First To Fight

America's first military action in Korea was in 1871. The General Sherman, an American flagged vessel that sailed to Korea in 1866, was destroyed by Korean forces. With no diplomatic solution, an American naval squadron sailed to Korea and on June 10, 1871 landed a force of Marines that attacked and occupied several forts near the Han River. The American force withdrew and sailed away in July.

North Korea, equipped with Soviet arms and supported by the Soviet Union, crosses the 38th Parallel and invades South Korea on June 25, 1950. The North push through initial defenses and capture Seoul, the South Korean capital. US and UN forces were pushed south to Pusan where they dug in and held while more forces streamed in to the Pusan Perimeter, including The 1st Provisional Marine Brigade.

The arrival of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade in August 1950 bolstered the U.S. and South Korean forces in the Pusan perimeter. The attacking North Korean army was stalled in their offensive attempts to overrun the perimeter and virtually end the war. The U.S. forces hold with the 5th Marines stand at the Naktong River and the battles for the Namji-ri Bridge and Obongni Ridge.

With U.S. and U.N. forces locked in the struggle to break out from the Pusan Perimeter, General MacArthur put in place what was perhaps the most remembered aspect of the Korean War: The amphibious landing at Inchon. The 5th Marine Regiment landed on Wolmi-do Island in Inchon Harbor on September 15, 1950 to begin the action. By the next day American forces took Seoul and were now on the offensive.

US led UN forces retake Seoul, crush the North Korean forces around the Pusan Perimeter and cross the 38th Parallel into North Korea and push toward Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, despite warnings from Communist China. U.S. Naval forces created what became the largest naval blockade in history and U.N. forces, including the 1st Marine Division, capture Pyongyang October 19, 1950.

U.N. forces continue their advance in North Korea closing to the Korean/China border. As winter moves in American forces, including the 5th Marines, encounter Chinese troops for the first time. The Marines advance to the Chosin Reservoir. The Chines Army mounts a massive attack in November and overruns the U.N. forces with eight Chinese divisions encircling the Marines at the Chosin reservoir.