On Hallowed Ground: The Last Battle for Pork Chop Hill

by Bill McWilliams, Robert W. Sennewald (Foreword)

“Brilliantly reveals the extraordinary courage of those who fought the final, bitter, bloody, costly days of the Korean War” (Gen. Jack I. Gregory, USAF Ret.). By the summer of 1953, the Korean War had long since reached a stalemate. As peace negotiations dragged on, units of the US 7th Infantry Division rebuilt the defenses of Hill 255, one of numerous outposts in front of the Main Line of Resistance extending across the peninsula. Better known by its nickname, Pork Chop Hill, the outpost had twice been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of the spring. Now, the soldiers tasked with its rebuilding and defense hoped they would not be the last men to die in what had already become known as “the Forgotten War.”   On the night of July 6th, under the cover of a heavy monsoon rainstorm, forces of the Chinese 23rd Army attacked. For five hellish days, the opposing forces engaged in devastating artillery assaults, brutal hand-to-hand fighting, and round-the-clock attacks and counterattacks. Less than three weeks after the smoke on Pork Chop Hill cleared, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed.  On Hallowed Ground is the riveting story of this epic battle. Drawing on previously classified documents, interviews, and letters from survivors, author Bill McWilliams details the strategy and tactics behind the conflict and pays stirring tribute to the heroic soldiers and medics who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to hold “the Chop.”  

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, Military Fiction

701 pages, Kindle Edition

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.