Recognizing the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean conflict.

Recognizing the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean conflict.

Whereas, between November 27, 1950, and December 13, 1950, a combined force of over 100,000 United Nations troops under the command of X Corps, including the 1st Marine Division, the 3d Infantry Division, the 7th Infantry Division, Regimental Combat Team 31, the Republic of Korea I Corps, and supported by aviators of the United States Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as sailors of United States 7th Fleet afloat in the Sea of Japan, conducted combat operations against North Korean forces, north of the 38th parallel on the Korean Peninsula;

Whereas United Nations forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, United States Army, and X Corps Commander Major General Edward M. Almond, United States Army, with Major General Oliver P. Smith, United States Marine Corps, leading the 1st Marine Division, were encircled by an estimated 150,000 enemy troops of the Chinese People’s Volunteers, fully intent on destroying X Corps and all associated United Nations forces;

Whereas the forces of X Corps were spread across over 170 miles from the Port of Hungnam to the village of Hagaru-ri and the westernmost positions in Yudam-ni;

Whereas, in addition to the geographically disbursed nature of the forces, the supply and logistics issues were compounded by a cold front that arrived in mid-November, bringing with it subzero temperatures that plummeted as cold as 25 degrees below zero Fahrenheit across the snow-covered mountains, icy roads, and wind-swept cliffs, making every skirmish, firefight, and attack during the long days and sleepless nights a nightmare beyond the men’s wildest dreams;

Whereas the United States Marine Corps 1st Marine Division, under the leadership and resolve of Major General Smith, fought their way south through multiple Chinese roadblocks to a defensive perimeter at Hagaru-ri, holding the vital Toktong Pass long enough to extricate two regiments of Marines, and executed a breakout to the coast with the assistance of 7th Fleet naval gunfire while evacuating their wounded and equipment while preserving unit cohesion;

Whereas the fighting spirit of the Marines of 1st Marine Division that fueled and enabled the historic retrograde under nearly unbearable conditions and against all odds was captured most succinctly by the press in the famous quote from Major General Smith, “Retreat, hell, we’re just attacking in a different direction.”;

Whereas the Marines successful breakout owed much to the courage of individual rifle companies and the small unit leaders, such as Fox Company, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, under the command of Captain William E. Barber, a veteran of World War II and the Battle of Iwo Jima, where he had earned a Silver Star;

Whereas Captain Barber and the Marines of Fox Company, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines held Toktong Pass against overwhelming assaults for six days and five consecutive nights, ensuring the main column of Marines could withdraw;

Whereas the United States Army’s Regimental Combat Team 31, later commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Don C. Faith, Jr., United States Army, was encircled east of the reservoir near the village of Sinhung-ni, fought with extraordinary valor under extreme conditions, and suffered devastating casualties, with only a fraction of its 2,500 men reaching friendly lines;

Whereas elements of the 3d Infantry Division provided a critical rear guard at the port of Hungnam, enabling the safe evacuation of X Corps, more than 100,000 civilian refugees, and vast quantities of equipment and materiel during the Hungnam Evacuation, referred to colloquially as “Operation Christmas Cargo”;

Whereas United States Air Force and Navy aviators flew more than 4,000 close-air support sorties in support of X Corps during the battle, delivering decisive airstrikes that kept open vital supply routes and blunted wave after wave of enemy offensives;

Whereas, throughout the 17 days of bitter combat, United States forces suffered more than 10,500 battle casualties and more than 7,310 nonbattle casualties, primarily frostbite and cold injury due to a lack of sufficient quantities of cold weather gear, with countless soldiers and Marines fighting in bare feet after frostbitten boots were removed, or leaping from sleeping bags to resist night assaults;

Whereas, by December 24, 1950, the final United Nations forces evacuated Hungnam, extracting more than 105,000 troops, 17,500 vehicles, and 350,000 tons of cargo, along with nearly 100,000 Korean civilians fleeing Communist control;

Whereas 13 Medals of Honor and 78 Service Crosses were awarded for actions at the Chosin Reservoir, making it the second most decorated battle in United States history after the Battle of the Bulge;

Whereas the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir is an occasion to honor the courage, endurance, and sacrifice of both the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army, who together demonstrated valor and perseverance in one of the most grueling campaigns in American military history; and

Whereas the people of the United States are encouraged to observe December 1, 2025, as “Chosin Few Day” with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) recognizes the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, which lasted from November 27, 1950, to December 13, 1950;

(2) honors the United States Marine Corps, the United States Army, the United States Navy, the United States Air Force, and allied members of the Armed Forces who fought valiantly in the campaign;

(3) commemorates the sacrifices of Army units, including Regimental Combat Team 31 and the 7th Infantry Division, and the extraordinary valor of the 1st Marine Division in executing one of the most storied fighting withdrawals in American history;

(4) remembers the members of the Armed Forces who gave their lives, and the thousands who endured frostbite, wounds, or captivity;

(5) recognizes the strategic importance of the Hungnam evacuation in saving lives, preserving combat power, and ensuring future success in the Korean conflict; and

(6) reaffirms the Nation’s enduring gratitude to all who served during the Korean conflict, members of the Armed Forces who have defended the Nation and the freedoms of its citizens since 1950, and to those who continue to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States today, defending the homeland and the Nation’s national security interests abroad.