Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 75 years, as of this month, since the Battle of Chipyong-ni, often called the ``Gettysburg of the Korean War.'' In February 1951, the Chinese People's Liberation Army and North Korean People's Army…
Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 75 years, as of this month, since the Battle of Chipyong-ni, often called the ``Gettysburg of the Korean War.''
In February 1951, the Chinese People's Liberation Army and North Korean People's Army launched a major offensive against American and South Korean lines near Chipyong-ni.
American forces, along with the support of French allies, held their ground against relentless attacks until February 15th when troops from the American 1st Calvary Division broke through enemy lines, reversing a monthslong tide of defeats. This victory marked a major turning point in the war effectively breaking the last major Chinese offensive and restoring momentum to the United Nations forces.
I include in the Record the following summary of this battle from the February 12, 2026, edition of The Washington Times:
Tide-turning `Gettysburg of Korea' Battle Commemorated 75 Years Later
CHIPYONG-NI, South Korea--Chipyong-ni is today a modest,
rural village, but 75 years ago it briefly commanded the
attention of the free world. For millennial Koreans, the
village--now spelled `Jipyeong-ri'--is famed for the
excellence of its makgeolli, a white rice brew.
For military historians, Chipyong-ni is famed for the
three-day `Gettysburg of the Korean War' that began Feb. 13,
1951.
Forty miles southeast of Seoul, U.S. forces, fighting
alongside French allies, reversed a monthslong tide of
defeats, proving Chinese forces could be beaten.
The battle's 75th anniversary was commemorated Wednesday by
local VIPs and troop contingents from France, South Korea and
the U.S.
But as the war generation fades, this year's commemorations
were the first in living memory without veterans.
And while trans-Atlantic tensions strain NATO's sinews,
inter-Allied frictions became obvious during the
commemorations.
Looking Back
In 1951, the battle was fought under snow. In 2026, the
rice fields were frozen and the weather chill, but snow had
stayed off the gray-brown landscape.
Gunfire no longer clatters; artillery no longer thunders.
Today's standout sound is the hiss of KTX bullet trains
passing along through the little station.
Commemorations took place at a raised memorial overlooking
Chipyong-ri's museum--complete with a tank outside. The
makegolli brewery that was the American command post still
stands, beautifully restored.
Uniforms included Korean Army dark greens, U.S. Army browns
and tans and the jaunty scarlet and blue of the most
distinctive contingent--cadets from the French military
academy, St. Cyr,
`This battle was a linchpin,' Brig. Gen. Scott Woodward,
deputy commander of the 2nd Infantry Division, or `21D,' the
key U.S. ground force in Korea today. `It turned the tide of
the war.'
In 1951, 21D's 23rd Infantry Regiment, fighting under the
U.N. Command banner with the French U.N. Battalion attached,
defended Chipyong-ri.
From the memorial, the most striking thing about the
battlefield is its size. Four battalions of infantry, plus
artillery and over 100 vehicles were compressed by the
surrounding Chinese forces into a perimeter a mile deep and a
mile-and-a-half wide.
`It's humbling to see the challenges the soldiers faced,'
said U.S. Command Sgt. Maj. Larry Milner. `The terrain forced
them to get in close.'
`It must have been intimidating to fight here: You could
see the enemy's eyes,' said 2nd Lt. Nicolas, a St. Cyr cadet
who, citing academy policy. declined to offer his surname.
`The enemy had the high ground, and much more manpower.'
Holding the `Human Wave'
U.S. Col. Paul Freeman, commanding the 23rd, deployed his
units shoulder-to-shoulder to prevent infiltration in an all-
around defense. Inside the perimeter, his engineers
built a crude runway, cutting reliance on road transport.
These preparations were designed to confront a Chinese
tactic that had, so far, been triumphant in the Korean War.
In `human wave' attacks, Chinese units massed in front of
U.N. positions and assaulted frontally. At the same time,
other units infiltrated around the flanks, establishing
roadblocks and ambush sites deep in the rear.
Like water, the Chinese forces aimed to roll over, around
and behind U.N. units. The tactic had driven all before it.
In December 1950, U.N. forces had retreated from North
Korea. A month later, Seoul fell. By February 1951, the war
hung in the balance.
Chipyong-ri commanded a key road-rail transport junction.
Freeman was ordered to hold firm.
Overlooking him, Chinese officers massed three regiments
against the 23rd. What happened next passed into legend.
Chinese troops crawled through mines, under wire, up to
fighting positions, initiating combat of the most traumatic
kind: Extreme close range.
Massive 8-inch howitzers were depressed, shooting directly
into the assault waves. U.S. aircraft dropped lines of flares
for illumination, napalm incendiaries for effect.
French troops used a hand-cranked siren to overwhelm the
bugles the Chinese used as signaling devices, then unleashed
bayonet counterattacks.
The perimeter held the first night. On the second, Chinese
penetrated the south. The battle raged all day as more
Chinese troops were fed into the breach, swarming inside the
perimeter. Just as darkness fell on Feb. 16, U.S. tanks
appeared through a pass in the southern ridge: A relief force
from 1st Cavalry Division. Caught on flat ground without
cover, Chinese soldiers were mowed down by tank fire. They
fled.
Freeman and his men had held.
Chipyong-ni was likened to Gettysburg, though smaller in
scale than the Civil War epic.
Chinese after-action reports indicated shock. Per
precedent, they had expected the Americans to retreat, and
had been stunned by the armored intervention.
All units--French included--earned U.S. Army Distinguished
Unit Citations.
Passing generation, new animosity
Absent from the 2026 commemorations were the veterans, With
the Korean War ending in 1953 living memories are
evaporating--making commemorations doubly important.
`Telling stories, getting the soldiers to learn their
history, builds cohesion,' Gen. Woodward said.
Though drones, long-range fires and satellite
communications have changed combat, the core lessons of
Chipyong-ri endure.
`The character of war has changed, the nature of war has
not,' he continued. `Whether it's with axes or drones,
soldiers have got to have guts and determination, and leaders
have got to inspire.'
Unlike World War II and the Vietnam War, the Korean War,
dubbed `The Forgotten War' hasn't resonated in popular
culture. A bare handful of Korean actions caught Hollywood's
attention, notably the Incheon amphibious landing, and the
breakout from Chosin Reservoir. Chipyong-ri does not make the
list,
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Coil. Steve Tharp, who conducts
Korean War tours and calls himself passionate about the
battle, bemoaned that. The Marine Corps, which fought at
Incheon and Chosin, outsmarts the Army in public relations,
he sniffed.
Chipyong-ri, he said, is custom-built for film, with the
dramatic armored intervention being `like the cavalry
arriving in a Western.' In 2026, it was America's allies who
felt overlooked.
French diplomats, officers and cadets attended the U.S.
ceremony. In a subsequent commemoration, at the nearby French
memorial, no U.S. troops or officials appeared.
`I am a little perplexed about what they were thinking,'
said retired Col. Alain Nass, a former defense attache at
Seoul's French Embassy. `They were not here with us today.
Why?'
He noted that 2ID was originally activated in France,
during World War I. Every year, it is commemorated by French
officialdom there.
`We have the U.S. flag here,' he said, pointing to the
Stars and Stripes engraved alongside the Tricolor on the
French battle memorial. `It's important we keep this
relationship alive: It's about comradeship.'