Sgt. Ralph Gastelum, USMC, Korean War, Inchon, Chosin Reservoir

Sgt. Ralph Gastelum, USMC, Korean War, Inchon, Chosin Reservoir

Published: November 12, 2025

Duration: 39:11

Ralph Gastelum grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and never experienced much of a winter before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. His first real winter would be spent in Korea in some of the most bitterly cold temperatures that American forces have ever experienced - at Chosin Reservoir in Korea.

In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Sgt. Gastelum recalls the Inchon Landing. He also explains what urban combat was like in those early days and along the front lines in more rural areas. He also tells us how he survived at Chosin Reservoir by playing dead as the...