivan: "They better not be..."

The Marines escape, the ammo bunker explodes

Gameplay Tips

 * When the player is saved by Roebuck, he is handed a Nambu pistol. As fighting through the whole level until you find an alternate gun will not be a walk through the park, it is recommended to pick up a Type 100 and/or an M1 Garand from the crate outside the tent.


 * Try to find an Arisaka with a bayonet, as you will be in CQC a lot, and the bayonet gives you extra melee distance, also, the Arisaka is a good gun to use as it trains your eye for bolt-action usage in multiplayer


 * If this is your first go, beware of banzai charges, if they knock you down, you will have to melee them before they bayonet you


 * When the flaming banzai charges at Private Ryan, kill the banzai, and you will net yourself the achievement (Xbox 360) or the trophy (PS3) 'Saved Private Ryan'. The achievement is worth 10 gamer points for the Xbox 360.Even if he is saved he can be killed after that.


 * There is a hidden scoped Arisaka in this level. It is in the building you go by when you first see the MG. It is on a crate near the wall.
 * There is also a scoped Arisaka in a destroyed hut on the beach, near the second squad. After Sullivan says the second squad was spotted, stick to the right until you get to the beach. The hut should be around there.


 * After heading onto the beach with the first MG turn left and there will be a tiny cut scene where a marine (Pvt. Luyties) is executed, in the room where he is executed there will be two M1 Garand rifles and four Thompson sub-machine guns.


 * When you come across a group of Japanese soldiers (pretending to be dead) go to the little shack on the left, and shoot them from there.

Trivia

 * Millers reconnaissance squad who are tortured and killed could be based on ten marines who were captured during the early raid on Makin and beheaded.
 * If you look at the dead marine on the left during the opening sequence you can see his name (Pvt. Henderson) indicating he should still be alive. Despite that when your helped up his name tag disappears meaning he died.
 * If you run into the first machine gun hut before the remaining enemies are eliminated and stand beside the active machine gunner, he will not notice you and continue firing. If you then wait for your Marines to proceed further up the river, the gunner will run all the way back to the starting section of the mission, oblivious to you chasing him (unless you venture too close).
 * On the PC version, instead of the above, the gunner will simply keep shooting if you stand near, but not right beside him even though there's nothing out there anymore. After a few seconds, he will stop shooting but continue looking out the hut window. After a few more seconds, he will simply die as though somebody shot him in the head.
 * In the opening sequence, after the Japanese soldier has been stabbed in the back, Roebuck will help you up. If you look closely at his grenades they will sink straight through his arm when he bends over.
 * Occasionally towards the end of the level you will see a Pvt. Hacker.
 * This level partially inspired the new zombie map "Shi No Numa" (zombie swamp) where you fight Imperial Zombies in a swamp-like area with traps just like this level.
 * If you shoot the "fake death" soldier that is supposed to kill Rooker, he doesn't die until after he kills Rooker.
 * Sometimes, after Rooker is stabbed by the "fake death" soldier, his body moves slightly, making it look as if the sword was stabbed into the ground beside Rooker.
 * The title of this mission, Semper Fi, is short for 'Semper Fidelis', which means 'Always Faithful' or 'Always with Faith'. This is the motto of the United States Marine Corps, and it is often shortened to 'Semper Fi'. Pvt. Pyle & Miller remain faithful by not giving into the demands of the Japanese interrogator.
 * The achievement 'Saved Private Ryan' is obviously a direct reference to the title of the famous war film, 'Saving Private Ryan'. To earn the achievement/trophy the player must rescue the private from a flaming banzai. Even saved he can be killed after that.
 * Ironically the playable characters last name is Miller and you can save a Private Ryan. In the war film Saving Private Ryan the main character's name is John H. Miller and he must save a Private Ryan like in the game only Saving Private Ryan and Call of Duty: World At War take place at different times in the war and they fight different Axis powers.
 * You get the achievement 'Carlson's Raiders' when you complete this mission on any difficulty, and is a reference to Miller's battalion, the 2nd battalion The Carlson's Raiders and you get an achievement when you complete this level on Veteran difficulty
 * The moment where the English-speaking Japanese soldier slits the player's fellow Marines throat is voted above the part of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare where the player shoots off Imran Zakhaev's arm, in terms of sheer brutality.
 * If you look closely at Pyle once he and the Japanese officers are dead, you can see the slash mark on his neck, and you can see that his eyes are fine, and that there is no trace of any burn from the cigarette.
 * When Cpl. Roebuck first rescues you, you can see that he runs straight past the Japanese soldier that you were face-to-face with a couple seconds ago and the Japanese soldier does nothing.
 * This level gives a great view of how the fighting in the Pacific happened on land, booby traps, and many Banzai charges. The booby traps are similar to what the U.S. Army in Vietnam encountered.
 * When the player is being dragged to the boat you can notice Marines still on the island shooting even when the bomb explodes.
 * When you are in co-op, if one of you are in last stand when you are escaping the island, sometimes they will stay behind when the other player is getting on the boat and will still stay alive even when the bombs explodes. Also, Japanese soldiers would fall down automatically.
 * This is the only single player mission where a Japanese NPC speaks English; "You think because you say nothing... You are strong?"
 * Sometimes after you are slashed by the Japanese soldier Sgt. Sullivan will shoot the soldier one handed with his sidearm, the M1911 pistol.
 * The name of the character of Private Pyle is likely to be a reference to Gomer Pyle of either Full Metal Jacket or Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. fame.




 * When Sullivan tells to people to "Take the left" you can go left and you will see a Marine fighting a soldier in a puddle. Normally, if you took the right flank he will die, but if you take the left flank, you can save him. His name is Cpl. Rivera.


 * There was a real raid on Makin 1942 but it was with 219 Marines not the platoon sized element like in the game. In the real raid, nine Marines were unintentionally left behind and were later interrogated and then beheaded on another island. The eight people that are killed/rescued in the game could be based off these nine Marines.


 * In this level and Burn em' out, when you have a bayonet and you stab a Japanese Soldier, they will not bleed at all.


 * If you take your time getting to the boats at the end of the level, the bomb that goes off kills the marines that are normally fighting on the island after you leave with the rest of your squad.


 * K. Pyle's execution is significantly less gory on the Wii version.


 * When Cpl. Lozano comes out of the Hut killing the officer there is absolutely no explanation for how he got in there in the first place, as there aren't any other doors on the other side. It's also strange how he got so far ahead of the rest of the Marines. Relating back to the 9 Marines left behind, he could be the 9th Marine.
 * Another possible explanation is that he was being interrogated by that officer and the officer turned away after hearing gunshots and Lozano was able to shoot him but also he has no marks and has his B.A.R. which would probably be where Luyties is executed so it might not be that reason.


 * If you go in the hut Cpl. Lozano just came out of, there is a Thompson on a crate on the opposite side of the hut. Go past the table with the Arisaka and it should be to your left a little.


 * According to several sound files of the mission, there was supposed to be another POW who would have been rescued with Miller.


 * It is the only level that the player gets put in Last Stand.
 * When you reach the stairs of the hut Cpl. Lozano came out of you will see a little round hut by the stairs. Go around to the front and if your fast enough you will see a marine in the hut tied up with two Japanese soldiers standing over him. He is executed with a shot to the head and is impossible to save him as the Japanese soldiers won't die until the marine is dead. This could have been the other POW who might have been rescued alongside Miller. In this hut there are also some M1 Garands and Thompsons.


 * The sniper, Pvt. Denny, is impossible to kill. Unless Cpl. Rivera and Cpl. Lozano live at the MG nest.


 * This is the only level in the Marines Campaign where you do not encounter Banzai Chargers in actual battle.
 * When you meet up with the reinforcements, there is a person Named Sgt. Pepper, a direct reference to the beatles, Sergeant pepper and the lonely hearts club band.
 * Sometimes, even if you save Pvt. Ryan, Roebuck will still say, "Dammit! We're too late!"
 * In the end when Sullivan tells you to fall, it looks as if he gives that order to a a japanese soldiers instead.They keep attacking and falling back all at the same time.
 * When the level first starts, Sullivan puts a helmet on you, which would make you the only marine in the entire level wearing one. It is possible the helmet animation was for dramatic effect, or the raiders originally were intended to be helmeted.
 * This is the only level set in the early war (August 7, 1942).


 * When on the boat at the end of the level, if you look back you'll see a Pvt. Guzzo. This could be the same Pvt. Guzzo from Call of Duty 3.