Hills of Sacrifice : The 5th RCT in Korea [Hardcover]

Michael P Slater (Author), Michael P. Slater (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

Fifty-years ago 3,200 soldiers deployed with the US Army's 5th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, to fight in the Korean War. Within six-weeks of entering combat, over one-third of these men had fallen -- killed, missing, or wounded -- fighting in the most bitter close-combat struggle Americans have participated in since the Civil War. One man's Police Action; another man's war. And this war would last three years. "Hills of Sacrifice" is the story of these men, most no older than 25; a few only 15 or 16 years of age. The 5th RCT was a "Bastard Outfit," meaning it was an independent combat team, one with no permanent higher divisional headquarters. It fought with the 1st Cavalry, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, 3d, 24th, 25th, 40th, and 45th Infantry Divisions. Over time the 5th RCT developed a superb reputation and it became the US EIGHTH Army's firebrigade of the Korean War. Casualties were heavy -- the unit was often thrown into the breach to breakthrough a heavily fortified Communist position (WAEGWAN: September 1950) or to serve as rearguard (The Chinese Spring Offensive: April 1951). Mistakes were made (Task Force Kean: August 1950). Men died as a result of these mistakes. My book includes a list of known and suspected casualties. In three years of war, the 5th RCT is believed to have lost over 1,000 men killed in action. Like all units in all wars, the 5th RCT included men who displayed uncommon courage on the battlefield (2 Medal of Honor recipients). Of note, many of the men serving in the 5th RCT called Hawaii their home. Few people know even today that the Territory of Hawaii suffered the HIGHEST per capita casualty rate of any State or Territory during the Korean War. One of the men who fell in Korea was SGT Ernest Calhau, known to friends and family as "Sonny." Sonny was my wife's Uncle. He was the original inspiration for writing this book. His letters home are used in the text to amplify the point that men who fall in combat are not mere statistics. These men had their own loves, fears, and lives before the bullet or shell fragment took them from us on a long forgotten battlefield of a distant Asian war. I caution you, my book is not for the faint-hearted. Graphic descriptions of the infantry close-combat battle are related throughout. I relied extensively on primary source material, to include interviews with former riflemen and battalion commanders. Unit records from the National Archives provided much information that has never been published on the Korean War before.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A hell of a read! Hills of Sacrifice, explodes like a hand grenade and is riveting combat reportage." -- Col. David H. Hackworth, USA RET

"Hills of Sacrifice is a magnificent history of Hawaii’s own’, the 5th RCT during the Korean War. It will be widely read, and deserves to be." -- Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano, State of Hawaii

"The best and most definitive book on infantry combat at the bayonet level in Korea. It grips the reader into the firestorm, fury, terror and grief of it all." -- LTGEN. Harold G. Moore

From the Publisher

Turner Publishing Company

This is a moving account of a premier Army unit during one of the Nation's most costly, yet least remembered, wars. Battle action is seen through the eyes of the men who endured those horrors. The 5th Regimental Combat Team was unique in many respects. Not only was it the last U.S. occupation force to depart peaceful Korea in 1949, it was among the earliest elements to return to that war torn country within the year. Moreover, the Hawaiian regiment was proud of its unusually diverse cultural and ethnic blend. As a separate RCT, the 5th was assigned, over the course of the war, to the majority of Divisions in the 8th Army. It fought with the 1st Cavalry, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, 3rd, 24th, 25th, 40th, and 45th Infantry Divisions. Woven into this saga is the fateful journey of a young soldier from Hawaii and the agony of the family who lost a son defending the liberty of a people he knew not. The 5th RCT stands in the annals of military history among America's most storied regiments such as the 442nd Go For Broke, 27th Wolfhounds and the 5th Marines. Illustrated with hundreds of photographs, many of them by the acclaimed combat photographer, Al Chang. Also includes a comprehensive list of unit casualties and an index. Foreword written by LTGEN Alpha Bowser, G-3, 1st Marine Division, Korea 1950-1951.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Turner (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563115883
• ISBN-13: 978-1563115882
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,843,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Forgotten War No Longer Forgotten, August 13, 2000

By 

Paul Simoneau (Okinawa, JAPAN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hills of Sacrifice : The 5th RCT in Korea (Hardcover)

Mike Slater has absolutely brought alive the anguish and triumph of those men of the 5th Regimental Combat Team who held the hills of sacrifice in the earliest days of the Korean War and eventually finished their sacrifice along the Armistice line three years later. The depth of research is stunning, not in its presentation of cold facts, but in its blended and balanced perspective from the human and emotional side of the soldiers who fought in Korea. A rich collection of archived military photos as well as personnel photos from those who fought there will not disappoint those who enjoy a more visual depiction of the history they're reading about. An outstanding history that is captivating and remarkable. A must read!!!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anniversary Tribute, August 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Hills of Sacrifice : The 5th RCT in Korea (Hardcover)

"HILLS OF SACRIFICE, so appropriately titled, appears on the 50th Anniversary of the outset of the Forgotten War. It is a fitting tribute to one of the US Army's oldest and most distinguished regiments.

Much of the vivid narrative derives from the memoirs and recollections of combat veterans. In that regard, it is similar to the well regarded book, "FIGHTING ON THE BRINK: DEFENDING THE PUSAN PERIMITER." Indeed, the two authors interviewed some of the same eye witnesses of the 5th Regimental Combat Team.

This timely work is far more than a war diary chronology of combat operations. A number of compelling themes emerge. One is the sorrowful tale of the young soldier from Hawaii who did not survive the endless infantry assaults upon well defended Korean hills. Also set forth are the heroics of many survivors. A good number of them continued in the military to attain the lofty rank of Command Sergeant Major or General Officer. Moreover, the author offers fair critique of combat leadership and tactics; praising the worthy and challenging the questionable.

This volume is a stirring and revealing history for the casual reader. It is an essential addition to the library of all students of modern warfare.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sierra Hotel Coverage of the Korean War, August 14, 2000

By 

Dallace Meehan (Lady Lake, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hills of Sacrifice : The 5th RCT in Korea (Hardcover)

Mike Slater has captured the essence of grunt combat in Korea. One can hardly get through his exciting and riveting narrative, without shedding tears for those who were there. This is a compelling story of a combat unit that played an instrumental role in our "Forgotten War." Moreover, Slater provides an absoulutely outstanding portrayal of the pathos and drama of combat from the perspective of the foxhole. Certain to go down as one of the seminal works on that monumental conflict, "Hills of Conflict" is a must read for anyone who wishes to know what it was really like.