Give Me Tomorrow

Yes! Another Over-5 stars for this one! I bought this book and waited every moment with excitement. Just looking at the front jacket and read the title - they grabbed my heart and soul immediately and I could not keep away from it. I never read anything about Korean War until this one. Three maps in this book are so helpful to trace their routes. You know some geographical names are hard to remember/write, etc. So, I was helped a lot with these maps with arrows and dates on them. I am glad I read. Those troops really DID challenge something IMPOSSIBLE in IMPOSSIBLE situations with IMPOSSIBLE determinations. What else I should say...the words just are not enough. I am now trying to read another book - On Desperate Ground - by Hampton Sides.

I met Carl Sitter in my 30s and found out he’d known my Dad and driven him to the hospital for my birth. Carl and I became friends and he mentored me about duty, honor, and calm leadership. I’ve always had an interest in George Company, and the book doesn’t disappoint. Literally, it’s a story of war under the worst circumstances, and the determination it takes from everybody to make it to tomorrow.

I was a kid growing up in Cleveland, Ohio in the early 50s when as a schoolboy growing up on the Westside of the area known to all Clevelanders as West Park when I became aware of a brutal war being fought in Korea I became intrigued with this war and read about it in great detail. I read the memoirs of Matthew Ridgeway and the exploits of what General MacArthur and Harry S. Truman in determining the strategies of the Korean War. Along the way I learned of the exploits of the Marines on the Eastside of Northern Korea of X Corps and their heroic stand in the battle of the Chosin Reservoir. The term of the Chosen Frozen lingers on in terms of heroic American military history. Enter the writings of Patrick K. O'Donnell in telling the story of George Company fighting as a rather ragtag unit of the Marine Corps under the auspices of the 1st Marine Division. Many of these raw recruits didn't even have basic training! O'Donnell tells us that the US was not prepared to fight this war. In fact he states that Truman and his administration never were prepared for this attack. His observations to me seem to be very accusatory. As a student of history I take umbrage to these accusations. Truman at this time was trying to settle the problems of the Cold War in Europe using his resources with the Truman Plan and the implementation of the Marshall Plan to prevent the spread of Communism in Europe. Hence Stalin in his infinite wisdom created the plan to use China to persuade North Korea to create a massive diversion in invading South Korea to distract the US to combat the forces of evil in South Asia. Hence this ragtag organization under the command of General MacArthur tried to hold the attack with Task Force Smith on the Pusan Perimeter. It was at this point where the 1st Marine Division and our heroes of George Company enter the picture. With the Pusan Perimeter hanging by a thread, MacArthur displays his last great strategic maneuver in having the Marines land on the Inchon harbor which cut off all the logistical supplies to the troops fighting in the Pusan area. George Company was there dying and fighting to gain the advantage. Once this was accomplished George Company and the 1st Marines were shipped North in Korea where as part of X Corps they proceeded North in an attempt to destroy all remnants of the North Korean Army. Due to MacArthur's hubris and lack of true intelligence George Company was confronted with Chinese troops attacking them as they traversed the hazardous trip down the road to Hagaru-ri which represented a hell beyond imagine in the arctic winter landscape, which presented a deathtrap not only of combat but of physical endurance in a severe winter scenario. In Haguru-ri we see George Company stave off the massive herds of Chinese Army attacks with the sounds of bugles and whistles in human wave attacks in which the Chinese held a 20 to 1 superiority in numbers. As incredible as it sounds to the members of George Company holds on and proceeds south in its attack to retreat to Hungnam. From the battle of East Hill in Hagaru-ri onto their travels south George Company suffered massive casualties along with heroic acts which gained multiple Medals of Honor and the proud accomplishment of succeeding in a mission of a unit which later continued to fight the fight. This fight would continue until the end of hostilities in 1953!! Great book, although awkward at times in its prose, I loved the story and the perseverance of these Marines!! Being an old army Vietnam Veteran I raise my glass high in toast to these combat veterans!!!!

The Korean War may have been the most violent man for man conflict for the US since the Civil War. In 2 1/2 years of pitched battle 37,000 killed, 90,000 injured; most of them horribly so. Many others such as those in George Company did not admit injury until they needed an ICU. Perhaps 4,000,000 civilians were killed or wounded (both sides) in addition to 2,000,000 soldiers killed or wounded. This was a war where every weapon was loaded and fired as fast as possible almost 24/7. It's almost impossible to picture.This book does a fine job because it recognizes that battles and wars ultimately turn on bravery, unity, dedication and discipline of the troops. They need to be trained and to adjust and change tactics in the field. G 3/1 is a great example of a unit with all those virtues and who gave everything they had. It's a worthwhile read. The Chosin Reservoir Breakout is one of the greatest successful and most epic battles in US military history. The troops are surrounded and outnumber 10:1 or more. It's the coldest winter in history (-60 F at one point!). In one of the roughest terrains of steep rocky mountains and far far from home. It's a remarkable story that should not have taken 60 years to write. My hat is off to Patrick O'Donnell for writing it and to the survivors how clearly spent time recounting it for him.What I think was lacking was a background or build up to connect more to the men or the war. David Halberstam's "The Coldest Winter" writes both gripping battle scene narratives and evokes outrage at the questionable leadership of MacArthur, the splitting of X Corps from the 8th Army and the appointment of Ned Almond to run X Corps including the Inchon landing. I thought this book could have been more reflective about whether or not the Inchon landing was needed (Gen Wheeler with half his troops now at Inchon was still able to break out of Pusan). MacArthur did not prepare the troops for winter war and his intelligence on Chinese troop movements was either ghastly or simply ignored.So against such odd the success of George Company, the Marines and the whole US operation was even more amazing. With a bit of critical analysis of the potential quagmire created by weakness at the top I think this book would have connected just a bit better.

My father was in the 1st Marines at the Chosin. I read all I can about this battle. Reading this was like listening to my Dad talk. An emotional read for me. These soldiers were surly on “desperate ground”

I think that few people today know much about the war in Korea, not even Americans, who contributed the most number of soldiers and resources to the UN led force that fought the N Korean and Chinese attack on S Korea. This is a hearth wrenching eye witness account of the sufferings, but also bravery, as seen through the eyes of an American marine commando soldier. I visited S Korea recently, and realised I didn't know much about this war, and through this book I now have a new perspective on this. And it helps me understan, at least to try and understand, the tension that is still there, today, between North and South Korea.