15,000 Marines. 120,000 Chinese. They Chose to Fight.

Added: 2026-05-05

In November 1950, 15,000 U.S. Marines at Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, faced complete encirclement by 120,000 Chinese soldiers at 30 below zero temperatures, yet under General Oliver Smith's leadership, they launched 17 days of continuous counterattacks, destroying three times their enemy force despite suffering nearly 5,000 casualties, demonstrating that determined leadership and refusal to surrender can overcome overwhelming numerical and environmental disadvantages.