Writing from the Osaka Army Hospital, Pvt. Bob Hammond Describes to His Father the Brutal Fighting at the Chosin Reservoir

“Well, by now you all have probably got a telegram saying I’ve been wounded in action,” Pvt. Bob Hammond, a survivor of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, wrote to his distraught parents in Henderson, Nevada, on December 7, 1950. “Don’t worry … I got shot up a little and I got frozen hands and feet, but I thank God I was so lucky. I had to run three miles with a bullet thru my knee. I’ll tell you about it when I can write better.” General MacArthur’s Home-by-Christmas Offensive (as it was christened by the media) was torn to pieces by the Chinese in late November and early December 1950. One of the most horrific clashes of all occurred at the Chosin Reservoir deep within the frozen, wind-swept mountains of North Korea. “Don’t let a bunch of Chinese laundrymen stop you,” barked Tenth Corps commander Gen. Edward M. Almond to a group of shivering men, “we’re going all the way to the Yalu.” But as temperatures plunged to thirty degrees below zero, 15,000 members of the First Marine Division and 3,200 soldiers with the U.S. Seventh Infantry Division found themselves surrounded by 120,000 Chinese troops. It was a bloodbath. Having recovered the use of his frostbitten hands two weeks after his first note home, seventeen-year-old Pvt. Bob Hammond was able to describe to his father their desperate attempt to escape.

Dear Dad,

I received your letter, Joyce’s, George Guthrie’s, and Grandma’s and the family’s Xmas cards. I thought the card from “The House of Hammond” was pretty cute. I liked the poem you wrote too.

Dad, you asked me to tell you what I went thru. Well, you know I am a gunner on a 105 Howitzer in the artillery. The 57th, which is part of the 7th Div. We are usually a few miles behind the front lines. We have had mortars drop in on us, knocked out 5 tanks, killed hundreds of Commies we have never seen. But I have never seen anything like what I just went thru. The “Vets” of World War II agree also, that this is the worst they have seen.

On Nov. 27, we went into a new position. That night everything was quiet until about two o’clock the next morning. Then Hell broke loose. They charged the Infantry, went thru their lines and came right down into the Artillery position. “A” Battery had over half their men wounded and four were killed. Just before daybreak, hundreds came charging 30 of us. The rest had retreated to “B” Battery about ½ mile back.

We ran for it. My feet were numb from the extreme cold and I fell down. Three bullets hit a yard from me. I jumped to my feet, fired once and killed one and then ran back to “B” Battery. Five hours later we came back and took our position back.

Three days and nights of bitter fighting went on with heavy losses on both sides. We were outnumbered 10 to 1. We were also trapped and surrounded. We had over 200 wounded guys. I watched a good buddy of mine die of wounds and lack of medicine. I cried, I felt so utterly helpless. On Dec. 1, 1950, we were ordered to fight our way back to the Marine Div. which was 8 miles back. We had about 30 trucks which were carrying the wounded. We went about 2 miles and suddenly a slug ripped thru my knee and chipped the bone. I got into an ambulance which had 16 men in it.

We moved slowly and passed a few roadblocks and before I knew it, it was dark. They were on all sides of us and we were masecured. Our driver got killed and the ambulance crashed into a ditch. Machine gun slugs tore thru the ambulance killing a G.I. and a Capt. sitting across from me. He slumped on me and I shoved him back in order to get the rear door open. It was jammed, but I jarred it open in a few minutes and fell out.

Pain shot thru my leg, but I crawled into a ditch and then got up and ran. I ran about 3/4 mile and then slowed down to a fast walk. There were 18 other G.I.’s with me. We went along a railroad track for quite a way, then up into the mountains where we stayed till just before daybreak. We then went over a few more mountains and saw the 1st Marine Division. I felt tears come into my eyes, and I realized we were safe now. My pants leg was ripped wide open and I saw my leg was a mass of dried blood. I could hardly walk by then, and a couple of Marines came out and carried me in. The wounded were taken to a plane and flown back to a hospital in Japan. I stayed there two days and then took a train ride to Osaka Army Hospital, the one I’m in now. For the first week I was on my back, but in a while I could walk on crutches. Now they put me back to bed and put a traction on my leg to straighten it out.

But, I’m okay now and I feel great. Don’t worry about me. I am sending a picture I had taken here. I am also sending a picture of a 105 Howitzer. My job is doing what the fellow at the extreme left is doing. The fellow on the other side of the gun with his arm crooked has just fired it. The two guys falling down were standing on the trails to help dig them in as the gun fired. The fellow in between them loaded the gun.

By the way, how much money do I have in the bank. Should be about $150.00, shouldn’t it? I’m going to boost my allotment to $65.00 as soon as I have a chance. Well, take care of yourself. Happy New Year.

Love,

Your Son,

Bob.

P.S. Out of 1,400 men we had, just 400 got back. A Battery had 180 men. We now have 42.—32 are wounded.

The First Marine Division that Hammond praised had fought back tenaciously despite the insurmountable odds against them. The division’s commander, Maj. Gen. Oliver Smith, uttered one of the most famous lines of the war after being asked by correspondents on the scene why the marines were retreating; “Gentleman, we are not retreating. We are merely attacking in another direction.” The Chinese suffered approximately 40,000 casualties by the time the marines had withdrawn to the port of Hungnam for evacuation. By the middle of December 1950, UN forces were pulling out of North Korea. Not only had they lost everything gained in the North, they watched as Communist troops began to march south, once again on the offensive.