Final Battle for Pork Chop Hill, The

Army, Aug 2004 by Kroesen, Frederick J

A Significant Contribution to Military History The Final Battle for Pork Chop Hill On Hallowed Ground: The Last Battle for Pork Chop Hill. Bill McWilliams. Naval institute Press. 495 pages; photographs; index; $29.95 ($23.96 for AUSA members).

On Hallowed Ground: The Last Battle for Pork Chop Hill is a tragedy, a glorious tragedy in which companies of American heroes determined to deny battalions of Chinese heroes the control of a speck of Korean terrain that would sink to insignificance as the terms of a cease-fire came into effect a few short weeks later. The tenacity of the Chinese effort to gain as much territory as possible before a final decision on the dividing line between the Republic of Korea and the People's Republic to the north was matched against an equal determination of the Americans to frustrate that purpose. The collision between the irresistible force and the immovable object was, as always, a costly explosion that dissolved major segments of both forces.

The story begins with an obligatory rclook at the beginning of the Korean War in June 1950 when unprepared, ill-equipped and unready American units were pieced together and committed to halting the advancing North Koreans. Only 60 pages later the war has progressed to March 1953, and Pork Chop Hill becomes the focus of the remaining 400 pages.

As an aside at this point, it is interesting to note that the author cited T. R. Fehrenbach's observation, "They had enlisted for every reason known to man except to fight," and Gen. Mike Michaelis' "They'd been nursed and coddled, told to drive safely, buy War Bonds, give to the Red Cross, avoid VD and write home to mother" as a reflection of the qualifications of our soldiers in 1950. If ever there is need for testimony as to the versatility, adaptability and grit of the American soldier, just transition with him from those deplorable appraisals to the heroism and professionalism demonstrated at Pork Chop Hill. The most unready Army we ever had reasserted itself because its basic values, principles and training methods swiftly returned it to its professional competence.

The balance of this book tells scores of stories of squads, platoons and companies of the 7th Infantry Division engaged in four months of mortal combat trying to hold on to a small rise of ground that the high commands of both armies deemed significant. Rifle companies of two regiments and the Colombian and Ethiopian battalions came and went to attack, defend, withdraw (or be overrun) and counterattack in the almost daily contesting for Pork Chop. The picture becomes a mosaic of decimated squads and individual soldiers holding off the enemy horde. Names and faces change but there is a sameness, a repetitiveness to the action, even including the heroism displayed seemingly daily, especially by lieutenants and sergeants, no matter the unit engaged.

The book provides an excellent written record of small units' actions, but it is almost devoid of maps or sketches on which to follow the plans or the course of the conflict. References to Yoke, Snook or Brinson's Finger in the text are frustrating when the sketches identifying their locations are 20, maybe 50 pages earlier. There are factual errors-for example, "There were five officers per rifle company." In fact there were six. There are misspellings and mixed-up verbiage-for example, "clamored" for "clambered." But this is a need for better editing, not a detraction from the substance of the book.

The book also provides some excellent lessons for today's leaders. Gen. Arthur Trudeau's "rules for the organization of the ground," observations from S.L.A. Marshall and an accounting of the casualty rates of infantrymen are all worthy of study. (During the four months of the Pork Chop battles, 86 percent of the officers in the companies engaged became casualties.)

On the whole, this is a significant contribution to our military history, a final accounting of the battles for Pork Chop Hill and a fitting testimonial to the fighting qualities of the common soldier who is properly trained, motivated and well led in periods of mortal combat, even in pursuit of a hopeless, perhaps meaningless cause.

By Gen. Frederick J. Kroesen

U.S. Army retired

GEN. FREDERICK J. KROESEN, USA Ret., is a former commander in chief of U.S. Army Europe and a senior fellow of AUSA's Institute of Land Warfare.