Combat· Korean War
Outpost War 1953
The final phase of the division's war was a continuation of the grinding outpost struggle into 1953, fought from a maze of deepened trenches, bunkers, and fighting holes along the Jamestown Line as the truce talks crept toward conclusion.
The winter brought raids and probes; the spring brought the war's last great battles for the forward outposts; and the summer brought a final surge of Chinese pressure as both sides maneuvered for advantage before the guns fell silent. The Marines refined the techniques of static defense, repositioned their works to the reverse and topographic crests, and answered enemy attacks with massed artillery, armor, and air. They mounted their own carefully rehearsed raids against Chinese-held hills even as they held their line against assault. The fighting continued without letup until the very last day, the outpost war ending only when the armistice took effect and the shooting stopped.
Engagements in this conflict (2)
Record no. 643