Combat· Korean War
Kanmubong Ridge
The battle for Kanmubong Ridge, centered on Hill 749, was among the most savage of the Punchbowl fighting, an assault on the long hill mass that formed the northern rim of the basin.
The Marines attacked up Kanmubong's steep, bunker-studded slopes against North Korean troops who had honed the ridge into a fortress of mutually supporting positions, and the fighting became a ruthless battle of extermination as the assault companies reduced one hidden bunker after another. Even ground thought secured flared back to life as bypassed defenders fought to the last, recalling to Pacific War veterans the worst of the island battles. The struggle produced multiple Medals of Honor and saw the first large-scale helicopter resupply of troops in combat, a glimpse of the future amid the close-quarters horror. Holding Hill 749 gave the Marines the dominating crest of the Punchbowl's northern wall.
Record no. 633