Looking back to Chosin on the 72nd anniversary of the battle
As we settle into our holiday weekend, take a moment to remember the men who took on the North Korean and Chinese armies 72 years ago at the Chosin Reservoir. The battle, which lasted about three weeks, saw heavy Allied casualties as the Chinese entered the conflict, pushing back on the UN forces, and retaking hard won ground. About 13,000 mostly American casualties were incurred from a force of about 30,000 men. The men of the battle earned their first nickname, The Chosin Few, from their heavy casualties.
While battling the enemy, the men also battled a bitter cold front that blew in from Siberia. Temperatures went as low as -36F. At that temperature, hypothermia can set in in a matter of minutes. It’s no wonder that the men earned a second nickname, The Frozen Chosin.
The UN troops faced off against 120,000 enemy. Despite the Allied side suffering more than 30% casualties (with more than 5,000 men killed or missing in action), they inflicted upwards of 50% casualties on the communists.
Seventeen veterans of the battle were awarded Medals of Honor and 78 received service crosses. This is the second most for any single battle, behind only the equally brutal Battle of The Bulge (20 MoHs and 83 crosses).
Poetrooper sends in this great article as a reminder to us all about the horrors of North Korea that started 72 years ago today.
American Rifleman – The Korean War’s Frozen Chosin
Category: Army, Historical, Korea, Marines, We Remember
Any Ally or American who fought in that battle has my undying respect and admiration. When you think about how bad things could possibly get, there it is. Whole companies of men sacrificed their lives to evacuate the remainder of the force off the reservoir and out through Hungnam.
Poor assessments and decisions by senior leaders made things even harder. I can practically see Don Faith understandably throwing his Silver Star out into the snow.
Yes, General Almond flew in for a brief pep talk and had a pocket full of silver star medals to hand out. He said to Faith, “You’re not afraid of a bunch of Chinese laundrymen, are you?” or words to that effect. After pumping sunshine up everyone’s ass he left. Faith promptly threw his medal into the snowbank.
There is an excellent book, “East of Chosin” by Roy Appleman, Texas A&M University Press, detailing the ordeal of the put-together force originally called Task Force MacLean, and finally Task Force Faith after MacLean went missing.
I was at the ceremony in the Pentagon in June of 1951 at which LTC Faith’s widow and young daughter were presented with his posthumous MoH.
Another excellent account of the Chosin battles is The Frozen Hours, a historical semi-fictional account written by best-selling author of Gods and Generals and a complete series of historical Civil War through Korean War fiction, Jeff Shaara.
The Frozen Hours by Jeff Shaara
(fantasticfiction.com)
Jeff Shaara (fantasticfiction.com)
Ol’ Poe highly recommends all of the books listed on this page.
Oh, and lest we forget, the Marines weren’t the only US forces at Chosin; elements of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division suffered mightily as well.
Thanks for posting this, Mason… 👍 👍 👍
That is true enough, but the Marines were the only ones who held onto their shit and continued to act as professionals. Due to lack of training, discipline and determination, the two regiments of the Army 7th Division that were in the reservoir with the Marines fell apart and got pretty much wiped out. When an attempt to make a provisional battalion of infantry out of the survivors was attempted, they flatly refused to fight. And the 8th Army and its grand skedaddle when they got hit by the Chinese over on the western side of the reservoir is another example of what happens when you don’t take your mission and duties seriously.
May there never be a repeat of that time.
Don’t worry, complacent Democrats will make it happen yet! /sarc
My father’s uncle was part of the Marine detachment (and out to sea) on December 7th 1941. He later made the landings at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, and Peleli as part of the 1st Marines. On 15 Sep 1950 he made the landing at Inchon and later became one of the Chosin few.
In the mid 80s, he had finally retired retired after 25 years in the Sherriffs department following his Marine retirement. He was toying with the idea of seeing some of the world by hopping Space A. My aunt suggested he catch a hop and visit me during my impending Korean assignment (85-86).
He flat said NO as his time at Chosin Reservoir and subsequent winter was ” the coldest he’d ever been in his life” He was willing to visit any of the Pacific battlefields but Korea was out of the question.
I think today I’ll go see “Devotion: at the local multiplex in honor of this 72 anniversary
Marine det USS Enterprise.
Nothing like being out in the cold without shelter, fire, or any source of warmth to make you realize that sweet old Mother Nature is actually a raging bitch who will kill you (after making you suffer, of course) if you give her a chance.
While on lunch break, The Marines had Equipment and an armoured vehicle at Rockefella center plaza around the corner from our office and I was talking to a former WW2 Frozen Chosin Marine who stopped by to see what was going on and he told me about the Chosin march.
Two gents in my Legion, have the backs of their hands blackened from frostbite, at the Chosin. One, has half his face also blackened.
A Most Fitting Post. And most fitting that we do pause from our food coma, in our climate controlled abodes, Pay Honors to these Warriors and give Thanks “…that such men lived.” I raise a glass to them and all of the ones currently in far flung places maintaining that “Eternal Vigilance”.
Thanks for the reminder, Fellas.
Well said, King… 👍