After receiving 2 Purple Hearts and a Silver Star on Iwo Jima during WW2, Capt. William Barber now found himself in the midst of the Korean War, with 246 Marines (F.Co 2/7) under his command and with the orders of holding their position at all cost near Chosin.
The Toktong Pass was a vital point where, if taken by the enemy, would result in the capture of 8,000 Marines.
Beginning on Nov 27, 1950, for 5 nights and 6 days, in freezing temperatures, outnumbered 5 to 1, Capt. Barber and his company fought off countless waves of Chinese soldiers.
After being shot in the thigh on day 2, and refusing morphine or treatment, he used a makeshift crutch to move about the line, leading his men and coordinating air and artillery strikes at close proximity.
He was ordered to withdraw, but knowing that his dead and wounded couldn't be moved, he defied orders and remained.
The enemy broke through the lines 3 times, only to be pushed back by the Marines.
After an heroic rescue mission led by Lt. Colonel Ray Davis (who was also awarded the Medal of Honor) finally reached their position and flushed out the surviving Chinese.
Over 1000 enemy dead littered the pass while Capt. Barber and 82 of his men were left standing.
He was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor and continued his career, fighting in Vietnam until retiring in 1970. He passed away in 2002 because the world couldn't handle a hardfuck like that for much longer.
#semperfi #zerofoxtrot #stayzero