Rudy Reyes Talks FORCE BLUE and the Importance of Maritime Conservation
The majority likely know World of Warships for being the action-packed naval arm of Wargaming’s multiplayer game series, but few know it does much outside of the gaming sphere. Last year, it teamed up with the veterans’ charity FORCE BLUE to retell the story of D-Day in Frog Fathers: Lessons From The Normandy Surf, an emotional and powerful documentary film.
Fast-forward to November 2025, when the two released yet another feature, Frog Fathers 2: Last Battle of the Pacific. Moving from the European Theater to the shores of Japan, the documentary explores the bloody and brutal 82-day Battle of Okinawa. Recently, War History Online was able to speak with Rudy Reyes, a retired US Marine and FORCE BLUE co-founder, about the film and the importance of keeping the stories of those who fought in World War II alive.
Battle of Okinawa: The bloodiest engagement of the Pacific Theater
As aforementioned, Frog Fathers 2: Last Battle of the Pacific focuses on the Battle of Okinawa. Waged from April 1 to June 22, 1945, it saw troops with the US Army, Marine Corps and Navy take on enemy soldiers from the 32nd Army (with the 2nd Naval fleet providing off-shore backup), in the hopes of capturing Kadena Air Base. This was to serve as the launching point for what became known as Operation Downfall – the proposed invasion of the Japanese home islands.
What made the fighting on Okinawa different from that which had occurred elsewhere in the Pacific was that the Japanese let the opposing forces move inland, so they could launch devastating attacks from tunnels and caves that they had dug across the island. For weeks, the American forces fought against an enemy they couldn’t see, slowing taking out positions one-by-one.
Off-shore, the Japanese launched kamikaze attacks against Allied ships. While no major American vessel was lost, the Japanese suffered a blow when the battleship Yamato was sunk during an engagement.
In the end, the losses on both sides were catastrophic, leading the Battle of Okinawa to be dubbed the bloodiest to take place in the Pacific Theater. On the American side, about 12,520 were lost, while 110,000 Japanese soldiers died – and that doesn’t take into account the civilian casualties, which ranged between 40,000 and 150,000.
“It’s important for people to get connected to those that paid the ultimate sacrifice in a khaki shirt and a steel helmet, storming those beaches and fighting,” Rudy Reyes says of the fighting that took place on Okinawa. “They had families, they had fears, but you know what? That was put to the side and they gave everything they had, and I never want them to be forgotten.”
FORCE BLUE: Uniting maritime conservation and military veterans
FORCE BLUE was co-founded by retired US Marine Rudy Reyes, marine environmentalist Keith Sahm and writer Jim Ritterhoff. Reyes’ service in the military allowed him to form a unique worldview, especially when it came to ocean conservation, and the trio together believed there needed to be a way for them to use their expertise to protect these vast blue expanses.
“I had to do something about losing a community underwater,” Reyes shares of the emptiness he felt following his retirement. “I needed to do something with my military skills and plug them into this world.”
Their unique skills, particularly those Reyes learned while in the Marine Corps (underwater diving, risk management and mission planning), gave them an idea: to team up with marine scientists, in the name of conservation.
“There’s so many parallels [between us and] these scientists, these true believers who have invested years, decades into expertise,” Reyes explains. “We combat divers and operator warriors, we respect sacrifice, dedication to duty, discipline and skill. These marine biologists and scientists, they’re the Delta Force, the SEAL Team Six of ocean conservation, with that love and respect.
“We see us both as professionals and true believers, and we have become such a magnificent team,” he goes on to say. “We are the assault force for and the cutting edge vanguard of ocean conservation because of the love and the respect we get from the science community. It is rad. It’s never been done.”
As a bonus, FORCE BLUE gives veterans a renewed purpose in life, allowing them to use what they learned in the service to conduct conservation missions considered too dangerous for the average diver. By combining military experience with conservation, the organization is able to not only do what’s best for the world’s oceans, but also help their fellow troops and educate the wider public on the importance of taking care of the environment.
“We’re warriors with the cause,” says Reyes. “And I’ll tell you what, ocean conservation, that cause needs warriors […] It really is one team, one fight.”
Frog Fathers 2: Last Battle of the Pacific
As aforementioned, FORCE BLUE teamed up with World of Warships for Frog Fathers 2: Last Battle of the Pacific. This was a particularly important mission for the organization, as not only did it mark the 80th anniversary of the Second World War, but also allowed them to delve into the legacy of water-based special warfare.
Teaming up with veteran Marines, Green Berets and US Navy SEALs, Rudy Reyes and FORCE BLUE bring viewers on a journey that retraces the steps of their forefathers as they fought for freedom on the sands of Okinawa. However, it doesn’t forget about the conservation aspect of the organization’s mission, with the men working with scientists to restore and repair a coral reef that still shows scars from the fighting that took place in 1945.
“I learned culturally and historically, the Japanese and the Okinawans have completely different visions of the war. I appreciate America even more,” Reyes says about what he learned filming Frog Father 2, adding, “It meant the world to me that I could be back in the place where there was so much bloodshed as a mission of hope and rebuilding.”
More from us: Frogmen: Before Navy SEALs, Underwater Demolition Teams Were Making a Splash on the Battlefield
As for what he’d like people to take from Frog Fathers 2, Reyes says, “I think the most important thing to take away is that many great men before us sacrificed to give us the niceties and the choices and freedoms that we have now. None of this happened magically. There is no such thing as inherent human rights. Human rights and the ability for someone to pursue their dreams, all must be fought for and protected.”
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Rudy Reyes Talks FORCE BLUE and the Importance of Maritime Conservation
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