Combat· Korean War
Battle of Seoul
The fight for Seoul was the largest urban battle the Marines waged in Korea, a grinding street-by-street reduction of the recaptured capital.
The North Koreans turned the city into a defensive maze of barricades, mines, and prepared positions, manning rubble strongpoints at the major intersections and forcing the Marines to clear it block by block at heavy cost. Attacking from the west and the south after crossing the Han, the 1st and 5th Marines, with the 7th Marines and Korean Marines, pushed through the barricades and house-to-house fighting toward the government district at the city's heart. Marine tanks, engineers, and close air support reduced the strongpoints one at a time. The capital was declared secure and formally restored to the South Korean government, completing the strategic purpose of the entire operation. The urban fighting was the campaign's bloodiest phase, borne mainly by the Marine rifle companies.
Record no. 45