Korean War battle vets share their stories for upcoming documentary
By Rick Rogers Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. May 9, 2009
Dan Bledsoe (left) o
f Mount Helix spoke to Brian Iglesias, producer of “The Chosin Few,” a Korean War documentary. Local veterans who fought in the battle were interviewed at American Legion Post 6 in San Diego. (Howard Lipin / Union-Tribune) –
Marines sit covered with ice and snow in this photo taken in December 1950 during the two-week-long Battle of Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. (Frank Kerr / U.S. Marine Corps file)
Marines sit covered with ice and snow in this photo taken in December 1950 during the two-week-long Battle of Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. (Frank Kerr / U.S. Marine Corps file)
“THE CHOSIN FEW”
For information about the documentary:
Go to frozenchosin.com
Contact Brian Iglesias at (732) 642-1736 or bpiglesias@gmail.com
Contact Anton Sattler at (412) 378-2510 or at anton.sattler@gmail.com
David Williams went decades before talking about the bitter winter of 1950, of how he and 12,000 Marines from Camp Pendleton fought against 150,000 Chinese troops during the Korean War battle of Chosin Reservoir.
The Mount Helix resident made no mention of Chosin to his wife of nearly 20 years until 2001, when she ran across some old photos of the 1st Marine Division and starting asking questions.
“I had just moved on with my life,” said Williams, who fought in Korea with Howe Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment as a 19-year-old rifleman. “I never thought at all about what we did in historic terms.”
But now Williams, 78, and a dwindling number of Chosin veterans are reliving the revered but little-publicized battle for the upcoming documentary “The Chosin Few.”
>My moms cousin was a camp pen Marine who served in Korea at that time.He died of Mesothelioma (sp)
we think he got it from working in the GM plant he was at after he left the Corps.He was a good man.
very quiet.i found out yrs after that, the reason i didnt get my application in on time to the Marines,was cause of him.He kinda didnt want me to enlist.he ….(i shouldnt put this!)He was scared Id get hurt,and I dont mean in battle.he told me i was supposed to do other things.there was enough military in this family!-LOL!