I've chosen this platoon, one
of the finest the United States ever produced, to
represent all our fighting men in Korea ... there
were a great many fine men, in all the
services.
To mention just one other
outstanding group, I pay particular respect to
the fighting comrades of the First Marine Brigade in the
Peninsula, the 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th
Infantry Division.
The above pictured rifle platoon
fought throughout the Pusan Perimeter battles,
Inchon, and across the Han River to help in the
recapture of Seoul.
They were part of the competent
infantry force that was essential in stopping the
North Koreans. Our air, armor and naval supremacy
was vital, and inflicted terrible casualties on
the NK, but in the end Korea would have been lost
had we not men, with hand guns, who had the
courage and will to fight and defeat the enemy on
the ground, face to face. These were among the
finest men who ever wore the uniform of the
United States Marines
The survivors of the vicious
South Korean battles would need all their courage
and will ... ahead of them China was preparing a
huge veteran army that had
proven itself in the terrible struggles of
China's Civil War. These two brave armies
would meet ... at the Chosin reservoir.