Despite odds, Marines never gave up

Korean War, Chosin Reservoir, Nov. 26, 1950: General Douglas MacArthur was driving the North Korean Army back up north.

MacArthur wanted to go to the Yalu River, which was the border of China. The Chinese didn’t like it and sent troops south to fight the Americans and the South Korean army. At the Chosin Reservoir, 12,000 Marines and 3,000 Army troops were surrounded by upward of 125,000 Chinese soldiers. Our troops were fighting for their lives.

Here is one story of many just like it that took place all over the hills. Lt. John Yancey of Easy Company was trying to coordinate when they were attacked by hundreds of Chinese. His friend, Lt. Clements, was slightly wounded but knocked unconscious. Their line was thinned as more and more Americans were killed or wounded.

Yancey, who had been wounded, got hit again when grenade fragments tore out the roof of his mouth. A soldier, Walt Phillips put his bayonet in the ground and said “we hold here,” before he was cut down and died by machine gun fire. Lt. Ray Ball, the company executive officer, was also wounded, too badly to take over command. Bleeding, he fell to the ground and died in the 25-below-zero temperature. The company commander, Scheier, was down with shrapnel in his wrist and lung.

Now the platoon didn’t have any officers, but a platoon from Able Company came up to reinforce Easy Company. Although Lt. Yancey was wounded, he got nine men around him to fight (out of 35 originally in the platoon).

A Chinese soldier fired a machine gun at Yancey, however, the only round to hit him popped his left eye out of its socket. The lieutenant then gathered the slimy eye and put it back in its socket. However, the company had about been completely wiped out and had to retreat down the hill.

In summary, the defeat at the Chosin Reservoir was one of the worst defeats in the Marines' history. But they were outnumbered almost 10 to 1. U.S. Army intelligence had not one clue the Chinese Army was coming down; otherwise failed intelligence.

Roger Gregory is a Vietnam veteran, serving in the 1st Infantry Division, and is business owner in Priest River.