Photo By Eric Kowal | PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - A plaque dedicated to the New Jersey Marines who died in Korea.... read more read more
PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - This Thanksgiving marks the 75th Anniversary of one of the most grueling and hard-fought battles in the history of the military of the United States. A force of nearly 120,000 Communist Chinese attacked the United Nations (U.N.) forces, mostly United States Marines, on Nov. 27, 1950.
The U.N. troops that took up positions on the banks of Chosin Reservoir were vastly outnumbered at 30,000 strong and were surrounded. The fighting took place amongst some of the most unforgiving mountainous terrain in sub-zero temperatures.
The Marines held their position under staggering odds, until given the order to withdraw on 30 November, which prompted Maj. Gen. Oliver Smith’s famous response, “Retreat Hell! We’re advancing in a different direction.”
After “breaking out” on 6 December and fighting 78 miles along the road from Hagaru-ri to the port of Hungnam, on Dec. 11, a fleet of 193 ships awaited to evacuate the battle-weary U.N. forces and civilian refugees. The result, more than 1,000 U.N. forces were killed in action and more than 7,000 Chinese killed.
The 1st Marine Division was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation and 14 Marines, two Army Soldiers, and one Navy pilot received the Medal of Honor for actions during the battle. All who served were labeled, “The Chosin Few.”
Amongst the Marines in the 1st Division at Chosin were the United States Marine Corps Reserve 21st Infantry Battalion, activated in September 1950. The unit consisted of four companies, three based in “Dover” on the same ground the present Marines are based at Picatinny Arsenal, and one “Baker” company from Bayonne.
A total of 949 men were called to arms. Robert Zienkowicz, who served at Chosin when he was 17-years-old, recounted to the Star Ledger in 1987, “with a Marine Reserve Company from Bayonne and three Marine Reserve Companies from Dover, as well as other Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen that contributed to the fighting at Chosin Reservoir, there should be 300 or 400 people in New Jersey eligible for The Chosin Few.”
A Medal of Honor recipient from one of the Dover companies, Pfc. Hector Cafferata, was cited for actions on Nov. 28, 1950. During the opening engagement, the Chinese were attacking in overwhelming waves, where several Marines recounted that it seemed two enemy would appear where one was killed. The Chinese attacked while crashing cymbals and blowing horns while shouting curses in English. Cafferata faced these circumstances on the night he took action.
Cafferata’s citation reads, “When his entire fire team were casualties, he took the fight upon himself, maneuvering along the line under automatic weapon and mortar fire, to deliver accurate and effective fire.”
He killed 15 Chinese and wounded numerous more, causing the enemy to withdraw. A grenade was thrown into a trench where wounded Marines were, and Cafferata jumped in and threw the grenade back before it detonated and killed his fellow Marines. The blast of the grenade severed his finger and severely wounded his hand and arm. He continued to fight until shot by a Chinese sniper. His action allowed time for Marine reinforcements to take up his position, when he and the wounded Marines he saved were evacuated. Cafferata is credited with ensuring his Marine Company held against a Chinese force of Regimental size.
Pfc. Cafferata survived his wounds, but 32 of the Marines of the 21st Infantry Bn USMCR were never returning from Korea. 22 of them were killed in action at Chosin Reservoir. A monument to these men stands on the “Navy Hill” section of Picatinny, located in front of the Marine Corps Reserve Building, a testament to the ongoing tradition of the USMC at Picatinny and a remembrance of the men that served here and gave their lives while faithfully performing their duty.
Pfc. Charles Brandner was killed at Chosin, Dec. 1, 1950. Prior to the war, Brandner organized the Cub Scouts at the Catholic Youth Organization. In tribute, his troop restored a WW2 era landing craft and christened it in his name. Pfc. Philip Wisneski, a machine gunner assigned to protect an artillery battery, survived the fighting in Chosin only to be killed in action a month later.
A few of the Marines were World War 2 veterans, called back to service in Korea. Cpl. James Davis enlisted in the Marine Corps near the end of WW2 at 16-years-old and served in China. He was making up his lost time in High School when he was called up for Korea. At Chosin, he suffered frostbite in his feet and was riding in a truck during the fight to Hungnam when they were ambushed by the Chinese. He jumped out of the truck to fight, was shot twice then killed by a grenade while calling for a medic. His father was presented with his High School diploma posthumously.
Sgt. Ernest Haussler was a mortarman, serving with the 5th Marines during WW2 at the Solomon Islands and Guadalcanal, awarded a Presidential Citation for gallantry. He was with the 7th Marines at Chosin when he was shot in the chest on Dec. 4, 1950. His last letter home to his wife and 21-month-old son was sent on 24 November, the day the Marines arrived at Chosin Reservoir.
Cpl. Alexander “Sandy” Macmillan was a veteran of Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima and was a sophomore at Montclair State when called up for Korea. Sandy was a football and track athlete at the college and wrote a sports column for the Star Ledger. His last column, written from the battlefield, was published in the Star Ledger on 31 March 1951.
Three of the “Dover” Marines were truly local boys. Cpl. Thomas Estwick and Pfc. Marshall Bush grew up on Mt. Hope Ave. Current Picatinny employees likely drive past their former homes while reporting for duty each day. Both were classified “Missing in Action” at Chosin on Dec. 2, 1950. It wasn’t until January 1954 that it was confirmed that they had been killed.
A third Dover resident, Pvt. George Lawrence, was killed in action at Chosin on 30 November. They were all graduates on Dover High School, and in 2009 their former classmate USMC Capt. Dominic Ciardi, took up the cause of having a plaque dedicated to them. The plaque was made possible via donations by the Dover High School class of 1949 and the VFW.
This Thanksgiving Day, coinciding with the 75th Anniversary of what is often referred to as the “Frozen Chosin,” it is important that we remember that the names memorialized upon the bronze are not simply cold representations of a somewhat distant past.
I’m reminded of Pfc. Daniel Stiller’s last letter home, written from Chosin on Nov. 26, 1950, “Somewhere near Manchuria.” He wrote that he was in a foxhole enjoying his Thanksgiving dinner while writing the letter on top of his mess kit. He survived Chosin but went Missing in Action on Jan. 8, 1951. At the end of the war, he was declared dead because his name was on a list of prisoners that had died in captivity.
The Marines that fought at Chosin were not just names on a list, they were living, breathing, human beings that were called to defend this country and the ideals of the free world. They had lives, families, and dreams. They battled against extreme weather with the odds against them, yet they fought and sacrificed. The Korean War is often referred to as, “The Forgotten War,” but here at Picatinny Arsenal they are not forgotten, they are family.
| Date Taken: | 11.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.25.2025 15:59 |
| Story ID: | 552404 |
| Location: | PICATINNY ARSENAL, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
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