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Revolver of one of the Chosin Few

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June 20, 2020, 08:26 AM
Blume9mm
Revolver of one of the Chosin Few
Since so many folks like the picture of the beat up S&W revolver my father carried in Korea and specially while he and his buddies were stuck up north for a few days dealing with a few chinese ... I'm going to post a picture of it again and then another one to remind some of the younger ones here of the sacrifices of a few for the many... below the picture of the revolver is a picture of may fathers hands.... all my life he had not only problems with his hands but also with his feet... both got severe frost bite during that little conflict....





My Native American Name:
"Runs with Scissors"
June 20, 2020, 08:34 AM
cremaley
Great story. Thanks for sharing.


Sig P320 X-Compact 9mm
Bul SAS 11 UL 9mm
US Army Veteran
NRA Member

"Remember the first rule of gunfighting...have a gun"-Jeff Cooper
June 20, 2020, 08:42 AM
hberttmank
That is awesome, thanks for sharing this story with us.



"But, as luck would have it, he stood up. He caught that chunk of lead." Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock
June 20, 2020, 08:48 AM
P-220
Thank you for sharing an incredible story.


Niech Zyje P-220

Steve
June 20, 2020, 09:17 AM
patw
Very cool.
June 20, 2020, 11:31 AM
Nipper
Thanks for posting. I love stories like this. Brings history alive.

A handgun was a valued item in the Korean "Police Action". Nice to have in the foxhole with your sleeping bag in the event of a surprise attack or infiltrators. Especially given the extreme weather conditions.

In most wars, average grunts weren't allowed handguns. For some odd reason, many would beg, borrow or steal to obtain one. Anybody who has been in the military knows, of course, that GI's would never knowingly violate official policies. Big Grin


______________________
An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing. --Nicholas Murray Butler
June 20, 2020, 11:33 AM
tleo205
That is a wonderful keepsake and I'm sure it will be treasured for a long time.
June 20, 2020, 02:28 PM
Fredward
There's a reason it was called the land of the "Frozen Chosin." I was there in the 70's, riding the rails as security for high value military shipments. Pusan to Freedom Bridge (almost) on flatcars, boxcars or gondolas with no passenger facilities. Boxcars were the worst, they were sealed
June 20, 2020, 06:55 PM
villageidiot
Thank You Sir for the information and history. In my eyes your father's revolver is like my father's it was used to save his life so the value is priceless...VI
June 20, 2020, 06:58 PM
drill sgt
Was in Korea 1969/1970 up near/on/and inside the DMZ with 105mm field artillery (5th/38th FA). Visited several of the major battle sites while there. Charlie Block (large hill top position)lost 35meters in height due to artillery engagement during the Korean Police Action. Our troops were not properly equipped with cold weather clothing and other things that would not function in the extreme cold conditions ............ drill sgt.
June 21, 2020, 06:07 AM
OLD_COP
A priceless keepsake for you family.
June 21, 2020, 09:11 AM
Blume9mm
Actually a few years ago I had contacted the USMC museum and was supposed to ship it to them to review and possibly keep but I put it off. I still plan to do it one day.

Few things my father told me about that conflict ... besides it was damn cold...

He slept with that revolver because if they came in your tent at night it was your only chance while in the sleeping bag.

they were firing the howitzers at night with grape shot in all directions so much that the kerosene lanterns in the tents would not stay lit.

His company 'acquired' two water cooled browning machine guns from the army... and one night they melted the barrels...

Nothing makes a better sand bag than a frozen dead chinese solder. They stacked them up....

M1 carbines would not stop them.

Always keep one round in your M1 while walking through the dead enemy as you bayonet them to make sure because if the blade gets stuck between bones the best way to get it to release is to fire a round.

Finally, his company, recon, was the last to leave, the bridge had already been blown... there were a lot of civilians headed south down that road too trying to get away from the chinese and the chinese soldiers were mixed in with them.... they kept these refuges a minimum of 400 yards back up the road from them.... how they did this... well I think you can figure that out.


My Native American Name:
"Runs with Scissors"
June 21, 2020, 10:07 AM
dehughes
They don’t make them like they used to, be they pistols or men.

Thank you for sharing these stories from your father. They remind us of what the world can be truly like and what is necessary for the survival of freedom and liberty.


________________
tempus edax rerum
June 24, 2020, 05:05 PM
Blume9mm
Thanks for the kind words... my father was a good man that always did right. He spend two weeks before Inchon in a submarine and got Pneumonia .... once in korea his company commander told him to go to a MASH unit and get well.... his story... he walked into the MASH tent and a solder was sitting in a chair with the back of his head split open and a doctor was standing behind him poking around in there while smoking a cigarette and the ash of the cigarette let loose and fell in the guys head... may father turned around and walked back up to his unit.

At first he was the BAR man (at 138lbs) but then they decided to give him an '03 springfield with a scope on it for the duration... he was one of the first marines to ever be dropped into a zone via helicopter.... He qualified at Paris Island with an M1...shooting a perfect score.
Here's a picture of him and his brothers, (he's the skinny guy in the front shirtless)



My Native American Name:
"Runs with Scissors"
June 26, 2020, 09:04 PM
BKile
An awesome story. Thanks for sharing. Semper Fi to your dad!


Semper Fidelis
June 26, 2020, 09:45 PM
Texas Bob C.
Awesome historic revolver.
June 26, 2020, 09:58 PM
chbibc
Thank you for sharing the story and the photos. I cannot imagine the severity of what they went through.


-----------------------
You can't fall off the floor.
June 28, 2020, 09:14 AM
critter44
Magnificent!
June 29, 2020, 12:56 PM
Rocco
Great revolver and a better story. My dad and uncle served in Korea. Dad flew the medevac helos like you see on M.A.S.H. and Robert served in an infantry unit up north. They both had vivid memories of the cold.
June 30, 2020, 06:05 PM
SSgt USMC/Vet
Marines at the frozen Chosin were under the leadership of Colonel " Chesty" Puller. Please tell your dad Semper Fi and thank you for his service.