In 1950, the north Koreans were almost successful in using their military to secure the Korean peninsula. A number of strategic-level events stopped them short, such as the rapid build-up of U.S. forces, the overextension of north Korean supply lines, and the cumulative losses the north Koreans suffered after so many days of combat. The surprise American attack through Inchon and into Seoul severed the north's supply lines and sent them fleeing. American, Republic of Korea (ROK), and UN forces drove them all the way to the Yalu River. That's when the Chinese intervened.
And this is where Ron Broward's story begins.
Ron joined Able Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines as a Private fresh off the boat from Japan. He joined the Marine Corps at 17 and immediately went to Camp Pendleton for about six weeks of training. At this time, the need for manpower was imperative and there was no time for boot camp. Ron learned his trade of being a Marine while training as an infantryman. He became a BAR gunner, not because of his size, but the luck of the draw. At approximately five feet eight inches tall and 140 pounds, Ron was built like the other new Marines: lean, wiry, and with plenty of energy.
After Camp Pendleton, Private Broward, rode a ship to Japan where he continued his training for a couple more weeks. He finally joined his unit in late November after making the short transit across the East Sea and into the port of Hungnam.
He joined 3rd Platoon's 3rd Squad of Captain Robert Barrows' Able Company, 1/1. They immediately were on the road heading north to Chinhung-ni under orders to keep the railhead secure from any Chinese or north Korean attacks. Chinhung-ni lay on the MSR, about fifteen miles south of Changjin Reservoir.
Lieutenant Colonel Buck Schmuck's 1/1 spent the last week in November with very little activity. The battalion knew there was a big fight going on up north and were anxious to get into it.
1st Marine Regiment's Commander, Colonel Chesty Puller gave his 1st Battalion the mission to secure the MSR for the withdrawal from Changjin. LtCol Schmuck lead a small reconaissance patrol himself in order to get first hand knowledge of the terrain. What he saw during the patrol was a "jumbled mass of ridges, known as Hill 1081" which commanded the entire area and had a strategic view of the MSR for miles in both directions. He decided that if he held 1081, he could best accomplish his mission.
On December 8th, 1950, Pvt Broward trudged north on the road to Changjin. The weather worsened to where he plodded along in a furious snowstorm. When the order to seize the hill was given, Captain Robert Wray's Charlie Company took the lead and started the climb. They encountered no resistance, even though they advanced through recently occupied enemy positions. Visibility was only about fifty feet when they finally contacted the Chinese. The initial firefight resulted in a few Marine casualties as they scrambled for cover. Able Company followed in reserve.
Baker Company settled in after achieving the intermediate objective of clearing to a lower ridge line. Then Barrows' Able Company conducted a passage of lines and continued up the steep slow. Barrows reached the last ridgeline first and he and his senior leadership crawled forward of the platoon to survey the final approach to the summit. He didn't like what he saw. He could deploy only a single platoon in line across the treacherous ridge for the final attack on the summit.
Pvt Broward waited in a defilade position down the slope from the Company and Platoon Commanders. He wondered about the upcoming attack. The limited visibility took the face away from the enemy, making them into mere shadows. He'd seen the enemy at Chinhung-ni, but he'd been in a defensive position. Now, it was his turn to attack.
2nd Platoon would be the main effort and attack along the left side of the ridge, Staff Sergeant William Roach's 3rd Platoon would attack along the right, Barrows deciding to squeeze two platoons side by side on the narrow ridgeline. 1st Platoon was in reserve. Even after calling in fire from 4.2 inch mortars, the Chinese continued to mount a staunch resistance.
Barrows built up a base of fire using 3rd Platoon. Critical was the heavy firepower of the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) carried by Ron Broward and the other BAR gunners. They kept up the base of fire, getting augmented by a 60mm mortar section. After almost two hours, elements of 1st Platoon were in position for a final attack on the summit. Using the mortars in direct fire mode, Able Company unleashed a furious attack. The steepness of the slope, the frigid winds, the intense snowstorm, and heavy Chinese resistance combined could not deter the Able Company Marines.
1st Platoon seized the summit from their flanking position down the hill to the left. 3rd Platoon on the right flank attacked through and seized the far ridgeline. As members of 3rd Platoon's Marines fell behind, only three reached their objective. One was Private Ron Broward. Only minutes after reaching their objective, darkness fell. In the snowstorm on the summit, the darkness was complete and the cold froze the dead in their contorted poses. 3rd Platoon's Marines were spread along a thin line around the side of the summit, huddled together in small groups to stay warm. Feeble Chinese counterattacks during the night failed to drive the Marines off the peak. All told, only nine Marines were killed and eleven wounded from the day's action.
Pvt Broward and his companions huddled together in the darkness, staying warm to survive another Korean winter night. Come morning, one of the three forward 3rd Platoon Marines fell to a strafing attack from an American fighter. They survived the elements and the enemy, but there was more to survival than that. Fate played her role.
For his part in the seizure of Hill 1081, Captain Barrows was recommended for the Medal of Honor. He was sent to Japan and Able Company 1/1 was taken over by Captain Thomas Bohannon.
If Iwo Jima had not guaranteed another 500 years of the United States Marine Corps, then Chosin would have. The average Marine who fought at Chosin Reservoir struggled against incredible odds, the harsh terrain and the harsher weather, was a hero by today's standards (and by any standards). Just surviving was a victory. But Ron Broward's story continues.
Members of "The Chosin Few", a group made up mostly of Marine survivors from the battle at Chosin Reservoir, stood silently upon their return to Korea. 48 years had passed since they fought and their friends died. One man arrived days before the rest of the group. Ron Broward stood at Seoul-Kimpo Airport, a successful businessman, but still a Marine at heart. His mission was to find his lost friend.
Spring Offensive
In February of 1951, the Chinese had survived the winter, as had the Americans, ROKs, and other UN forces. The lines stabilized temporarily while the diplomats negotiated for time to allow the communist northern forces to resupply and reinforce. The result was called the Chinese Spring Offensive and it was a massive effort. The map below shows the full weight of 250,000 Chinese attacking in unison across an entire front.
On the 22nd of April, 1951, the full weight of three Chinese Corps bore down the Kumhwa - Hwachon corridor. The Chinese met Major General Smith's 1st Marine Division with limited success. To the friendly left flank, the ROK 6th Division faltered.
The CCF saw the vulnerability and shifted the bulk of their forces to the weak left flank. Lack of adequate training, leadership, and firepower combined for a complete crumbling of the ROK lines. The ROK soldiers fell back in disarray, most fleeing haphazardly south.
Ron Broward peered out the windows of the van, trying to recall the vision from so long ago. "Is this it?" I asked. "Maybe here?" So much had changed since he had last been here. We looked at the maps again and counted hills from the intersection of the meandering stream and the Pukhan-gang (Pukhan River). It was full daylight and a beautiful day for Ron's return. It looked different, yet familiar. We found a road and headed through a box culvert and a kilometer into the valley between two hills. To our left stood Horseshoe Ridge.
Come 23 April, the left flank of the 1st Marine Division was completely exposed. Instead of 10,000 ROKs dug in, there was only open road and a single Marine Battalion, the First of 1st Marines. Lieutenant Colonel Banning had little time to reorient and choose his terrain for the coming fight. He put Captain Robert Wray's Charlie Company on the top of Horseshoe Ridge, just below Hill 546. Charlie Company would see the brunt of the action. Baker Company was to their south oriented west. Able Company needed to fill in the gap facing north and east.
Able Company was fed and slept during the day of the 23rd, and at about midnight, trucks carried them from their outpost in the vicinity of Chun'chon along a river, then west along a stream. The Marines couldn't see much as it was a dark night, not overcast, simply moonless. The trucks stopped and the Marines of Able Company disembarked and were lead a short distance up a hill, then laid in by the platoon sergeant, Sergeant Lincoln. They were given orders, like "cover that direction" with a quick point. PFC Broward was put into a listening post with another Marine, about 100 yards forward and to the right flank of the platoon's position. This LP stood alone in front of them all.
We struggled up the eastern slope of Horseshoe Ridge. A cool breeze rustled the dry leaves, but the climb was warm. At the bottom, we encountered a single one-man fighting position, with a field of fire cut covering the pass from the north. This was probably an automatic rifleman's position, Ron noted. We kept going west up the slope, the climb becoming more and more difficult. Ron became disillusioned and said that we should have already encountered the platoon's positions. "There will be holes everywhere".
We climbed on. I went ahead to scout a better route when I came across depression after depression, the depth of leaves not covering what they had been. I yelled back down the hill that I found holes, but they appeared to be two-man positions. "That's it," was Ron's short reply.
The Marines of Able Company were at 100% alert. There would be no more sleep this night. Shortly after getting into position they heard the Chinese. As part of their human wave tactics, the Chinese used noisemakers and chanted and shouted. They were heard long before they could be seen. Then flares lit Horseshoe Ridge and the attack was underway. As expected Charlie Company faced the combat power of a Chinese Infantry Division. They came by the hundreds, then thousands, and they were cut down en masse, yet they came on. Charlie Company was dug in well and fought hard, not giving ground. Reinforcements were sent up the hill from both Able and Baker Companies. Charlie Marines ran down the slope for more ammo, then headed back up past Able's positions.
Able's Platoon Sergeant, Sgt Lincoln helped to rally the Charlie Marines as they fell back down the hill and throughout the night they fought on. Able heard the yells and the din of battle, but were not attacked directly until much closer to dawn. Into the morning the battle raged before the Chinese fell back to regroup for another assault.
At about three or four in the morning, the Chinese attack looked like it was going to shift to the east, against Able Company. Two Marines sat in front listening and afraid because they knew what that sound was and what it meant. The Chinese were getting dangerously close and were going to attack. They had lost contact with the rest of the platoon. The runner stopped showing up long ago. Suddenly, from behind, a Marine whispered to them to rejoin the lines, the fight was about to begin and they needed the all their firepower.
During a lull after the dawn, wounded were moved off the hill and into the valley where they could be evacuated. A Marine Medevac helo from VMO-6 attempted a landing at the base of Horseshoe Ridge but was immediately shot down by Chinese small arms fire. Private First Class Broward watched this happen and wondered how bad the situation was.
Chinese Attack
Then the Chinese attacked. Once again, they blew horns and whistles, screamed and chanted as they attacked. The Marines of Captain Bohannon's Able Company fired into the Chinese. They were thick as a forest coming on. The main attack was halted and the firefights began. The Chinese used submachine guns in their probing attacks, but were repulsed time and again. It was not safe to spend one second outside of the fighting position, so the Able Marines stayed where they were.
We headed back down the hill, attempting to retrace the steps to the Battalion rear. The steps Charlie Company Marines used to evacuate casualties then path they used to race back up the hill with more ammo. We didn't find the right path as we plunged down a wash and we both took our turn falling among the rocks. The way was treacherous, but the day was clear and we only fought against the hill. After a 45-minute climb down, we came out into a farmer's back yard. A pack of small dogs growled at us.
The orders to withdraw had been passed, and it was 3rd Platoon of Able Company who received the mission of opening a hole in the Chinese lines, so 1/1 could withdraw. PFC Broward was in 3rd Squad of 3rd Platoon and they anchored the attack by providing the majority of the firepower. 3rd Squad had a .30 caliber air-cooled light machine gun section attached. There was a gunner, an assistant gunner, and four ammo carriers. A Private Warren Jackson Rarick was one of the ammo carriers. Jackson, as his friends called him, happened to be from the same home town as Ron Broward.
They fired, fought, reloaded, and fired some more. As the ammunition was limited, they were very selective about their targets. Despite the cries of the dead and dying, the Chinese came on. Marine after Marine was wounded, yet they fought on. The machine gun positions bore the brunt of the Chinese attacks and all the machine gunners were wounded. After an hour and a half, ammunition dwindled, but with the concerted efforts of machine guns, BARs, and rifles, a hole had been opened! The remnants of 1/1 were galvanized into action and withdrew down the hill and into the open valley below, where artillery support and reinforcements waited. Quickly they went through, the sense of urgency no more immediate than their very lives. Despite staggering losses and the length of time these men had spent in constant combat, their withdrawal was orderly.
3rd Squad watched, sensing the Chinese counterattack not far behind the remains of their battalion. Their fears played out as the Chinese ran on the heels of the Marines, firing submachineguns, throwing grenades, and yelling. Always yelling. The Chinese supported their attack with intense mortar fire. There was no such thing as danger close for Chinese mortars as they fired within fifty feet of their advancing infantry.
Ron Broward and Jackson Rarick were two of the last off Horseshoe Ridge, running down the hill, Chinese right behind them. The spring foliage was growing, despite the war going on all around. Into and through these bushes the two young Marines plunged but were entangled and became frantic, Chinese infantry were firing from less than 30 feet away. They broke free and kept running. They hadn't been hit and again they saw fate on their side. The Chinese fire was so intense, the air seemed thick like a fog had rolled in. Mortar fire got closer to the Marines as the Chinese followed.
As the two young and invincible Marines ran, they laughed to each other about how it was odd that Marines were running from the Chinese. Jackson was a man who stood well over six feet and Ron was a wiry, hard man. A round landed between Pvt Rarick and PFC Broward, knocking them both down, but they were back up in an instant, the shrapnel wounds not enough to keep them down. As they approached the final draw that held their comrades, they slid about twenty feet down an embankment to where a Marine tank waited.,
Wounded were being loaded onto the tank for evacuation. Pvt Rarick stopped to help load the wounded, his size giving the little bit extra to get them onto the back. PFC Broward took a hand on a stretcher with three other Marines, carrying out one whose injuries were far worse than theirs. They immediately headed out of the draw. That was the last Ron Broward saw of Pvt Jackson Rarick.
Despite covering fire, the Chinese came on. The number of wounded grew on the tank. Dead were removed to make room for those who had a chance to survive. It is believed that as Pvt Rarick was loading wounded, he was shot by the advancing Chinese. The tank withdrew down the valley, taking with it only those who were wounded and had been loaded. Dead Marines remained at the base of Horseshoe Ridge. There were those who covered the final withdrawal, but not withdrawing themselves. A number of Marines were later discovered dead, still in their fighting positions, weapons at the ready.
After we got back into the van, Ron was silent. His thoughts undoubtedly on a time long ago. The serenity of Horseshoe Ridge seemed inconsistent with the fierce battle waged forty-seven years earliers. In any case, I'm sure Ron felt tired after the climb.
The mission of the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division was to protect the flank. 1/1 ended up withdrawing to a new location more than five kilometers to the south. Their wounded outnumbered the uninjured, greater than three to one. Yet, the losses they inflicted on the Chinese and the stalwart defense waged at the new defensive belt in the vicinity of Hill 902 broke the momentum of the Chinese attack in the central sector and effectively ended the Chinese Spring Offensive for this Field Army.
The Cost
What was the cost to 1/1? Besides the scores of those listed dead, and the hundreds listed as wounded, there were four Marines never accounted for.
- PFC Frank Ippolito
PFC Ruben Adame
Sgt Joseph Miller
Pvt Warren Rarick
As we drove away, I looked back at the inhospitable terrain and tried to think why men would fight and die in the middle of nowhere. There are a number of answers, many dealing with the political climate, but the most important is freedom. The Marines, US and ROK Armies, and a multi-national UN force kept the South free.
Ron Broward wears two Purple Hearts as a symbol of what he has given in the name of the U.S. and the U.S. Marine Corps. Our search for Jackson Rarick came away without firm answers, but a commitment from United States Forces Korea Mortuary Affairs to continue the search. In April, 1999, we'll return, and this time, maybe we'll find what we're looking for.
Lest we forget...
Bibliography:
Chosin: Heroic Ordeal of the Korean War by Eric Hammel. 1990, Presidio Press, Novato, CA.
U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, Volume IV, The East-Central Front by Lynn Montross, Major Hubard Kuokka, USMC, and Major Norman Hicks, USMC. Historical Branch G-3, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington D.C.
"Doc", by Eric Hammel, in Leatherneck, April 1987,
Website - Eyewitness: A North Korean Remembers" by Kim Young Sik
Website - The Korean War, 1950-1953, Extracted from American Military History, Army Historical Series, Off ice of the Chief of Military History, U.S. Army.
Website - http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/maps.htm - U.S. Army Center of Military History.
Personal interview of Ron Broward.
Personal account of Robert Wray, Colonel, USMC, Retired.
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© Copyright 1999 by Craig Martelle.
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