Jipyeong-ri is a village in Jije-myeon,

Yangpyeong County Yangpyeong County () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Climate Yangpyeong has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen: ''Dwa'') with cold, dry w ...

Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

History

Jipyeong-ri was the site of the Battle of Chipyong-ni during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, February 1951. A memorial has been erected at the site, which is split into three portions — South Korean, US, and French. The area was an important transportation and communication hub. The battle is sometimes known as the Gettysburg of the Korean War. The battle saw 5,600 South Korean, US, and French forces under the command of

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Paul L. Freeman, 23rd Infantry Regiment, defeat a numerically superior Chinese force in hard fighting. Surrounded on all sides, the 2nd Infantry Division’s 23rd Regiment with the attached French Battalion was hemmed in by more than 25,000 Chinese Communist Forces around Jipyeong-ri.

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

forces had previously retreated in the face of the Communist forces instead of getting cut off, but this time they stood and fought. The allies fought at odds of roughly 15 to 1. On the third day of fighting, units of the

5th Cavalry Regiment The 5th Cavalry Regiment ("Black Knights") is a historical unit of the United States Army that began its service on March 3, 1855, as the Second Cavalry Regiment. On August 3, 1861, it was redesignated as the 5th Cavalry Regiment following an ...

punched a hole in the Chinese lines relieving the 23rd Regiment. The victory is considered so decisive that the Chinese began peace overtures soon after. Sergeant First Class William S. Sitman, a

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient and Bellwood, Pennsylvania native was killed during the battle. Various older historical landmarks are located there, including the Jipyeong ''

hyanggyo () were government-run provincial Confucian schools established during the Goryeo (918–1392), and Joseon (July 1392 – August 1910) periods in Korea. They were established to educate and train officials in Confucian ideals and the ethics of g ...

'' (village school) and a three-story stone pagoda from the

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

period.

References

External links

at county government web site

in Gugeler, Russel A. ''Combat Actions in Korea''.

United States Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...

. CMH Pub 30–2.
War Memorial of Korea web link
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611082639/http://www.history.army.mil/moh.html , date=2009-06-11 Yangpyeong County

History

See also

References

Further reading

External links