The Final Crucible: U.S. Marines in Korea, Volume 2, 1953, by Lee Ballenger

The Final Crucible: U.S. Marines in Korea, Volume 2, 1953 , by Lee Ballenger
Brassey's, 2001
270 pages, 24 pages of b&w photos, plus 2 appendices, Notes, Bibliography Acknowledgments and Index
Library: 951.9 BAL V.2

Front Matter
The Final Crucible details the 1st Marine Division's harrowing close-quarter battles during the final seven months of the Korean War, January to July 1953. While peace negotiations were under way, the Marines were asked to defend a critical sector of the front against daily attacks by Chinese forces. During this final phase of the so-called stalemate period, over five thousand Marines were killed or wounded. This volume follows The Outpost War: US Marines in Korea, Volume 1: 1952.

The Final Crucible describes how the Marines valiantly battled a numerically superior foe and defended the high ground from barren outposts in the no-man's-land in front of the main lines. These daily small-unit battles of 1953 received scant attention in the press, but the fighting was fierce as at any point during the war. The terrible five-day Battle of the Nevada Cities in March and the Marine's bloody stand at Boulder City on the last day of the shooting war, which prevented a major enemy breakthrough, are just two of the engagements detailed here.

The Final Crucible preserves the story of these Marines who risked, and in many cases lost, their lives during the final months of the Korean War. This book is based on original archival research, previously unpublished oral accounts, and the author's personal experience as a Marine veteran of the Korean War.

Table of Contents
List of Maps
Preface
Introduction
1. Preparation for War
2. Beginning of Another Year
3. A Year on the Jamestown Line
4. Raid on Ungok
5. February, a Month of Raids
6, Ambush on Gray Rock Ridge
7. Spring Thaw
8. Battle of the Cities
9. Nevada City Aftermath
10. Ther Army Way
11. Return to War
12. Boulder City
13. The Warrior's Return
Appendix 1: Marine Corps Casualties
Appendix II: Western Korea, 1952-1953 Hill, Outpost and Military Sites: Grid Numbers and Place Name Cross-Reference
Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledements
Index
About the Author

List of Maps
First Marine Division Sector, Jamestown Line, 1952-1953
The Korean Peninsula
COP Carson
COP Reno
COP Vegas
25th Infantry Division Sector
COP-2
Boulder City/Hill 119, July 1953

Photos
--Flame tank F-22
--First Lt Richard T. Guidera, George Company 3/1, Outpost Hilda, Jan 1953
--Sgt Jess E. Meado, George Company 3/1
-Sgt Tom McGuire Item Company 3/7; Lt O'Connell, Company A, 1st Battery, Black Watch Regiment, British Commonwealth Division
--1st Reconnaissance Company: Capt Arnold E. Allen; Pfc Jack Biehl, Sgt Allen E. Brown, Cpl Edward E. Easton, Pfc Frank J. Benenati
--Cpl Richard L Champagne, George Company 3/1, Feb 1953
--Second Lt Joe H. Fox and 2nd Lt Vince Walsh, Item Company 3/7, Feb 1953
--Officers of Able Company, 1st Tank Battalion, April 1953: 1st Lt Robert March, --Capt Ed Critchett, Lt Dick Smith, Capt Clyde Hunter, Lt "Herk" Harris.
--Pfc Bev Bruce, 1st Reconnaissance Company
--2nd Lt James L. Day, 1st Reconnaissance Company
--Pfc Chuck Burrill
--Sgt John J. O'Hagan, Able Company 1/7
--Maj D. H. MacDonald presenting Sgt Arthur Lipper III, 1st Reconnaissance Company, with a Purple Heart, March 1953
--Pfc Luther R. Hudson, Fox Company 2/5, March 1953
--"The Sons of Italy": Pfc Patrick Luminello, Pfc Davey Armatrudo, and Pfc Carmine Schiapano, BAR men from Dog Company, 2/5. March 1953
--Cpl Tom Kennedy, Fox Company 2/5
--HM3 Paul N. Polley, Navy corpsman with Charlie Company 1/5, March 26, 1953
--TSgt Jack Little, Charlie Company, 1/5
--2nd lt Theodore Chenoweth, Fox Company 2/7
--1st lt Robert March, Able Company, 1st Tank Battalion
--Sgt William Janzen
--Sgt John Camara Recon Section, Headquarters Company, 1dt Tank Battalion, May 1953 with two Turkish soldiers
--Pfc Madison Crosby, Baker Companny, 1.5 on Danish hospital ship Jutlandia, May 1953
--Dog Company, 2/7, June 1953. Sgt Dennis Pryzgoda, Sgt Robert Kreid, Sgt Jerry Roose
--Cpt Robert Hall, Weapons Company 2/5
--How Company 3/1 July 1953 on Hill 111: "Ski", George Broadhead, and Don "Doc" Davies
--Sgt Robert R. Guertin, Charlie Company 1/1, 3 unidentified soldiers
--Pfc Alvin R. Smith, 3r platoon, Dog Company 2/7
--Ssgt Ken Miller, Cpl Lee Ballenger [the author], Cpl John Moofy, Pfc William Abel [none of whom are recognizable]
--Sgt James J. Everson, Jr, 3rd Marine Gun Section, George Company, 3/1, with dog, "Headspace"
--Sgt James R. Champlin, Charlie Company, 1st Tank Battalion
----Sgt Robert A. Gannon, 1st Marine Division
--SSgt Kenneth Miller, Able Company, 1st Tank Bttalion
--First Lt Robert Montgomery, 1st tank Battalion
--2nd lt Stanley Rauh, Able Company 1/7SSgt Timothy Tobin, George Company 3/1
--Ssgt Timothy Tobin, Pfc Claude Wirt (black), Butker, Pfc Edward Howze (black), Machine Gun section, George Company, 3/1
--2nd lt Robert Werckle, George Company 3/1, recieving a Bronze Star
--Pfc Howard C. Davenport, 1st Reconnaissance Company