Larry Joe Barlar

In mid-August 1952, in the first major Marine ground action in western Korea, the 1st Marine Division began its successful defense of Outpost Bunker Hill. Two months later, during the Battle for the "Hook," the division again defended a segment of the United Nations Main Line of Resistance (MLR). A winter lull during January-February 1953 brought some relief to Marines at the front, while cease-fire talks at Panmunjom remained suspended.

The relative quiet on the front was rudely shattered in late March 1953, when Chinese forces mounted a massive offensive across the United Nations front line that hit 1st Marine Division outposts in their right sector. On 26 March, enemy forces attacked outposts "Reno," "Vegas," and "Carson" (the so-called Nevada Cities campaign), all manned by the 5th Marines. In particularly bitter fighting, Outpost Reno fell to the enemy, but the stubborn 5th Marines maintained control of Outposts Vegas and Carson. Marine casualties totaled over 1,000, with Communist losses at least twice as high.

In late April, truce talks resumed at Panmunjom, which again did not prevent a renewed outbreak of savage fighting in western Korea. While truce details were worked out by negotiators, Communist forces launched a regimental-strength attack against the I Corps sector. Heavy fighting took place in the Nevada Cities and Hook area outposts.

During the first week of July, the command outposts Berlin and East Berlin in the 7th Marines right regimental sector came under attack during the Marines' relief of the US 25th Infantry Division. The Marines did not concede any key terrain, and at 2200 on 27 July, the truce argued out at Panmunjom finally went into effect, ending three years of fighting in Korea.

During the Korean War, units of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing flew more than 125,000 sorties in support of United Nations forces. Almost 40,000 of these sorties were close air support missions. Marine helicopter squadrons evacuated more than 10,000 wounded personnel, and greatly increased the survival rate for wounded Marines.

The price of liberty in human costs is always high, and the Korean War was no exception; Marine casualties totaled over 30,000; just over 4,500 Marines gave their lives in Korea.

Forty-two Marines were awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty in Korea; twenty-seven of these awards were posthumous. Though sometimes viewed as an "indecisive" conflict, the Marine Corps can truly be proud of its role in stemming the tide of Communist aggression during the Korean War.

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