You remember that scene. The one where a scrawny, hollow-eyed soldier crawls out from under a pile of dead bodies, looking like he just rose from the grave. In Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge, he’s the guy they call "Ghoul." He’s haunting. He’s terrifying. Honestly, he’s one of the most memorable parts of the 77th Infantry Division’s ascent up the Maeda Escarpment, even if he doesn't get the same screen time as Desmond Doss. But here’s the thing: while Hollywood dialed up the "creep factor" for the big screen, the ghoul from Hacksaw Ridge wasn't just a cinematic jump-scare. He was a real person named Vito Regino.
Most people watch the movie and assume Ghoul is a fictional composite character added for texture. He isn't. He was a real-life Pfc. from New Jersey who served alongside the legendary conscientious objector Desmond Doss.
The Man Behind the Nickname: Vito Regino
Vito Regino didn't ask to be a horror trope. In the film, played by Goran D. Kleut, Ghoul is depicted as a man who seems almost comfortable among the dead. He has those sunken features and that thousand-yard stare that makes your skin crawl. In reality, the nickname "Ghoul" came from a place of dark military humor rather than genuine malice.
Life on Okinawa was hell. You’ve got to imagine the smell—decaying bodies, stagnant water, and the constant iron scent of blood. Soldiers dealt with trauma in weird ways. For Vito, his naturally gaunt appearance and his ability to survive situations that should have killed him earned him the moniker. It’s the kind of nickname that sticks because it’s both a joke and a mark of respect. If you can survive the "meat grinder" while looking like death itself, you’ve earned your place in the unit.
Fact vs. Fiction: Did He Really Hide Under Bodies?
One of the most intense moments in the movie involves the ghoul from Hacksaw Ridge using a corpse as a shield or hiding amongst the fallen to avoid Japanese patrols.
Was this real? Sorta.
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The Battle of Okinawa was a messy, disorganized nightmare of cave warfare and sudden ambushes. Survivors from the 77th Infantry Division frequently reported that staying still—sometimes for hours—among the carnage was the only way to avoid being bayoneted during a banzai charge or a night raid. While the specific "jump-scare" reveal in the film is a bit of Hollywood flair, the tactical reality of using the environment (which, sadly, included fallen comrades) for survival was a documented part of the Pacific theater.
Vito Regino’s real-life service was characterized by the same grueling endurance we see on screen. He wasn't just a background extra in history. He was there during the brutal climb. He was there when the heavy artillery turned the top of the ridge into a moonscape of coral and flesh.
The Doss Connection
It is easy to get lost in the heroics of Desmond Doss. Saving 75 men single-handedly is a feat that sounds like a tall tale, but it’s 100% verified. The ghoul from Hacksaw Ridge serves as a vital narrative foil to Doss. While Doss represents the "Life" in the midst of death, Regino represents the "Death" that the soldiers had to wear like a second skin.
Doss refused to carry a weapon. Regino, and men like him, were the ones providing the cover fire and the physical grit that allowed the medics to do their jobs. They were two sides of the same coin. You can’t have the miracle on the ridge without the grim reality of the men who were literally digging into the dirt to hold the line.
Why the Character Sticks With Us
Why do we care about a guy nicknamed Ghoul?
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Probably because he represents the psychological toll of the war better than anyone else. Most war movies give us the square-jawed hero or the fast-talking kid from Brooklyn. Ghoul is different. He looks like the war has already eaten him alive.
When you search for the ghoul from Hacksaw Ridge, you’re usually looking for a name. You’re looking to see if he was "real." Knowing that he was Pfc. Vito Regino changes how you watch the movie. It stops being a horror element and starts being a tribute to a man who endured the unendurable. He wasn't a monster. He was a kid from the States who saw things no human should ever see.
The Aftermath of Okinawa
After the war, the real "Ghoul" went back to civilian life. It’s hard to imagine, right? Going from the bloody cliffs of Okinawa back to a quiet life in New Jersey.
Vito Regino lived a long life, passing away in 1989. He didn't spend his life in the shadows. He was a father, a husband, and a member of his community. This is the part Hollywood leaves out. The "Ghoul" wasn't a permanent state of being; it was a mask worn for survival. Once the guns went silent, the man underneath remained.
He didn't talk much about the nickname in his later years, which is pretty common for that generation. The men who saw the most often said the least. They just wanted to forget the smell of the ridge and the sight of the caves.
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How to Research the Men of the 77th
If you're interested in the real history behind the ghoul from Hacksaw Ridge and his fellow soldiers, you shouldn't stop at the movie. Hollywood gets the "vibes" right, but the archives hold the truth.
- Check the 77th Infantry Division Association records: They maintain detailed rosters and after-action reports that provide a day-by-day account of the struggle for the escarpment.
- Read "The Unlikeliest Hero": This is the original biography of Desmond Doss by Booton Herndon. It provides much more context on the specific men in Doss's unit than the film.
- Search the National Archives: You can find the individual deceased personnel files (IDPFs) or morning reports for the 307th Infantry Regiment, which was the specific unit involved.
- Visit the Doss Memorial: Located in various spots across the US, including the Georgia Veterans Memorial Park, these sites often list the names of those who served alongside him.
The best way to honor the memory of soldiers like Vito Regino is to move past the nickname and recognize the humanity behind the "Ghoul." He was a man who stood on a cliff at the end of the world and somehow found his way back home.
To dig deeper into the actual military strategy used on the Maeda Escarpment, look into the "corkscrew and blowtorch" methods developed by the Army to clear the Japanese tunnel systems. It wasn't just bravery; it was a brutal, calculated engineering problem that required every man—including the "Ghoul"—to play their part.
Stop looking at him as a movie character. Start looking at him as a veteran who survived the impossible. That’s the real story of the ghoul from Hacksaw Ridge.