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"She is ever watchful and...
her talons are treacherous"
1st Marine Division - Koto-ri ( 8 December 1950 )
1st Marine Division takes to the road on withdrawal from Koto-ri.
The Chosin Reservoir Battle was, the "fiercest battle in our history". This, I have been told and I have read.
Many of our fighting forces, were just very young 'boy's that became men' before their time. All were brave with two things in mind .."Fight to keep America free" and "Let's get home for Christmas". They kept America free, however they did not get home for Christmas.
When winter set in the weather was very frigid and thousands of Soldiers and Marines that fought at the Chosin Reservoir and from other locations in the Korean War came home ‘limping’. Limping not just from bullet and shrapnel wounds but from ‘frostbite’ another dreaded enemy. Toes, fingers, ears, and other extremities were so frost bitten they turned purple then black. They were literally falling off their bodies…from gangrene and other infections. As they headed down through Koto-Ri on their withdrawal.
Many had died in captivity, from being shot or bayoneted. Others were frostbiten severely and died. Most suffered brutal beating’s, and again many were starved to death. The death toll kept rising from the above mentioned and many other inhumane causes.
These men "went through hell" and those 'Chosin Few' that are still with us today deserve all the honor, and gratitude that we can extend to them. GOD bless all of you...you are in my prayers.
Click on Chosin Few Logo to visit site.
Since I have created these pages, I have met many wonderful people through e-mail contacts that have shared with me their stories. NOT because of vanity or boasting to be better, but rather because I asked them to share for the sake of 'Patriotism and Remembrance'...most were a bit reluctant, but when I explained that it was important for all to be reminded that Korea was "REAL" and is "NOT" the "Forgotten War" any longer .. then and only then did they agree to my requests. I THANK them for sharing their horrid memories and stories.
Bob Hammond in an Army Hospital in Japan, after sustaining wounds in Korea.
THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR
[A SONG/POEM]
BY BOB HAMMOND US ARMY 57TH FA/ 7th DIV
In the hills of North Korea
by a lake of azure blue,
rides a farmer in his ox cart
on the road to Hagaru.
He is singing songs of history
that his father taught to him,
as his eyes survey the scenery
thats no longer gray and grim.
In his mind he hears the cannons,
the recoilless rifle's roar,
and the chatter of the Burp guns
all around the Reservoir.
Mortars crashing, Carbines flashing,
screaming men and boys,
Bugles, flares and Howitzers;
a symphony of noise.
He is thinking of his childhood
when he saw the soldiers come
to this peaceful mountain valley
that had never heard a gun,
And he’s never understood it,
he will always wonder why,
why so many men had come there
from so far away, to die.
How they fought with savage fury
agonizing through the snow,
fingers turning black with frostbite,
Death was sweeping to and fro.
Mac Lean and Faith, Commanders;
Hodge, and thousands more,
fought and froze, and bled to death
at Chosin Reservoir
In the hills of North Korea
by a lake of icy blue,
there's no monument to witness,
and no crosses are in view.
Just some land of little value
covered well by falling snow,
but they say to listen carefully
when the wind begins to blow,
You will hear the ghostly bugles
from the mountain pass, nearby.
You may hear the battle spreading
from the mountains to the sky.
Lives were ending, futures pending,
fate was casting dice,
Some would live and some would die,
Karma carved in ice!
The battle long is over now,
but fought each night anew,
in dreams of those who cant forget;
They are called "The Chosin Few".
So, let the veterans tell the stories,
let the legend live and grow,
let the Chosin be remembered
with the Men of Alamo,
With Bastogne and with Wake Island,
and the Bunker Hill Command,
and wherever there’s courageous men
to take a valiant stand.
Once they fought to save a nation,
they could not have offered more
than the sacrifices made there
at The Chosin Reservoir
In the bitter bloody battles,
at The Chosin Reservoir.
Frank in Korea 1950....
Pfc. Frank George Gross
3rd Bn.
7th Marines
1st Marine Div.
USMC
Korea 1950
Frank was born Jan.12th 1930 in Philadelphia, PA.. He joined the Corps in 1948 and took his boot training at Parris Island.
After boot camp he was sent to Camp Lejeune, N.C. and into the 8th Marines Anti-tank Platoon. Later he was transferred to the 6th Marines. "G" Co., 3rd Bn. 2nd Div. and was sent to the Mediterrainean on the Cruiser...USS Salem.
While aboard this ship he and some sailors got together and formed a country band. The group would entertain in happy hours and occasionally at USO's in different ports ashore.
When the Korean War broke out he had to trade his guitar for a Browning BAR and soon was transferred. He was headed for Inchon Landing and was told that he now belonged to
the 3rd Bn. 1st Div.
After Inchon came Seoul, Wonson, and Chosin. Frank was flown back to
Philadelphia Naval Hospital
because of injuries received at Chosin. He was separated from the Corps on Oct. 31, 1951.
Frank returned to Country music, moonlighting between working hours at Sears... which he worked for 20 yrs.. He then worked for the US Postal Service for 21 yrs. and had gone into songwriting and poetry.
One of his songs "Ballad of Chosin" (see below) is based on the Chosin Epic and his music composition of "Band of Brothers". Two of his works are in collaberation with two other authors..both being survivers of the Chosin Reservoir, Paul Sanders & Gordon Green. The poems are "Internatioal Korean War Memorial Poem" and "Diamond in the Sky".
The latter has been set to music by Frank. Bob Hope has honored the "Ballad of Chosin" by placing it in his museum. His "Band of Brothers" was introduced by
Her Majestys Royal Marine Band
and by the USMC band at Parris Island, it has also been on national TV.
Frank is very happy and proud of this as he feels it all brings awareness that there was a War in Korea and all this pays tribute to the veterans that fought in this War.
~~~~ Ballad of Chosin ~~~~
By Frank G. Gross
The nights were cold in the Korean soil
But the night’s been cold before
And it’s not so hard in your own back yard
To be set for peace or war
But in history there’s a chapter
of a place called Valley Forge
Repeated one December on
the Chosin Reservoir.
They had us all surrounded
I could hear them scream and yell
My feelings at that moment
No tongue could ever tell.
I saw the bursting mortar shells
And the bullets around me flew
As all my strength had left me
And all my courage too.
With the breaking of the morning
Just before the dawn
I heard the sounding bugles
And the big attack was on.
The cotton quilted uniforms
Against our bullet spree
The screaming yelling banzai
They called the human sea.
Baby faces bearded
And chapped with hardenin’ mud
Parkas that were dirty
And stained with frozen blood.
Here a bunch of youngsters
Who fought on ‘til the end
In the battle of the Chosin
Where boys were turned to men.
Twelve long miles of convoy
Headed for the sea
Roadblocks at every turning
Down through Koto-Ri.
The frost bite and the wounded
With their dead and dying too
No matter what the objective be
These boys were going through.
The Captain he informed us
Perhaps he thought it right
That before we reach the river boys
We’re going to have to fight
We’re going out like Marines
In an organized withdraw
And no matter what the rumors say
It’s no retreat at all.
We fought at least nine hours
Before the strife was ore
And the like of the dead and wounded
I’ve never seen before.
But the everlasting promise
Kept along each bloody yard
No one leaves behind the wounded
‘Cause there ain’t no fight that hard.
The Chaplain collected dog tags
In his hands were quite a few
There was Captain Smith’s, McCloskies
And Corporal Bryan’s too.
And before we reached the river
And fought our way back through
The Sergeant had the dog tags
And he had the Chaplains too.
If I made you pause one moment
And take a little time
Then I know it wasn’t just in vain
That I put these words to rhyme.
For there’s just too many people
Who take this all in stride
Who hear these tales of battles
Then cast it all aside.
The nights were cold in the Korean soil
But the night’s been cold before
And it’s not so hard in your own back yard
To be set for peace or war
But in history there’s a chapter
of a place called Valley Forge
Repeated one December on
the Chosin Reservoir.
A TRIBUTE TO OUR U.S. NAVY...THEY TOO WERE THERE!!
[ Korean President Unit Citation ]
09/15/50, APD125, USS Wantuck, about 7:00 a.m.
Off Green Beach at Inchon
Our 4 LCVPs had just landed units of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines
This assault on Wolmi Do, initiated the Inchon invasion of Marine Corps in Korean War
Wantuck won 5 battle stars during the Korean War.
READ MORE BY CLICKING ON THE USS WANTUCK graphic.
1st Marine Div. at Chosin Reservoir
And in history there's a chapter
Of a place called Valley Forge
Repeated one December on
the Chosin Reservoir.
An elderly Korean woman pays her respect to one of 'our fallen' hero's
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