Re: My two-cents

[James Dennis <jrdennis@earthlink.net>]

>I do not know what Sherman Pratt had to say, but I want to comment on part 
>of 
>what Dutch had to say.
>
> 
><< I am writing this in support of everything Sherman Pratt has
> had to say.  I absolutely seethe with anger inside me every=20
> time the Chosen fighting comes up, and how it was the
> Marines who bore the brunt of stopping the Chinese.  This
> is simply not true.  I also churn inside me when it is=20
> implied that 32 degrees below zero was somehow colder=20
> for the Marines than it was for the rest of us. =20
> =20
> "A Statistical History Of The Korean War, 1950-1953"
> by Micheal Coldfelter, Merriam Press Study No M-178,
> shows that the Army had 113,610 casualties and the
> Marine Corps had 28,627.  The brunt of the fighting in
> Korea, including stopping the Chinese, was by the
> Army. >>
>
>Dutch's remark:
><>
>
>My response: 
>    It seems that "Dutch" misses the whole point of the ramifications of 
>what 
>happened at the Chosin Reservoir and the fight in which about 13,000 
>Marines, 
>some Royal Marines and some U.S. Army units engaged a 120,000 Chinese Field 
>Army and beat the hell of them.  As far as credit is concerned - all things 
>being equal -- it would not have made much difference if it were a Marine 
>division, or an army division, at the reservoir.  The Marines got the credit 
>for what they accomplished and not just because they were Marines. The point 
>is that the unit who fought the battle and against all odds chose to fight 
>as 
>a unit, rather than run. 
>    When the Chinese came in force the Marines may not have borne the brunt 
>of the whole Chinese Army, but they did bear the "brunt" of 120,000 
>attacking 
>Chinese -- just imagine what would have happened to the 8th Army if those 
>120,000 Chinese were not engaged by the Marines and they were free to pursue 
>the retreating 8th Army. If this had happened, the Eighth Army would have 
>not 
>been allowed the time to reform in new defensive positions and the Korean 
>War 
>would have been all over. For the time being anyway. 

The entire X Corps could have been wiped out and the pressure on the 8th 
Army would have remained the same.  The 120,000 Chinese would not have 
been able to assist in the pursuit of the 8th Army.

Look at the terrain and look at the road networks.  General Walker 
complained bitterly to Dug Out Doug about having X Corps where it could 
not support or be supported by 8th Army.   But as X Corps was commanded 
by Macs Chief of Staff and Macs wonderfully correct Intelligence Section 
said there were no Chinese anywhere in Korea (despite all the Chinese 
POWs brought in by 1st Cav, the ROKs and 2d Div)

The thought that what happened in the Chosin Reservoir area relieved 
anything that happened in the 8th Army area is just USMC smoke and 
propaganda.  

>    Here is something else to consider, in the early part of the war there 
>were two separate military commands in Korea. These were the Eighth Army and 
>the X-Corps.  The 8th Army was much larger than the 10th Corps.  The 8th 
>Army 
>manned most of the Western and central line and most of the line in general. 
>The 10th Corp, a much smaller command, had the northeastern part of the 
>line. 

And the two lines were not connected.  You had to fly almost an hour to 
get from the Eastern most 8th Army unit to the western most X Corps unit.

> When the Chinese entered the war in force, the 8th Army almost immediately 
>went into in full retreat while the Tenth Corps still had orders to 
>advance.  

Why don't you tell us about the attack on 8th Cav on Thanksgiving Day?  
The 8th Army took the full brunt of the Chinese Offensive.  The ROK 6th 
Division literally died to man holding the Chinese at the Yalu.

>It wasn't until four days after the 8th Army was in full retreat that the 
>Tenth Corps was ordered to retreat.  Naturally, it was the retreating 8th 
>Army that made it possible for the Chinese to surround the Marines at the 
>reservoir. This churns my stomach.

The Chinese got into position late, it was hard to move the horses and 
that is why they arrived without the Artillery they were suppose to have. 
  Look at the Avenues of Approach to X Corps Sector.  None could have 
come from the 8th Army Area.  The Avenues of Approach that go into X 
Corps sector originate deep in China or the Soviet Union.