Book Review: On Desperate Ground, Hampton Sides, 2018

        Korea: we hear more than a little about the place today.  President Trump and North Korea dictator, Kim Un, share the spotlight on alternate days, discussing each others' position on nuclear arms and trade sanctions imposed.
      In 1950, Korea climbed on to the front pages of newspapers all over the world when the North Korean army, directed by Kim Un's grandfather, marched across the 38th parallel, the agreed border separating north from south, and proceeded to roll up the South Korean army and the few US Army defenders.   Within weeks, the US was pinned against the wall at the east coast port city of Pusan.  Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur, situated in Japan, was completely caught off guard and struggled to come up with a plan.   Pres. Harry Truman, too, was caught unawares.   He met with his Chiefs of staff to come up with a plan.  The plan included a UN backed coalition that could possibly stem the tide; but little time was available to put the plan to work.   Desperate calls for help  came to MacArthur in Tokyo, surrender became a word put on the table.  MacArthur could not think of a way out of this situation, at first.    Then, he came up with a plan.
         He had worked with Marines during WW II, observing their Esprit de Corps, their elan', their "can do" attitude from top to bottom.  He had one Marine infantry division close at hand, the 1st Marine Division, a veteran organization that fought from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, the first and last battles of WW II.   He had a veteran general, Maj. Gen. O.P. Smith in charge.  His plan:  make an end run around the North Koreans and pinch closed their supply lines near Seoul, the capitol.  A nearby harbor could put the Marines ashore within striking distance of the city, about 40 miles inland from the sea.  It was a hard sell to the Marine generals as they mentioned how difficult an amphibious assault is under ideal circumstances and conditions.  At Inchon, many obstacles existed to thwart just a landing: significant tidal differences in a 24 hour period, narrow channels for landing craft and support vessels, a seawall over 10' high, and a river that needed to be crossed before gaining the city of Seoul.   MacArthur listened, but sharpened his resolve to go forward.  After meeting with Truman on Midway Island, he now had the green light and the support from the White House and the Chiefs.   Time was of the essence as October was nigh and winter close on its heels.   The Marine generals had their work cut out for them.
      Fortunately,  there were sufficient Navy vessels in WestPac to carry the Marines.  In Japan itself, MacArthur had enough resources to outfit a reinforced  infantry division.   Aviation assets were afloat  with the 7th Fleet; others ashore in Okinawa, and Japan(Iwakuni).   Talk of the possibility of a response from China was dismissed by MacArthur's staff as improbable.   The invasion went off as planned with hardly any unforeseen obstacles.   Within a few days, the Marine units were knocking on the doors of Seoul.   When they entered the outskirts of the city, the realities of urban warfare
surfaced once again: house-to-house fighting exacts a terrible toll on participants not to mention civilians caught in a crossfire.   While not general's preferred venue, it had to be done.  And it was.  Soon, the North Korean troops abandoned the city and fled north, toward the Manchurian border.  US forces followed close behind with the 8th US Army moving up the west coast, and the Marines in the central mountains on the main highway.  And then, it began to snow.
       Winter campaigns throughout history make for interesting reading: what were the leaders thinking?  Gambling on fickle nature?  Disbelieving advisors and forecasters?  As temperatures dived,  everything began to slow down, almost to a halt.   A new calculation was in order; but MacArthur's Corps general, Lt. Gen. Almond, would not be deterred from his goal to reach the Yalu River on the border with Manchuria/China. As they moved north, the Marines struggled with terrain: deep ravines flanked by steep hills and mountains with only one road usable for transport.  Gen. Smith begged for more time and more support, but Gen. Almond would not listen.  The Marines pressed on, northward.  When they arrived near a hydroelectric dam at a place called Chosin, they stopped to assess the situation.   Within a couple of days, it became readily apparent, the PLA of China had crossed into Korea in huge numbers, bent on eradicating the Marine/US Army threat.  Game on.   The numbers of attacking troops seemed endless, and despite skill and energy backed up by able leadership, the Marines faced capture or annihilation or both.   Time to retreat.   It became one of the most storied retreats in military history:  1 division, surrounded and out numbered 5-1, in 20 degrees below zero weather, was able to  fight during the withdrawal bringing all casualties and equipment along with them.   Eventually, the Marines were able to reach Hungnam where they boarded transports that carried them south to Pusan where they could regroup and refit for the battle to come.
         Hampton Sides is a great writer and a thorough historian.  His story exhibits considerable depth of research, covering the landscape of earlier histories, and adding to those with a number of personal survival stories.  He also did not omit the controversies attached to MacArthur's leadership role.   Despite his success at Inchon, his many mistakes and bold miscalculations eventually led to his dismissal by Harry Truman.   He was a great leader but had outlived his usefulness.   It was time to retire the old general.
Five Star rating *****