Watch a four-minute animated short film that portrays the horrific 1950 Battle of Chosin Reservoir here. The film was adapted from the graphic novel Chosin: Hold the Line and was produced by the Veterans Expeditionary Media and HOPR studios. The animated film is called Chosin: Baptized by Fire and was released in July 2014.
The Battle of Chosin Reservoir is regarded as one of the most terrifying and ferocious battles of the Korean War. Fifteen thousand U.S. servicemen, soldiers and marines were surrounded and outnumbered by 120,000 Chinese soldiers and North Koreans in a narrow mountain pass, in Northern Korea. The men endured extreme weather conditions and rough terrain as they battled through one of the coldest winters in North Korea’s history. The battle is often referred to as “the Frozen Chosin.”
The battle lasted 16 days between the end of November and start of December 1950. The subsequent withdrawal of the American forces is considered the longest in American military history. At the time to many it seemed that the Americans were on the verge of defeat in Korea. The battle is also remembered for the famous but slightly bewildering line: “Retreat, hell! We’re attacking in different directions.”.
The animated short focuses on the human aspect of the war and is told from the viewpoint of Pfc. Bill French, who was accidentally caught up in an unexpected attack on Fox Company by the Chinese Army while delivering mail. The action unfolds through his eyes and we get a real sense of the fear of those who fought in the battle.
In the haunting animation, French meets a Chinese soldier on the battlefield. As flares and gunfire flash through the skies, French sees the terrified look in the young Chinese soldier’s eyes. There is a brief flash of humanity as these two innocent men look at each other with the same expression of horror on their faces.
The Chinese forces had cornered the U.S. army’s Fox Company 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. Over a number of days the men endured the assault, surviving the ordeal on what remained of their dwindling supplies. The soldiers pulled together, and with close-air support from the Navy and Marine troops managed to make it back to their original position. The Americans were able to regroup after the battle and regained ground. The Korean War after the battle became a bloody war of attrition between the American and the United Nations and the North Koreans and Chinese, that only ended in 1953.
This animated feature will allow a new generation to understand the horror of this war.
CHOSIN: Baptized by Fire from HOPR on Vimeo.