Joseph Wheelan -The Farthest Valley-Esaping Chinese Trap in North Korea 1950

“The Farthest Valley: Escaping the Chinese Trap at the Chosin Reservoir” by Joseph Wheelan (Osprey)

Prior to this incredible campaign, the US Marine Corps was in serious danger of being eliminated or eviscerated by President Harry Truman (a US Army vet of WWI). However, General MacArthur (whom Truman secretly loathed) had great respect for the USMC. When the Korean War broke out and he was named Commander of the UN forces. MacArthur would rely on the Marines to turn back the North Koreans from their initial success invading South Korea. After regaining control of the Republic’s territory, MacArthur received permission from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to cross the 38^th Parallel and head north. He was planning to destroy the North Korean military in order to keep South Korea safe.

However, once he sent the USMC X Corps, the First Marine Division and the Eighth Army across the line of demarcation, the Communist Chinese warned they would send troops south to defend North Korea. MacArthur ignored their warning, and insisted that his forces would easily defeat North Korea and the war would be over by Christmas.

This was a seriously huge mistake which would have lethal ramifications for the US forces and lead to the biggest trap ever set for our Marines and Army. The Chinese Communist military, fresh from winning their long civil war against the Nationalists, They secretly sent 380,000 soldiers across the Chinese-North Korean border, poorly-armed and provisioned, in summer weight uniforms as the brutal winter was dropping temperatures many degrees zero. But they were determined to annihilate the UN troops, and they would fight without fear of death!

The 9^th Army Group’s 10^th and 27^th Armies would set a trap for X Corps. MacArthur continued to “profoundly underestimate the size of the Chinese forces in North Korea, influenced by the willfully shoddy intelligence of General Willoughby.” November 27^th, the Chinese assault troops struck. The bitter cold conditions made combat even more miserable than usual. Combatants froze to death in place. It was a bloodbath as the Chinese were slaughtered in droves but just kept coming.

After a week of brutal and continuous combat, the Americans were prepared to “break out” and get back down to South Korea. It would take another two weeks to be in safety. The incredible account of the heroism and ingenuity of the Marines is mind-boggling. The 1^st Marine Air Wing flew 3703 sorties while carrying out 1053 missions in support of the 1^st Marine Division, in 57 days (Oct. 26-Dec.15. In three weeks of fighting, the official Chinese figures showed loses of 48,156 soldiers. The US Marines had 4418 combat casualties plus 7313 victims of frostbite.

“China’s entry into the Korean War, and the Marine Corps’ splendid performance at Pusan, Inchon, and the Chosin Reservoir ended the Truman administration’s attempts to effectively eliminate the Corps.” The author (whose father was a veteran of this campaign) joins us ON THE BOOKSHELF on WTBF for Veteran’s Day to discuss his latest book, The Farthest Valley: Escaping the Chinese Trap at the Chosin Reservoir”.