The Regimental flags of the 31st Infantry Regiment and the 32nd Infantry Regiment with the new Korean Presidential streamer attached.
*The 15th Anti aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion
*The 57th Field Artillery Battalion
*The 31st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion
*The 32nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion.
All were part of the 31st RCT (Regimental Combat Team) that fought at the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, November 27th, 1950.
The 31st RCT totalled 2,652 men. One third of the soldiers were ROK's (Republic of Korea). The ROK's totalled 875 men. Leaving 1,777 American soldiers at Chosin.. In 5 nights and 4 days, the 31st RCT fought against 2 Chinese Divisions that were reinforced by other CCF (Chinese Communist Forces) units. The CCF numbered around 20,000.
The Veterans of the Army 31st RCT, seemed to have been overlooked in the pages of our history. What the men of the 31st RCT endured for the first five nights and 4 days;
Against all odds, the 31st RCT men made the 6 mile walk through enemy fire and extreme cold to Hagaru-Ri, where the Marines were stationed. At Hagaru-Ri, 900 men of the 31st RCT were evacuated due to wounds and frostbite injuries.
The remaining 385 men of the 31st RCT stayed with the Marines as they made their courageous breakout to the coast (sixty miles). During the breakout, many more men of the 31st RCT lost their lives.
1.Reference (a) recommended the award of the Navy Presidential Citation (PUC) to the First Marine Division (Reinforced) for action in the Chosin Reservoir Campaign in North Korea during November - December 1950; a recommendation that was subsequently approved by the Secretary of the Navy. A number of 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) which had relieved the 5th Marines on the east shore of the Chosin Reservoir on 27th November 1950, and which was later attached by order of X Army Corps to the First Marine Division effective 0800, 30 November 1950, did not receive authorization for the Navy PUC award...
2.With the passage of time and access to former enemy military historical files, to which reference is made in the following paragraph, historians now reveal that the 31st RCT (minus a tactical battalion) took on two full Chinese Divisions (the 80th and 81st CCf Divisions), plus possibly a regiment from a third (94th CCF) division. With this new perspective of such a large enemy force on the Chosin Reservoir east shore, it can now be concluded that the delaying action role of the 31st RCT was significant. If this avalanche of Chinese manpower had bypassed the 31st RCT to initally attack East Hill at Hagaru-Ri, instead of spending nearly five days laying seige to this strategically inconsequential Army Force, then Hagaru might have tragically fallen, and the bulk of the First Marine Division at Yudam-ni would not have had this vital logistic/staging base to which to withdraw.
3. Many historians now recognize the 31st RCT role in the Chosin Reservoir campaign as very critical.
The Regimental flags of the 31st Infantry Regiment and the 32nd Infantry Regiment with the new Korean Presidential streamer attached.
The first page of site with more information on the Army 31st RCT and read one of my poems about the Army at Chosin onKatia's Page
For more in depth information, archives, morning reports, list of fatalities, and more 31st RCT Veterans' articles visit The 31st RCT At The Chosin Reservoir
Read a poem dedicated to Lt. Col. Don Carlos Faith Jr, by Judy Knight When Hell Freezes Over
Read about the evacuation of the port of Hungnam in North Korea, by Steve VogelU.S. Remembers Heroic Evacuation From Besieged North Korean Port
