How these few Marines held the line at the Chosin Reservoir

Tim Kirkpatrick
Jan 28, 2019 6:42 PM PST
1 minute read
Mighty Heroes photo

SUMMARY

Accurate Chinese snipers, the brutal cold, and a lack of food were just some of the rough aspects allied forces faced while occupying the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. As the grunts moved into the frozen grounds of their defensive posi…

Accurate Chinese snipers, the brutal cold, and a lack of food were just some of the rough aspects allied forces faced while occupying the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea.


As the grunts moved into the frozen grounds of their defensive positions, every two men received a case of hand grenades, extra ammunition, and an encouraging hand shake from a superior officer as he passed through.

As the Marines dug into their icy fighting holes, they knew they needed to hold the line at all costs.

Related: This special instinct can help troops survive an ambush

Once the Chinese assault commenced, thousands of enemy troops appeared over the top of the hill and dashed down the ravine toward the thin line of armed Marines who began to pull every trigger in their limited arsenal.

"I was standing right there looking at a thousand damn men just going, 'Oh my God we're in it,'" one retired Marine recalls. "You knew when you fired your rifle you were killing somebody.

Marine units engage their enemy targets at they charge forward. (Source: AHC/YouTube/Screenshot)

Soon after, the outnumbering Chinese Army made their way toward the wall of Marines manning the front lines and an all out hand-to-hand brawl initiated.

The Marines pulled their knives from their sheaths and started to cut down the enemy force.

"I shoved my Ka-Bar straight through, and it came out the back of his neck," another retired Marine emotionally explains. "He naturally squirted blood all over me, and the blood burned my eyes."

After the first wave of attack, the Marines cleaned the blood from their faces and eyes with the cold snow that surrounded them. They quickly proceeded to an embankment near a stream to reorganize themselves and form a perimeter, protecting one another.

The injured Marines had expended most of their hand grenades and ammunition, but they still managed to hold the line. No enemy combatant made it through.

Also Read: How this Marine inched his way to knock out a Japanese machine gunner

Check out American Heroes Channel's video below to hear the chilling stories from the Marines who held the line at the Chosin Reservoir.

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