In addition, 546 civilians who died in UN prisoner-of-war camps were turned over to the South Korean government. It was a review of the book in Sea Power magazine by Jack Hessman of Rockville that led to the formation of this veterans' group, the Chosin Few, meeting for the first time this year. [243], By the end of the withdrawal, the Chinese troops had advanced and retook almost all of North Korean territories. Gen. Douglas MacArthur was telling the men they'd be home by Christmas, for it seemed the Chinese weren't planning to get into the fight to any serious degree. [244][245][246], The Battle of Chosin Reservoir is regarded by some historians as the most brutal in modern warfare by violence, casualty rate, weather conditions, and endurance. Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History (espaol). Tall and lean and quiet, Owen is an advertising executive in Skaneateles, N.Y. His right hand is gnarled. He was shot in the left shoulder and right arm, possibly with a captured Thompson submachine gun. [138] Out of the original 2,500 soldiers, about 1,050 managed to reach Hagaru-ri, and only 385 survivors were deemed able-bodied. [69], On the night of 27 November, the PVA 20th and 27th Corps of the 9th Army launched multiple attacks and ambushes along the road between the Chosin Reservoir and Kot'o-ri. [187][188] The bridge, consisting of eight separate 18ft (5.5m) long, 2,900lb (1,300kg) sections, was dropped one section at a time, using a 48ft (15m) parachute on each section. He was covered in blood. The Chosin Reservoir battle has become one of the most storied exploits of grit and sacrifice in Marine Corps history. The U.N. army fought its way north almost to the Yalu River at the Chinese frontier. Then, late in November, the 8th Army, approaching the border, was hit hard and pushed back in what some called a rout. [133] As the front of RCT-31 made its way forward, heavy small arms fire caused many members of the rear guard to seek shelter below the road instead of protecting the trucks. LtCol Ray Davis, the battalion [1], Eventually, all 12 Chinese divisions of the 9th Army were deployed, although the 78th and the 88th Divisions of the PVA 26th Corps did not make contact with UN forces during the course of the battle. "At Chosin, the individual surpassed even his own capabilities," said Gen. Alpha L. Bowser, who flew from San Diego to speak at the reunion. [14] On 19 October 1950, large formations of Chinese troops, dubbed the People's Volunteer Army (PVA), secretly crossed the border and into North Korea. [88] To start the breakout, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines (3/7) had to first attack south and capture Hills 1542 and 1419 in order to cover the road from Chinese attacks. . In this gallery, we share their portraits and personal stories. The other battalions in the perimeter had . Then it seemed like the whole Chinese army opened up you could hear them whizzing byand there was no hole." The 1st Marine Division lost 4,385 men to combat and 7,338 to the cold. [126] Again, the 57th Battalion's AA guns held the Chinese at bay,[127] but supplies of shells were desperately low. I've got a few competitors out there with the same idea." 75% casualties had been suffered by three US Army battalions East of the Reservoir in five days of attacks. Since I was in the dark, I sang songs to make sure they knew I was an American." Only then did he realize he had been fighting in the snow for five hours in his bare feet. [159] Despite suffering 162 dead and missing and 159 wounded, the task force managed to bring in 300 badly needed infantrymen for the defense at Hagaru-ri. [216] After Operation Glory, 416 Korean War "unknowns" were buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (the "Punchbowl Cemetery" in Honolulu, Hawaii). Picture an insanely twisted road making a Y, the stem 56 miles long and the branches beginning at a hamlet called Hagaru-ri. var googletag = googletag || {}; [179][181] But with most of the 20th Corps destroyed at Yudam-ni and Hagaru-ri, the only forces between Kot'o-ri and Hungnam were the remnants of the 58th and 60th Divisions. I had no idea." [27] Undetected by UN intelligence,[28] it entered the Chosin Reservoir area on 17 November, with the 20th Corps of the 9th Army relieving the 42nd Corps near Yudami-ni. You think about things. He came into the room and he said to the other girl, Whats the matter with her? because I was typing and crying. [52] Those units would later take the brunt of the Chinese assaults. The Marines tried to hold the road, their lifeline, by commanding the high points on either side of it; the Chinese tried to block the road and engulf the trapped column, creeping along at 3 miles an hour when it could move at all. "My people were sloshing around in their goddam mukluks but it was felt there'd be no trouble once we got past Toktong Pass. With the reinforcement by XCorps, and with the absence of nearly 40% of total Chinese strength, the Eighth Army was able to hold the south." He said, 'get in.' We owed more than we could say to the Army, Navy and Air Force fliers. Phone: (703) 418-6800 or (800) 445-8667 Location: 2399 Richmond Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202 Reservation by Phone Please call the number above and reference "The Chosin Few." Reservation Online Hotel Reservation Form Group Name: Chosin Few Reunion Dates: September 7 - 11, 2022 Price: $129/person, including breakfast (+14.25% sales tax) See, This number is the total number of replacements requested by the 9th Army to reconstitute itself, which includes units that were not involved the fighting. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). In the end, one can only compare Chosin with itself. Chosin Few is a national organization for the surviving troops who served in the Battle of Chosin (Chang-Jin) Reservoir during the Korean War, in November and December 1950. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas L. Ridge, commander of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (3/1), predicted the Chinese attack would come on the night of 28 November. [5] The airfield was opened to traffic on 1 December, allowing UN forces to bring in reinforcements and to evacuate the dead and wounded. They were all, as far as I'm concerned, class-A guys." [5][182] The PVA 180th Regiment that occupied Hill 1081 (401359N 1271934E / 40.233N 127.326E / 40.233; 127.326) blew up the original concrete bridge and two improvised replacements in succession, believing the bridge was rendered irreparable. Battle of Chosin Reservoir Order of Battle is a list of the significant units that fought in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir between November 27, 1950 and December 13, 1950. [144] When the fighting stopped, the Chinese had only gained the East Hill (402313N 1271532E / 40.387N 127.259E / 40.387; 127.259) on the northern perimeter. They found themselves freezing and surrounded at the Chosin Reservoir. Edward Phillips of Woodbury, Conn. [131] Left with no choice, the covering aircraft dropped napalm right in front of RCT-31, inflicting casualties on both American and Chinese troops. And didn't know it. [143] Almost everyone, including rear support units with little combat training, was pressed into service on the front line due to the manpower shortage,[144] and the entire perimeter was on full alert by 21:30. So I gave them everything I had. We fell down in the snow and guys went to sleep and had to be kicked to keep them awake. googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; They came from everywhere: California, Alabama, Wyoming, and Texas, to name a few. The UN forces were nevertheless able to break out of the encirclement and to make a fighting withdrawal to the port of Hungnam, inflicting heavy casualties on the Chinese. On a famous night march back from Yudam-ni his unit fought all day, helped take Turkey Hill, was forced off the road and into the rugged hills where snow lay waist-deep, slogged through a blizzard so close to the enemy they could hear Chinese chatter. [26] Under Mao's urgent orders, the 9th Army was rushed into North Korea on 10 November. I took some beautiful pictures of that and used them as Christmas cards. With nine Chinese divisions now looming on all sides, headquarters authorized General Smith to abandon his equipment and just get out of there. Each of its three corps had four divisions instead of the regular three; thus it had 12 divisions, with 10,000 men per division. I've been cold ever since. Linus Chism, Marines, "We were at the Imjin River. At Hagaru-ri, the 1st Marine Division command headquarters was targeted by the PVA 58th Division. [242] With the absence of 12 out of 30 of Chinese divisions in Korea in early 1951, Roe says that the heavy Chinese losses at Chosin enabled the UN forces to maintain a foothold in Korea. [197] Some skirmishes broke out between the defending US 7th, 17th and 65th Infantry and the pursuing PVA 27th Corps,[198] but against the strong naval gun fire support provided by US Navy Task Force 90, the badly mauled 9th Army was in no shape to approach the Hungnam perimeter. Col. Robert Taplett of Arlington, commanding the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines, was stationed in reserve behind the road junction, a couple of miles back from the first shooting. The survivors of the Chosin Reservoir, known as the Chosin Few, reunited in Norfolk, Virginia, Sept. 7. [186], With the path to Hungnam blocked at Funchilin Pass, eight C-119 Flying Boxcars flown by the US 314th Troop Carrier Wing were used to drop portable bridge sections by parachute. We were always outnumbered, often surrounded. [34], The battle was fought over some of the roughest terrain during some of the harshest winter weather conditions of the Korean War. [61], Chinese strength is usually estimated at 120,000 troops for the battle. the ice of the reservoir. and they'd get up and get hit. By the time the men got into the east coast port of Hungnam, the Navy had been able to evacuate 105,000 troops and 91,000 Korean refugees. [19] By 24 November, the 1st Marine Division occupied both Sinhung-ni [f] (403325N 1271612E / 40.557N 127.27E / 40.557; 127.27) on the eastern side of the reservoir and Yudami-ni (402848N 1270643E / 40.48N 127.112E / 40.48; 127.112) on the west side. Where a corpsman, hunched over a wounded soldier, would dip his bare fingers momentarily in the blood to warm them. [132] The resulting firestorm wiped out the blocking Chinese company,[131] allowing the convoy to advance. [150][151] A task force was formed with 921 troops from 41 (Royal Marine) Commando, G Company of the 1st Marines and B Company of the 31st Infantry. [16] On 25 October, the advancing ROK I Corps made contact with the Chinese and halted at Funchilin Pass (401214N 1271800E / 40.204N 127.3E / 40.204; 127.3), south of the Chosin Reservoir. [168][169] Much to the frustration of Song Shilun, the 26th Corps did not arrive before the Marines broke out of Yudam-ni. "A man had a desire to prove to himself and his buddies that he could do this. [118] By midnight, six[125] Chinese regiments renewed their attacks, and Zhan Danan, the commander of the 80th Division, ordered the complete destruction of RCT-31 before dawn. Beautiful. [90], On the morning of 1 December, 3/7 Marines engaged the PVA 175th Regiment of the 59th Division at Hills 1542 (402606N 1270625E / 40.435N 127.107E / 40.435; 127.107) and 1419 (402541N 1270806E / 40.428N 127.135E / 40.428; 127.135). Their stories give a small insight of what they went through. [19], Chosin Reservoir is a man-made lake located in the northeast of the Korean peninsula. The map said the hill was occupied by a company of the 7th Marines. [1] The UN forces at Chosin were also supported by one of the greatest concentrations of air power during the Korean War,[54] since the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing stationed at Yonpo Airfield and five aircraft carriers from the US Navy's Task Force 77 were able to launch 230 sorties daily to provide close air support during the battle,[54] while the US Air Force Far East Combat Cargo Command in Japan reached the capacity of airdropping 250 tons of supplies per day to resupply the trapped UN forces. They like to watch films they see about the Chosin. Probably 12- to 15,000 men. First, according to historian Shu Guang Zhang, PVA commanders were persuaded by their victories at Chosin and Ch'ongch'on that they could "defeat American armed forces", and this led to "unrealistic expectations that the CPV [PVA] would work miracles. [84] At the same time, the US Eighth Army on the Korean western front was forced into full retreat at the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River, and MacArthur ordered Almond to withdraw the US XCorps to the port of Hungnam. I just couldn't take it. [128], The breakout began as soon as the weather allowed the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing to provide air cover on 1 December. Medical supplies froze; morphine syrettes had to be defrosted in a medic's mouth before they could be injected; blood plasma was frozen and useless on the battlefield. Half hour later he called and said he was wrong, and that's when I started redisposing my companies across the junction.". The Marine X Corps, coming up on its right flank, was supposed to cut left along the Yalu and hook up with the 8th. Batteries used for the Jeeps and radios did not function properly in the temperature and quickly ran down. [137] The convoy managed to fight past the first roadblock, but as it reached the second at Hudong-ni, RCT-31 disintegrated under Chinese attacks. The last UN unit left at 14:36 on 24 December, and the port was destroyed to deny its use to the Chinese. In disgust, Lieutenant Colonel Don C. Faith, Jr., the commander of the 1/32nd Infantry, threw his medal into the snow. Chosin Reservoir was the first battle where the Marines employed helicopters and jet aircraft. When the head of the column entered Chinhung-ni, the rear units were still fighting in Koto-ri. [248][249], American veterans of the battle are colloquially referred to as the "Chosin Few" and symbolized by the "Star of Koto-ri".[249]. Similarly, RCT-31 was isolated and ambushed at Sinhung-ni by the PVA 80th and 81st Divisions. [44], The flaw in the Chinese plan was a lack of accurate intelligence about the UN forces. The US 3rd Infantry Division would also protect the left flank, while providing security in the rear area. I've got my greens and ribbons on. [141], The original Chinese plan called for the 58th Division to attack Hagaru-ri on the night of 27 November, but the division became lost in the countryside due to the outdated Japanese maps it used. There were so many hills that most of them just had numbers. Commanding General Smith was credited for saving the US XCorps from destruction,[206] while the 1st Marine Division, 41 (Royal Marine) Commando and RCT-31 were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for their tenacity during the battle. [82], After the heavy losses suffered by the PVA 79th Division at Yudam-ni, 9th Army headquarters realized that the bulk of the 1st Marine Division was stationed at Yudam-ni, with a garrison strength double the initial estimate. "Joe" Harrison Ager, Army. The Chinese have remained vague on their losses in the battle, but their own records and UNC estimates put the Ninth Army Group's casualties in the range of 40,000 to 80,000, when one counts combat deaths and wounded plus deaths and incapacity from the cold. The remains of 4,167 US soldiers were exchanged for 13,528 North Korean and Chinese dead. The battle raged on through the night, with the CCF finally withdrawing at dawn for fear of American air attacks. You had some feeling about it. John Schoenfeld, Marines, "This captain, I cant remember his name, but he was from Louisiana He was telling us that General Almond did not want any colored troops because in World War II he had colored troops and they werent reliable they didnt know how to fight so we would not be a fighting unit, we were going to become truck drivers." [13], At the same time the People's Republic of China entered the conflict after issuing several warnings to the United Nations. They were elated. Only 385 able bodied survivors eventually reached Hagaru across the ice, to be re . [78], While the battle was underway at Yudam-ni, the PVA 59th Division blocked the road between Yudam-ni and Hagaru-ri by attacking the defending Charlie and Fox Companies of the 7th Marines. My job as a Navy chaplain was taking care of the wounded. He'd drive the distance of this room before the convoy hit another roadblock. [108], Believing that the defenders had been completely destroyed at the inlet, the Chinese stopped their attacks and proceeded to loot the American positions for food and clothing. [94] As night approached, 1/7 finally captured the peak and started to march through the hills on the east side of the road. He looks around. About 1,400 of the roughly 30,000 who survived the battle remain, and of those 160 are expected in San Diego this week. [148] The defending Americans managed to destroy the Chinese forces in counterattacks, while a breakdown of communications between the Chinese regiments allowed the gaps to close. Some scholars even go back to Xenophon's in 400 B.C. [41] The mutual distrust between the commanders caused Smith to slow the 1st Marine Division's advance towards the Chosin Reservoir in violation of Almond's instructions. Between November 27 and December 13, 1950, 30,000 United Nations troops were encircled and attacked by approximately 120,000 Chinese troops. . Men wore skivvies, long johns, dungarees, foul weather pants, parkas, carried packs and sleeping bags. [171] At the same time, the much-delayed PVA 26th Corps arrived at Hagaru-ri with its 76th and 77th Divisions to relieve the 58th and 60th Divisions. [79] The successful assault forced Charlie Company to retreat into Yudam-ni, which left Fox Company, commanded by Captain William E. Barber, isolated on a hill overlooking the Toktong Pass, a vital pass that controlled the road. Of those eight divisions, two were forced to disband. [111], On the night of 28 November, the PVA 80th Division attacked again with four regiments. [154][155] The task force's harrowing experience later earned the road the nickname "Hell Fire Valley". or 'Where have you been?' But as soon as the Marines pulled out, the 77th Division returned to the peaks and attacked the column. It called for the US 1st Marine Division to advance west through Yudami-ni, while the US 7th Infantry Division would provide a regimental combat team to protect the right flank at Sinhung-ni. Theres no comparison between the two where physical hardship is concerned. I was never so scared. She was still standing there and I thought, well, I can get along without the C-rations for one day. Almond ordered Colonel Allan D. Maclean, the commander of RCT-31, to resume the offensive north, while presenting Silver Stars to three of Maclean's officers. [85] Acting on Almond and Smith's instructions, Lieutenant Colonel Raymond L. Murray and Colonel Homer L. Litzenberg, commanders of the 5th and 7th Marines, respectively, issued a joint order to break out from Yudam-ni to Hagaru-ri on 30 November. [15] One of the first Chinese units to reach the Chosin Reservoir area was the PVA 42nd Corps, which was tasked with stopping the eastern UN advances. A career line officer, he resigned from the Corps rather than take a desk job. Every man in my company was wounded. Later they were hounded out of the Marines, Hammel says. Military Life Marines of the 5th and 7th regiments who hurled back a surprise onslaught by three Chinese communist divisions wait to withdraw from the Chosin Reservoir area circa December 1950.. Of the 239 Korean War unaccounted for, 186 are not associated with the Punchbowl Cemetery unknowns. At a hydroelectric plant above Chinhung-ni, the Chinese had destroyed the road over the spillway, but Smith had foreseen this and had ordered a portable Treadway bridge airdropped in sections. [192], One of the last engagements during the withdrawal was an ambush at Sudong (401012N 1271926E / 40.17N 127.324E / 40.17; 127.324) by the pursuing PVA 89th Division,[191] which Task Force Dog of the 3rd Infantry Division repulsed with little difficulty. [1] The UN forces had a combined strength of about 30,000 men during the course of the battle. "Here they are in a foreign place terrified. What many people might have considered being the darkest two weeks in Marine Corps history may have, in fact, become the Marine Corps' defining moment. A few junior officers slipped aboard planes taking out wounded. Sargent Philip Hahn was awarded a purple heart after he and three others were hit with a mortar filled with white phosphorous. For the 2021 film, see. But there never was another action quite like Chosin, in which 15,000 Americans, mostly Marines, were surrounded by 120,000 Chinese at the climax of the Korean War and fought their way out over 78 miles of a one-lane dirt road writhing giddily between chasms and 2,500-foot cliffs, in blizzards and 30-below cold. [134] Slowly, the convoy approached a roadblock under Hill 1221 in the late afternoon. He refused and continued his deliberate withdrawal, packing with snow the 12-foot holes blown in the road by the Chinese. The corpsman was a smart one he said, 'wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,' and look at me I can do it now!" Chosin was the place where the 1st Battalion 7th Marines, straggling into Hagaru-ri exhausted, ragged and half-starved after a week of last-ditch fighting, paused outside the town, dressed ranks, snapped their shoulders back and came swinging in as though on parade. American military leaders were caught off guard at the Chosin Reservoir. [13] The US Eighth Army advanced north through the western coast of the Korean Peninsula, while the Republic of Korea (ROK) I Corps and the US XCorps advanced north on the eastern coast. The Chosin Few is named after the Chosin Reservoir Battle where the fiercest fighting took place against the enemies of Chinese troops (around 120,000 Red Army). And then the last time he lets out the most bloodcurdling scream I've ever heard. "Once you're in combat you get that feeling. John Beasley, Marines, "They said there was a dead marine in this hole and they wanted me to go down there and take his placeSo I jumped up, started running my zig-zag path to get where he told me to go. [201] One Victory ship, the SSMeredith Victory, evacuated 14,000 refugees by herself, despite being designed to carry only 12 passengers. [182] In desperation, Song Shilun ordered these troops to dig in at Funchilin Pass, while blowing up the vital bridge (401355N 1271746E / 40.232N 127.296E / 40.232; 127.296), hoping the terrain and obstacles would allow the 26th and 27th Corps to catch up with the retreating UN forces. That was the hardest part of the whole war, that one night." I gave them all I had." But behind the myth of the games creation is an untold tale of theft, obsession and corporate double-dealing. They pulled us out and put us in defensive positions and my goddam troops' feet just froze up. The plan was to have 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines (3/5) as the vanguard of the convoy, with three battalions covering the rear. Medical supplies froze up. Guns refused to work in the cold. The men (and some women) were photographed and interviewed at a reunion of The Chosin Few in San Diego in August 2016. Finally, the PVA 60th Division surrounded elements of the 1st Marines at Kot'o-ri from the north. The proper Korean name is Changjin. Wonsan, from the viewpoint of Marine Aviation, was looking like a bypassed Japanese base from WW Il. So I walked away. "If a person had half their face shot away or a sucking chest wound, you knew he was going to die. I started crying I couldnt stop. [113][114][i] In the aftermath, the PVA 238th and the 239th Regiment together had fewer than 600 soldiers. [158] Although the lead segment fought its way into Hagaru-ri on the night of 29 November, the rear segment was destroyed. The retreat of the US Eighth Army from northwest Korea in the aftermath of the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River and the evacuation of the XCorps from the port of Hungnam in northeast Korea marked the complete withdrawal of UN troops from North Korea. Everything else was tents, but they had a metal building for the beer to keep it safe." [152][153] It was dubbed "Task Force Drysdale" after its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Douglas B. Drysdale, who also commanded 41 Commando. You had to keep the cans close to your skin or you'd be gnawing on sherbet. Took it right off the rolls. [98] Although strong air cover suppressed most of the Chinese forces for the rest of the march, the cold weather, harassing fire, raiding parties, and roadblocks slowed the retreat to a crawl, while inflicting numerous casualties. } The wind howled. [44] The 9th Army initially committed eight[45] divisions for the battle,[46] with most of the forces concentrated at Yudami-ni and Sinhung-ni. [119] Only the 31st Tank Company tried to rescue RCT-31, by attacking Hill 1221 from Hudong-ni,[120] but without infantry support, the two armored attacks on 28 and 29 November were stalled by slippery roads, rough terrain, and close infantry assaults. Machine gun bullets slammed into Cafferata's right arm. He sat up, made a sling from his web belt and crawled to an aid tent. The driver never said, 'What's happened to you?' He runs and then he stops. He hadn't heard anything yet, but he sensed something was wrong. Fourteen miles up the west branch is Yudam-ni, but between there and Hagaru-ri the road snakes past a place called Turkey Hill (because hundreds of turkey carcasses were left scattered about at Thanksgiving) and another called Fox Hill and a winding, narrow defile called Toktong Pass. On the first night of the retreat, the Chinese struck the convoy in force and inflicted heavy casualties on 3/5 Marines. Likewise, the springs on the firing pins would not strike hard enough to fire the round, or would jam. [n] Yu Bin, a historian and a former member of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, states that while the destruction of Task Force Faith[o] was viewed as the single greatest Chinese victory of the war, ultimately the PVA 9th Army had become "a giant hospital" while failing to destroy the numerically inferior UN forces at Chosin as planned. I lost 120 percent of my corpsmen. And then I started feeling guilty that I never told anybody. The Marines attacked in the daytime, when they had their air support. [30] The battle's main focus was around the 78-mile-long (126km) road that connects Hungnam and Chosin Reservoir,[31] which served as the only retreat route for the UN forces. [24] By then the XCorps was stretched thin along a 400-mile front. He'd jump out of the jeep, grab his rifle, grab his medical kit, and take off with the marines there, fighting the Chinese to get through the roadblock. Some survivors of the unit reached the Marine lines at Hagaru-ri on December 2. "I felt things just didn't sit right," he recalled at the reunion in a Crystal City hotel. Accounted-For: This report includes the U.S. personnel who have been accounted for (including POW returnees and POW escapees) and all personnel whose remains have been recovered and identified since the end of the war. Meanwhile, on the other side of the reservoir and still on 1 December, the 5th Marines and 7th Marines began their breakout from Yudam-ni. ', "I said, 'Ray, I don't think they're there. You never forget some of that stuff. We went up this draw, partway up this hill. The Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, in Chosin, also called Changjin, happened early in the Korean War, part of the Chinese Second Offensive from November to December 1950 to drive the United. [152] On the afternoon of 29 November, Task Force Drysdale pushed north from Koto-ri, while under constant attack from the PVA 60th Division. It was cold." His fire-team leader, hit on the helmet by a bursting grenade, shook his head and kept fighting. It took us eight days to go 16 miles.'' More than 250 veterans of that fight held a reunion here this week, 34 years later -- retired generals with their trim bodies and clear young faces, meaty ex-sergeants, distinguished white-haired men in pinstripes and puffy-faced guys in T-shirts, gray men, past the hump of life, knowing and quiet and a little weary, some of them with hands that didn't work or legs that wanted to stay behind when they walked -- and they looked inquiringly into each other's faces and offered their names and handshakes as though searching for someone. He felt his own chances were no good, but somehow he felt the whole thing would survive whether he did or not. [222] The official Chinese history, published by PLA Academy of Military Science, states that despite the heavy casualties, the PVA 9th Army had earned its victory by successfully protecting the eastern flank of Chinese forces in Korea, while inflicting over 10,000 casualties to the UN forces. We thought we were okay when we got to Hagaru-ri, but then we saw the planes strafing on the other side of town. I had to stay in the goddam tent because it was the only communications I had. I thought, this war is going to be so short this is going to be really a great experience, this is what I was looking for some adventure and some travel. But I don't watch too many of them. [92] The Chinese struck at night, and the ferocity of the fighting forced the rear covering forces to call in night fighters to suppress the attacks. The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Changjin Lake Campaign (Korean language: Chinese: ; pinyin: Chng Jn H Zhny ), [lower-alpha 4] was a decisive battle in the Korean War. The concentration of the division north of Hungnam, in its march to . I called the regimental commander, Ray Murray. I was his Sargent."