Dec 17, 2015

Battle Of Chosin: 17 Day's When I Became A Man 65 Years Ago In North Korean Winter

Common Sense Commentary: The pictures, in the link below, tell the story of the 17 day Battle Of Chosin Reservoir between the U.S. Marine 1st Division and several Chinese divisions during the winter (Nov/Dec) of 1950. This week is the 65th anniversary of the end of that battle. The battle was fought day and night in temperatures between -25 and -40 degrees below zero. My best friend, Leroy (Jim) Story, who was killed in Hell Fire Valley, in this battle, and I were members of Col. Chesty Puller's 1st Regiment. The pictures tell the story. I thank Jim's Nephew, Rob Storey, for sending this link to me today... in memory of Jim. RB

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?rs=ac&len=2&q=chosin+reservoir&term_meta%5B%5D=chosin%7Cautocomplete%7C0&term_meta%5B%5D=reservoir%7Cautocomplete%7C0

Jim's brother, Robert Storey, responded to my above post with an email which I am adding here days after the post on this blog. RB
  
From: Bob Storey
To: Rayburn Blair  
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2015 7:41 PM
Subject: Re: Battle Of Chosin: 17 Day's When I Became A Man 65 Years Ago In North Korean Winter

Thank you and our son, Rob, for reminding your blog audience of this forgotten war.  It was in late November of 1950 that I responded to a knock at the door at Dad's farm in a small community in Indiana.  There stood a police officer, his left hand holding his cap, his right hand holding a yellow Western Union envelope.  I asked him to come in as he handed me the envelope.  Mother, Dad, and siblings who were home that night came into the living room as I opened and slowly read the brief message over the tape signature of President Harry S. Truman telling our family that Jim, a brave Marine, had made the supreme sacrifice for his country.  A lot of good things came about as a result of what happened that terrible night.  Jim went home to be the Lord, and you, Rayburn, answered God's call to serve him as a minister of the gospel.  You obeyed and He used you in a mighty way in Tallahassee.  God moves in ways we mere mortals don't understand to accomplish his will.  Thank you for recognizing Jim in your blog.  Means a lot to his remaining family.  Bob


2 comments:

Ron Blair said...

Amazing pictures telling an unbelievable tale of endurance. God Bless those mighty men!!

carolinascallin said...

Thank you, Raymond Blair, for not letting this story be forgotten. Somehow, the Korean War doesn't ever get much 'press'. If you ever find yourself near Quantico, VA (just 15 minutes from DC), make time - like a day - to go to the Marine Corps Museum. There is a wonderful, very accurate (down to the temperature!) enactment of the Choson battle that brings home in a very sobering way the challenges of that engagement. Highly recommend spending a good part of the day in this wonderfully done museum! You will not regret any minute of it.

Dad has told us of that fateful day and how you and he came to know one another after all those years. How wonderful that so much good came out of such an awful time!