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When word came that North Korean troops had invaded the partitioned south in mid-1950, Owen (a WW II vet who had returned to the Marines as a second lieutenant after graduating from Colgate) was lolling on a North Carolina beach at Camp Lejeune with his wife and two young children. He soon joined Baker Company of the 1st Marine Division's Seventh Regiment and was put in charge of a mortar platoon. Arriving in Korea shortly after the Inchon landing had given UN forces the initiative against their Communist adversaries, Owen and his men (a motley crew of raw recruits, inexperienced reservists, and salty regulars) fought their way inland, headed north toward the Yalu River. Strung out along narrow roads in mountainous terrain with winter coming on, the marines encountered unexpectedly strong opposition from the Chinese army, which had entered the conflict in October. Battling the elements as well as the Chinese, the regiment withdrew from the Chosin Reservoir (hard by North Korea's border with China) in good order and inflicted terrible punishment. But the butcher's bill was high on both sides: All but 27 of the 300-odd enlisted men and officers in Owen's Company were wounded, captured, or killed during the withdrawal. Owen himself was badly wounded before the final breakout. During his violent and bloody sojourn in Korea's frozen wastes, the author amassed a wealth of telling detail on the grim realities of mortal combat.
Owen's flair for narrative and his gut-level perspectives on life and death in the front lines make for an eloquent tribute to the disciplined courage and esprit de corps displayed by his comrades in arms.
Anonymous
Posted January 20, 2013
What these Marines went through is incredible.
Anonymous
Posted October 18, 2005
I think this is one of the best books ever writtem on the marines in Korea. When reading this book I really felt like I was there in the heat with the Marines.
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Posted August 31, 2000
The author's writing style is excellent. The book is readable, much more so than other fact-based accounts of the Korean War. I basically agree with the last reviewer, but would like to add that the courage of these men was remarkable. They risked their lives on an almost daily basis.
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Posted January 18, 2000
Owens does an excellent job of describing the flavor of close combat - lobbing mortars at Chinese soldiers so close to Marine positions that the enemy can be heard plotting the assault. While the style of writing reminds one of a journal account, soon the reader is engrossed in the throws of battle and can picture himself crouched on an icy hillside fighting with clenched teeth. The description of squad tactics would make this book a valuable teaching tool to young NCO's and 2nd Lts. Every Marine serving or having served since this era of combat should take note: we know nothing of true sacrifice. I take great pride in knowing that those Marines who served before me fought so bravely against foe as well as harsh weather conditions to break out of the Chinese death grip. Owens should also be commended for his insights into the US Army leadership/intelligence and as my dad always said, 'McCarther was a Son-of-a-*%#!
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Posted February 15, 2010
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