|
Showing 1 - 6 of
6 matches in All Departments
Includes full color maps. US Army Center of Military History
publication number CMH 70-65-1. Analyzes the operations of the all
black 24th Infantry during the Korean War to determine how well the
unit and its associated engineers and artillery performed. Asks
whether deficiencies occurred. Seeks their military causes. Looks
at how those influences and events intersected with the racial
prejudices prevalent in that day. Gives a brief history of the
service of black soldiers in the Civil War and World War 1.
Many combat veterans refuse to discuss their experiences on the
line. With the passage of time and the unreliability of memory, it
becomes difficult to understand the true nature of war. In The
Line: Combat in Korea, January--February 1951, retired Army colonel
William T. Bowers uses firsthand, eyewitness accounts of the Korean
War to offer readers an intimate look at the heroism and horror of
the battlefront. These interviews of soldiers on the ground are
particularly telling because they were conducted by Army historians
immediately following combat. Known as the "forgotten war," the
action in Korea lasted from June 1950 until July 1953 and was
particularly savage for its combatants. During the first few months
of the war, American and U.N. soldiers conducted rapid advances and
hasty withdrawals, risky amphibious landings and dangerous
evacuations, all while facing extreme weather conditions. In early
1951, the first winter of the war, frigid cold and severe winds
complicated combat operations. As U.N. forces in Korea retreated
from an oncoming Chinese and North Korean attack, U.S. commanders
feared they would be forced to withdraw from occupation and admit
to a Communist victory. Using interviews and extensive historical
research, The Line analyzes how American troops fought the enemy to
a standstill over this pivotal two-month period, reversing the
course of the war. In early 1951, the war had nearly been lost, but
by February's end, there existed the possibility of preserving an
independent South Korea. Bowers compellingly illustrates how a
series of small successes at the regiment, battalion, company,
platoon, squad, and soldier levels ensured that the line was held
against the North Korean enemy. The Line is the first of three
volumes detailing combat during the Korean War. Each book focuses
on the combat experiences of individual soldiers and junior
leaders. Bowers enhances our understanding of combat by providing
explanatory analysis and supplemental information from official
records, giving readers a complete picture of combat operations in
this understudied theatre. Through searing firsthand accounts and
an intense focus on this brief but critical time frame, The Line
offers new insights into U.S. military operations during the
twentieth century and guarantees that the sacrifices of these
courageous soldiers will not be lost to history.
Includes full color maps. US Army Center of Military History
publication number CMH 70-65-1. Analyzes the operations of the all
black 24th Infantry during the Korean War to determine how well the
unit and its associated engineers and artillery performed. Asks
whether deficiencies occurred. Seeks their military causes. Looks
at how those influences and events intersected with the racial
prejudices prevalent in that day. Gives a brief history of the
service of black soldiers in the Civil War and World War 1.
The story of the 24th Infantry Regiment in Korea is a difficult
one, both for the veterans of the unit and for the Army. In the
early weeks of the Korean War, most American military units
experienced problems as the U.S. Army attempted to transform
understrength, ill-equipped, and inadequately trained forces into
an effective combat team while at the same time holding back the
fierce attacks of an aggressive and well-prepared opponent. In
addition to the problems other regiments faced in Korea, the 24th
Infantry also had to overcome the effects of racial prejudice.
Ultimately the soldiers of the regiment, despite steadfast courage
on the part of many, paid the price on the battlefield for the
attitudes and misguided policies of the Army and their nation.
Several previously published histories have discussed what happened
to the 24th Infantry. This book tells why it happened. In doing so,
it offers important lessons for today's Army. The Army and the
nation must be aware of the corrosive effects of segregation and
the racial prejudices that accompanied it. The consequences of that
system crippled the trust and mutual confidence so necessary among
the soldiers and leaders of combat units and weakened the bonds
that held the 24th together, producing profound effects on the
battlefield. I urge the reader to study and reflect on the insights
provided in the chapters that follow. We must ensure that the
injustices and misfortunes that befell the 24th never occur again.
For U.S. and UN soldiers fighting the Korean War, the spring of
1951 was brutal. The troops faced a tough and determined foe under
challenging conditions. The Chinese Spring Offensive of 1951
exemplified the hardships of the war, as the UN forces struggled
with the Chinese troops over Line Kansas, a phase line north of the
38th parallel, in a conflict that led to the war's final stalemate.
Passing the Test: Combat in Korea, April-June 1951 explores the UN
responses to the offensive in detail, looking closely at combat
from the perspectives of platoons, squads, and the men themselves.
Editors William T. Bowers and John T. Greenwood emphasize the
tactical operations on the front lines and examine U.S. and UN
strategy, as well as the operations of the Communist Chinese and
North Korean forces. They employ a variety of sources, including
interviews conducted by U.S. Army historians within hours or days
of combat, unit journals, and after action reports, to deliver a
comprehensive narrative of the offensive and its battles. Passing
the Test highlights the experiences of individual soldiers,
providing unique insights into the chaos, perseverance, and heroism
of war. The interviews offer a firsthand account that is untainted
by nostalgia and later literature, illuminating the events that
unfolded on the battlefields of Korea.
|
|