Cpl. Huey French Pierce
The Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War is considered by many to be the most brutal wartime battle in American history. The battle raged for seventeen days, from November 26, 1950, until December 13th, on some of the toughest terrain in Korea during extreme winter conditions. 2,836 Marines and Army personnel lost their lives at Chosin; 13,000 more were wounded, many from frostbite and other weather-related injuries. Cpl. Huey Pierce French’s unit was part of the Task Force MacLean/Faith, which suffered 88% casualties.
Huey’s father fought in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I; his four older brothers served in WWII and were recipients of several commendations. Being a soldier was all Huey wanted to do. He suffered from learning disabilities, what would now be known as dyslexia, making school hard for him. But he was 6-foot-2-inches tall at age 15 and he was determined to join the Army. In March 1950, one month after his fifteenth birthday, he convinced his mother to sign enlistment papers saying he was 17. There was no Korean War in March, and she couldn’t imagine the Army would send her young son overseas, so she agreed to sign the papers. He finished training at Fort Ord, California, and returned home on leave on July 4th, ten days after the beginning of the Korean War. His furlough was cut short when he was ordered back to his unit.
Cpl. French wrote his mother that he was part of the Inchon invasion in September and had been wounded, but she didn’t receive the letter until October. She contacted the Red Cross to inform them of Huey’s actual age and was assured he would be home before Christmas. Unfortunately, he was already on his way to the Chosin Reservoir with the 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
The last time Cpl. French was seen alive was on December 2nd, manning a machine gun with two other soldiers. All three were later found dead. Cpl. French’s body was not returned home until 1955 and is buried at Childress Cemetery.
At fifteen years of age, Corporal Huey Pierce French was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
It is an honor to remember Texas Panhandle hero, Cpl. Huey Pierce French.
VFW Magazine June/July 2013 Digital Edition
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/97787863/huey_pierce-french
