On Hallowed Ground: The Last Battle For Pork Chop Hill

by Bill McWilliams

July 1953. The Korean War had become a bloody stalemate. Peace was imminent but-as bitter fighting continued-each soldier could only ask himself, would he be the last to die? Despite this, a small group of the U.S. 7th Infantry Division fought back the Chinese Army on Pork Chop Hill. In round-the-clock counterattacks, devastating artillery assaults, and vicious hand-to-hand fighting, the Korean War's final, hellish chapter played out-while truce negotiations dragged on.

On Hallowed Ground uses previously classified documents and never-before-told accounts by the soldiers and medics whose extraordinary heroism held "the Chop" to reveal, for the first time, the full story of the greatest test of U.S. soldiers' resolve since Valley Forge.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, Military Fiction

512 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

Bill McWilliams was born in Brownsville, TX, raised in small towns in Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado and received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, from the third congressional district of Colorado. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree, and earned a Master of Science degree in Business Administration from The George Washington University while attending the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, AL. He later attended the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, PA, where he completed ten months of senior management training.

His writing includes two prior major Korean War histories, A Return to Glory: The Untold Story of Honor, Dishonor, and Triumph at the United States Military Academy, 1950-53; and On Hallowed Ground, The Last Battle for Pork Chop Hill, the latter published in hardback and trade paperback; plus numerous articles, including two-part and five-part series in newspapers and magazines. An ESPN made-for-television movie, "Code Breakers," premiered in December 2005 and subsequently released on CD in July 2006, was based on his first book.

Reviews

[Tim Frye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed review of every single individual unit action on and around PCH in the last 6 months of the war. A little tedious that way...

Story focuses a bit on some of the most valorous people and their actions. Also discusses the decisions and motivations of military and political leaders and laments the needless loss of life for a hill that now sits in the DMZ.

[John J Elam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read.

Vivid description of a horrific and ghastly battle that ended the three year Korean War. Very well researched. and highly recommended!

[Nemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good one for added knowledge of the Korean conflict
I felt that it had too much details at times which loses the reader….

[Julie Titcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to read this book knowing that my dad was in the U.S. Marine Corp. and served in Korea during this time. Very well written, but glosses over some things--like the horrendous treatment of marines in the 1950s--it touches on it, makes references, but could have been more realistic.

In fairness though, the author does a superb job in relating the details some fifty years later.