Dave Johnson enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve (a branch of the U.S. Navy) in November 1947, was activated on August 1, 1950, and sent to Camp Pendleton, Calif. for classification. He had no training, but instead of being sent to boot camp, as most were, he was classified “combat ready” and immediately assigned to George Company, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, which was being formed at the
St. George resident and Marine vet Ed Barberis recalls the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, among the most storied battles in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps.
A U.S.-China War? It Already Happened in Korea.
Closing to within arm’s length of the defenders, the Marines fought a brutal hand-to-hand struggle, characteristic of the fighting that had thus far taken place on Hill 1282.
Key Point: Strangely, for the Marines had faced no serious opposition in more than a month, all their patrols, sweeps, and advances on November 27 were strongly contested. Unbeknownst to the Marines, tens of thousands of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers were set to spring an enormous trap on the main body of the 1st Marine Division.
Yancey recovered from his wounds and received his second Navy Cross. He returned to Little Rock to run his liquor store.