[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 124 (Friday, July 28, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10865-S10866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MARINE CORPS IN THE KOREAN WAR: ED PETSCHE 
                        AT THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR

  Mr. GLENN. Mr. President, I wanted to rise today to make some short 
remarks here on the floor about a special person in Toledo, OH. It is 
Edwin F. Petsche, who was in my office just a couple of days ago. I 
remarked about him on the floor of the Senate yesterday. It had been my 
great honor to award him a Purple Heart that was long overdue. Ed 
Petsche took part in the withdrawal from the Chosin Reservoir in Korea, 
back about 45 years ago, and had never received that Purple Heart. I 
mentioned it in passing yesterday in connection with our remarks about 
the dedication of the Korean War Memorial. I will say more about Ed 
Petsche in just a moment. But let me just briefly set the stage.
  In the annals of Marine Corps history there are some things that 
stand out: Belleau Wood, Iwo Jima, raising of the flag on Mt. 
Suribachi, and a number of events, and notable times of combat in 
various wars. You cannot compare one with another, for they all 
required great sacrifice. But I wanted to pay attention to this 
particular moment and set the stage for what happened out there. The 
dedication this week of the Korean War Memorial is a time for all 
Americans to reflect upon the sacrifices of our many veterans of that 
conflict--Ed Petsche and many others.
  Many younger Americans are hearing this week for the first time the 
names of Korean cities and campaigns that were household words in 
America almost a half-century ago. The name of one geographical area in 
Korea will remain forever enshrined in the pantheon of Marine Corps 
history and that is the Chosin Reservoir.
  In late October 1950, the Joint Chiefs of Staff authorized operations 
north of the 38th parallel in Korea.
  Maj. Gen. O.P. Smith's spirited 1st Marine Division began to drive 
north toward the Yalu River in an effort to destroy completely the 
North Korean People's Army.
  On November 2, 1950, the 7th, 5th, and 1st Marines moved out, in that 
order, from Hamhung, following a treacherous mountain route toward the 
Chosin Reservoir, the site of a large hydroelectric facility in 
northern Korea. By midnight the marines were in heavy contact with the 
Chinese 124th Division, as the People's Liberation Army had just 
entered the war to assist the struggling North Koreans.
  The 7th and 5th Marines continued their advance through both light 
and heavy enemy opposition, and were concentrated at Yudam-Ni by 27 
November, while the legendary ``Chesty'' Puller's 1st Marines took 
positions along the route. The full weight of the veteran 100,000 to 
120,000 man Chinese 9th Army Group then fell upon the marines. The 
Chinese attacked during the night in temperatures approaching 20 
degrees below zero, cutting the main supply routes, and isolating the 
marines into four close perimeters. Although the vastly outnumbered 
marines held their ground, the situation was very, very grave.
  On December 1, General Smith ordered a breakout from the reservoir, 
which he termed an ``attack in a different direction.''
  They went into retreat. They were surrounded. In any direction they 
went they contacted the enemy. So it truly was an attack in a different 
direction.
  They were supported by the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing that flew and 
flew and flew nearly 4,000 sorties during the entire operation--4,000 
sorties. The 1st Marine Division blasted its way through seven Chinese 
divisions and finally reached safety at Hungnam by December 12.
  At the Chosin Reservoir, there was somewhere around 15,000 Americans 
involved. And out of that I think there were 13,000 casualties listed--
in 10 days there were 13,000 casualties either dead or wounded during 
that advance back to Hungnam.
  The Chosin Reservoir campaign cost the marines over 4,400 battle 
casualties, including killed and wounded, and uncounted cases of 
frostbite and pneumonia. The Communist Chinese forces had suffered a 
catastrophe, however. The best count ever made was that there were some 
25,000 Chinese communist dead--25,000 dead as they came out.
  Well, I read that to set the stage for Ed Petsche, and to show that 
this was tough close combat. He was bayoneted. That is hand-to-hand 
combat. This is not shooting at people remotely with rockets and with 
missiles, or things like that. He was bayoneted, and left for dead; 
tossed on a pile of soldiers and left there for dead. And it may have 
been lucky that the temperature was so cold because it was said that 
the temperature froze the wounds on parts of his body and maybe 
protected them a little bit from having become infected any more than 
they were. But he was still alive and was groaning. Someone heard his 
groans, rescued him and got him out. And they finally got him some 
attention and got him out of there.
  That is the preface to saying that when he was in the hospital in 
Japan, Ed, for some reason, never had the record set straight that 
would have gotten him his Purple Heart.
  I wanted to give that little background because some 45 years later, 
Ed Petsche and his children and grandchildren were in my office a 
couple of days ago.
  And I was honored on behalf of the Commandant to present to him his 
belated Purple Heart. And it was indeed an honor.
  We lost a lot of people in Korea. And I know that we have made a huge 
effort with regard to Vietnam to make sure that the POW/MIA count, the 
bodies and the missing people there--that their records are brought to 
light and that their remains are brought back, even now 20-some years 
after the end of the Vietnam war.
  In Korea there are some 8,000 that are still missing that we do not 
have records on, and do not have their remains. I know the President 
indicated a couple of days ago that he thought that we should be 
pushing to get a better accounting of what happened to those people in 
Korea.
  I would also note in passing that we still have some 78,000 missing 
MIA's out of World War II.
  Ed Petsche came so close to being one of those who died in Korea. But 
he survived, luckily, and has received his 

[[Page S 10866]]
recognition, although too many years too late.
  I guess to those whose loved ones still remain in Korea, whose 
remains were never brought back, I am reminded of the lines by Rupert 
Brooke in a book of poems called ``The Soldier.'' He was an Englishman, 
and wrote about those who represented England in foreign fields and 
wars, and places all over the world. And sometimes their bodies were 
not brought back. He stated his belief this way, and I think it should 
apply to some of the ways we can look to some of our people too. He 
said:

       If I should die, think only this of me, that there is some 
     corner of a foreign field that is forever England.

  And I guess I would look the same way for our own people, the 8,000 
who never came back, who never even had records on them brought back 
from Korea. With all the 54,000 dead that we had in Korea, many did not 
come back.
  I guess I would say the same thing to our people, that they died, but 
think only this of them, that there is that corner of a foreign field 
in Korea that is forever America.
  Wherever they fell becomes a part of this country, whether it is 
legal on the international boundary chart or not.
  Ed Petsche represents the people who were out there. He was lucky. 
Although he came so close to death that he was tossed on a pile of 
soldiers and left for dead, he still survived and came back.
  Out of that campaign, where he and the others came out of the Chosin 
Reservoir and came down to Hungnam, there were 17 Congressional Medals 
of Honor and 70 Navy Crosses awarded in just that one 10-day advance.
  It is hard to believe the terrible things that they went through, not 
only the enemy and so many casualties all over the place. Almost the 
whole force became casualties; 13,000 casualties out of the 15,000 
forces involved with 4,400 dead, as I indicated a little while ago.
  So it is these things that we remember during this week of 
commemoration regarding what happened in Korea so many years ago.
  I wanted to pay special tribute to Ed Petsche because he represents 
the best of the people we sent out there. He was 19 years old at the 
time, and almost died out there, but came back, and was never 
recognized for his action. And I can say very truly it was indeed a 
great, great honor to be able to present the Purple Heart to him, 
although it was some 45 years later.
  It was a pleasure to meet his family. We wish him the very best and 
we are glad that finally the ``Forgotten War,'' as it has been called 
all through the years is forgotten no more. It has a memorial that will 
commemorate forever, or will memorialize here in Washington forever, 
the sacrifices that were made by people like Ed Petsche.
  I am honored to be able to pay him tribute on the floor of the U.S. 
Senate today.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. KYL addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Grams). The Senator from Arizona is 
recognized.
  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I would like to compliment the Senator from 
Ohio on that very moving and fine presentation, particularly this week 
when we are honoring the Americans who fought in Korea in a far-away 
place but, as the Senator pointed out, a place that will always be in 
the memory of Americans for the sacrifice of so many of our troops from 
all of the services.
  I might note to the Senator from Ohio that I received some time ago a 
gift, a small gift but a very meaningful gift, from a survivor of 
Chosin. It is a belt buckle to be worn on a western belt, and that is 
what I always remember when I wear that belt. It reminds me always of 
the sacrifices that were made by those at Chosin, and it is something 
we should never forget. Certainly the Korean War Memorial will now help 
us to remember that very fine hour in American history despite the 
casualties, the suffering and sorrow that attend it. So I compliment 
the Senator from Ohio on his very fine remarks.

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