PBS airing special on Chosin tonight

[sburke]

http://undertheradar.military.com/2016/10/battle-of-chosin-pbs-under-the-radar/

[Michael Emrys]

I watched this. They are somewhat mistaken in calling it the forgotten battle. I have read a recent account in Military History in the last year or two and another somewhere a couple years before that. There was a statement by one of the commentators at the outset that was right on. He said something like, "Wars are terrible and this was the most terrible of battles." For me it was an agony to watch, even in the warm and well-fed comfort of my home. I doubt that I will ever want to watch it again even though it is extremely well made.

Michael

[sburke]

I think them calling it that comes from the book "The Forgotten War", but yeah I have a couple books including this one - a really good small unit view that the PBS special lacked.

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Stand-Fox-Company-Marines-ebook/dp/B008V43OBO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478140432&sr=8-1&keywords=fox+company+korea

This is the company that held that one shoulder for the retreat on it's own for 4 days.  It also goes a little more into the conditions for the Chinese troops who suffered horrendously in the battle. Where I think the PBS special shined was in discussing the larger impact the battle had on the US view of the cold war, the decision to create a full standing army and to move to direct confrontation with any perceived advances by the communist threat.

 

Edited November 3, 2016 by sburke

[Michael Emrys]

9 hours ago, sburke said:

Where I think the PBS special shined was in discussing the larger impact the battle had on the US view of the cold war, the decision to create a full standing army and to move to direct confrontation with any perceived advances by the communist threat.

I tend to agree, although the confrontational policy goes back to Greece 1948 and the formulation of the Truman Doctrine. Cf. also George F. Kennan and "The Long Telegram" of 1946 regarding containment of the USSR.

Michael