Public-domain ebook
by United States. Marine Corps; Canzona, Nicholas A.; Montross, Lynn
Language: en1,300 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: History - American·History - Modern (1750+)·History - Warfare
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #65009.
The work is the third volume in a five‑part official history of United States Marine Corps operations in the Korean War, covering the dramatic Chosin Reservoir campaign of late 1950. It opens with a preface that frames the narrative as both a tactical study and a human story, emphasizing the discipline of Marine units, the improvisation required of commanders, and the continuity of ancient battlefield principles. The authors explain that the book follows the 1st Marine Division and its air wing from the Wonsan landing through the bitter winter fighting, the breakout from Yudam‑ni, and the final evacuation at Hungnam, while also situating those events within the strategic decisions made in Washington and Tokyo. Detailed maps, photographs, and a wealth of first‑hand accounts from 142 Marines give the volume a richly documented, ground‑level perspective.
Written in a formal, scholarly style typical of mid‑20th‑century military histories, the text combines official reports with personal narratives, offering a measured yet vivid account of combat and command. Readers interested in the Korean War, Marine Corps heritage, or the study of cold‑weather mountain warfare will find the book rewarding, as will scholars and enthusiasts who appreciate meticulous documentation and the voices of those who lived the campaign.
The opening · free to read
This is the third in a series of five volumes dealing with the operations of the United States Marine Corps in Korea during the period 2 August 1950 to 27 July 1953. Volume III presents in detail the operations of the 1st Marine Division and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing as a part of X Corps, USA, in the Chosin Reservoir campaign.
The time covered in this book extends from the administrative landing at Wonsan on 26 October 1950 to the Hungnam evacuation which ended on Christmas Eve. The record would not be complete, however, without reference to preceding high-level strategic decisions in Washington and Tokyo which placed the Marines in northeast Korea and governed their employment.
Credit is due the U. S. Army and Navy for support on land and sea, and the U. S. Navy and Air Force for support in the air. But since this is primarily a Marine Corps history, the activities of other services are described here only in sufficient detail to show Marine operations in their proper perspective.
The ideal of the authors has been to relate the epic of the Chosin Reservoir breakout from the viewpoint of the man in the foxhole as well as the senior officer at the command post. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the 142 Marine officers and men who gave so generously of their time by contributing 338 narratives, letters, and interviews. In many instances this material was so detailed that some could not be used, because of space limitations. But all will go into the permanent Marine archives for the benefit of future historians.
Thanks are also extended to the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as Marine officers, who offered valuable comments and criticisms after reading the preliminary drafts of chapters. Without this assistance no accurate and detailed account could have been written.
The maps contained in this volume, as in the previous ones, have been prepared by the Reproduction Section, Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, Virginia. The advice of officers of the Current History Branch of the Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army, has also been of aid in the preparation of these pages.
E. W. SNEDEKER Major General, U. S. Marine Corps, Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3.
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