Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The Battle of Chosin Reservoir

The documentary I saw on Netflix years ago mentioned that when the Marines made it to the port for exfiltration, they turned around and held the hills for days against the Chinese. This enabled thousands of Korean civilians to escape. The documentary, made in the 90s, said that these civiians now had almost a hundred thousand descendants. Most of these would not be if it werent for the valor of the Marines, fighting still instead of escaping, so people they did not know could escape death.

What Men are these.

Lest We Forget.

My father was there,wouldn't talk about it. What I know is from relatives.
He kept it together raised family and ran a business, but struggled with PTSD every day of his remaining life.
Found solace in alcohol, died way to young.

I recently read “On Desperate Ground”. Hampton Sides does a great job of telling the story. He obviously researched the story extensively to come up with this book. I could not put it down.

My dad was in Korea and like the others have mentioned here, he has never talked about it much. I was with him in my lawyers office one day doing some estate work and my lawyer asked my dad if he fought in Korea. My dad answered that he had. Then my lawyer asked him for a war story. I suddenly became “all ears” because I knew I was about to hear something good. Daddy responded that he and 2 other guys had been firing a cannon for several days, basically non-stop, and one of them came up with the idea to do a “screaming Mimi”. It’s when a shell primer is somehow stuck on the tip of a projectile and when it’s fired, makes a horrific howling sound for miles across the sky. They did it and got a huge kick out of it. A few minutes after they had done it, a Jeep pulls up with an officer in it and the officer ask the trio “Who did it?” Before any of them could respond the officer said that the shell had landed several miles short of the target in friendly territory. My dad never heard if any friendlies were hurt as a result of their fun, but I could tell it had bothered him for a long time.

My dads 88 now. Not much left of him physically but he’s still a helluva man. I’m gonna miss him when he’s gone.

Mackey

You should pick up a book or two and get some real information. You are very ignorant in regards to MacArthur...and you sound like a fool

A good friend, recently deceased (his memorial scheduled for Aug 1, canceled/moved to remote) was almost there. A couple days before the "advance to the rear" (which it was) was ordered, he froze his feet and was evacuated. Lost several toes each foot, one remaining an open or recurring sore until he died.

He told me once that he always wondered if one more rifle would have made a difference. His unit (Marine - I don't know the size) was assigned a holding action at a choke point, but the bastards came over the ridges too. When there were only 5 of them left, it was "every man for himself" to get back to their own. Three of them made it. He said those 5 racked up a helluva score on their own retreat, much less while they held the position.

My dad was a Korean war vet. 101st Division regular army. He fought the Chinese in another place. Big tough soldiers. He recalled seeing a Chinese pick up a little Korean under each arm and run like a son of a gun before he shot him.

I'll never forget the look on his face when Nixon reviewed the Red Guard. Utterly speechless until he turned to me and said "I fought those son of a bitches"

Quad .50 cal A-A, performed very well in
anti-personnel application in three wars.

Its said the winter boots used by the US in
Korea proved disadvantageous due to water
resistance, thus retaining and accumulating
perspiration which would then freeze.

US troops in the Ardennes 1944, found that
having spare dry socks significantly helped
reduce foot problems due to excess moisture
in a place where the Temps. did drop to as
low as the Eastern Front... US soldiers
would dry their socks by keeping them
inside their helmets.

Some Quad .50s were used in one instance
where A large number of Fallschirmjäger made
a crazy assault and the scene was decribed
as horrific.

The 50 has saved many lives in many wars, and the vets who fought these wars should never feel any shame for what they had to do. Their stories need to be told.

And they did it with a 10 pound rifle.

Viking, If you are talking about the M-1 Check again mine weighed 12#, I wasn't at Chosin, but I carried it for a few hundred miles and know what mine weighed, you for got what a couple of bandoliers of ammo weighed, rifle and ammo standard issue almost 20# .Rio7

Yep, I was. Just a guesstimate. Some sources say 9.5-11.5 ponds.

https://time.com/5724009/douglas-ma...us-generals-hes-also-the-most-overrated/



April of 1951, he was relieved of his command by President Truman. “I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was,” Truman later said. “I fired him because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the president.”

Remember When Truman, Fired Mc Arther, everyone but a very few were pissed at Truman, If you ever get a chance read Truman's book Plain Speaking, very good read. Rio7

viking, Mine was 12# on the money on our Company Postal Scales, I am sure others were a little lighter or heavier, I never noticed the weight as much as the bulk, of the M-1, Mine was a damn good rifle, very accurate, I shot a score of 200 out of 200 on pop ups 25 to 350 meters with mine, loved that rifle. Rio7

Very aware of the battle after serving on the USS Chosin (CG-65) for three years. Used to have some of the survivors tour the ship. I need to check out this film on Netflix, thanks for bring it forward.

Those who portray all Chinese as skinny little guys who can't fight should talk to some GIs who fought them in Korea.

I also recall hearing of an officer in Korea who told his men they would be fighting a "a bunch of Chinese laundry men". Many of the Chinese troops were hardened veterans of a couple of decades of their civil war.

Underestimating your enemy gets people killed.

Paul

Don't think you'll find it on Netflix (I couldn't). But it is on Amazon Prime.

My uncle told me about slaughtering the hell out of the Chinese and they'd keep coming, climbing over bodies.

I can still remember the names of all the Korean vets in my old company

1st Sgt. Williams ( Chosin Vet)

Sgt. Mgr. Gorham. He reminded us we has a MOH winner from the old unit, Whitt Moreland. He witnessed Moreland’s feat in action. One of the most honest men I ever knew.

Gysgt. Moody ( also later made Sgt. Major). My first plt. sgt.

Gunner Stamnitz. This man was a magician with a machine gun!!! I learned a LOT from this man!! He had the stories about seeing the elephant too!!! He was an exceptional mentor and and was always willing to listen to you and give you good counsel in return.

They are all gone now.

Had a WWII teacher with a plate in his skull. He taught history and really knew his stuff. Once in a while he seemed to hang up just a bit and would reach up and touch the side of his head and get going again.

My cousin got to spend that winter in Korea. Only time he ever wrote me was when he got his "Dear John" letter.