Posted on 11/24/2004 2:34:57 PM PST by nicko
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving; 54 years ago, on this day, 200 thousand Chinese launched a surprise offensive against allied forces isolated around the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea, amid temperatures that dropped to twenty degrees below zero. For those of you who have ever stood a watch alone on Thanksgiving, far from home, you share an unspoken bond with service men and women abroad. Please say a prayer for all of your brethren, past and present, who served with honor and sacrifice on this holiday.
We will never forget..
We had a family friend who was there. He had 90+ people (non combat personell and the like) that he had to get out by walking. He caried people and had to threaten to shoot some to keep them moving. We must never forget.
jeez, that's "Remembering"
OK- it's the thought that counts.
I sort-of like him because he’s a no-nonsense guy. Strikes you as being a tough old guy, and evidently he was/is. From his “Answer to Critics” link:
As a matter of record, the only group of which I am a member is with the "Chosin Few" which is a group of Korean War veterans comprised of various military factions who fought in one of the more famous battles of that war. I am very proud to have served as a U.S. Marine in this severe winter battle in which approximately 12,000 of our troops faced a massive surprise attack by an estimated 120,000 of the Chinese communist enemy. Although suffering many casualties, the Marines and our British allies inflicted far more damage to the Chinese and were able to ultimately escape (with our dead and injured) from the Chosin Reservoir where we were at a grave disadvantage. Despite being wounded I survived this war because, I believe, the Lord had further plans and a purpose for my life.
I mainly watch his broadcasts toward the end because I enjoy his answering viewer questions. He does a pretty good job controlling himself but you can tell that a lot of stuff irritates the heck out of him.
There aren’t all that many of them still around…
When I was a little kid, my dad told me that the neighbor (an US Army recruiter) had
endured "Frozen Chosin".
Not until the Internet did I start to get the picture of one of the greatest
retreats (as a military action) of all times.
http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/citations_living/kc_mc_murphy.html
link to citation for Jerry Murphy...a Marine that saved many lives at Chosin
And lived to tell the tale.
Some very good books on the Chosin Reservoir:
"The New Breed" by Andrew Geer (Includes the Pusan Perimeter and Inchon landing)
"Breakout" by Martin Russ
"Chosin" by Eric Hammel
My dad was with the 1st Marines at the Frozen Chosin
what a great link! thanks for the painting...I would like to have a copy of that...
my Father was there...he passed away last May...never really returned from there...
I loved President Reagan...best times of my life in the Army was during the 80's
to all military personnel, past and present, salute!
Great picture, thanks much.
a true hero...thanks for the link...very inspiring
I did a piece for Pop, who was there for that campaign...I posted it back in May when he passed away...
Korean War Memorial
it should only be open
when we are weary of winter…
and hopeless with fatigue…
and then too, open only at dusk-
as shadows of the statues sink into the abyss-
to share the dark despair of those desperate souls
cast into such a cold Asian hell-
on the road from Chosin…
where wind driven scythes of
sleet and snow, and Communist Chinese,
barreled screaming
down nameless numbered ridges,
and barren hills,
slicing through the struggling squads of soldiers, Marines…
all trapped-
like the apparitions etched on this granite wall,
forever to wait
for the false warmth of a
bleak sunrise…
Mark E. Harden (Nicko)
A friend of mine was there. And the father of another friend. One a Marine, the other a Chinese from Beijing. It's kind of strange. The Marine has respect for the Chinese soldier in Korea. The Chinese was a volunteer helping out his Korean cousins. Both highly competent and honorable human beings. 20 below, the ubiquitous Marine howitzers firing to all four points of the compass, no transport, facing each other as enemy soldiers, both doing their duty. That's all that can be done.
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