Mount Chosen Few
On this Memorial Day, 2025, we take this opportunity to retell about a special mountain and what it represents in the Chugach National Forest near Cordova known as “Mount Chosen Few”. HR 5928 presented in the US House of Representatives, by Alaska’s Representative Don Young was introduced June 7, 2012 and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources. The name was approved by the US Board on Geographic Names with the naming of Mount Chosen Few on June 14th, 2012.
In late November and December of 1950, after arriving at the Chosen Reservoir (Korea), American forces were surprised to be met by a Chinese opponent of about 120,000 who slipped across the Yalu River, into the mountains of North Korea and surrounded 15-18,000 men of the 10th Corps made up of mostly U.S. Marines with orders to wipe us out to the last man. With temperatures as cold as 40 below and winds up to 50mph, American Marines, Army soldiers and British Marine Commandos were able to break through the Chinese encirclement and reach their evacuation point, the Port of Hungnam. Overall, roughly 3000 Allied servicemen were killed, 6000 wounded and many more injured from frost bite in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. The enemy had more than 45,000 casualties with 35,000 deaths. There were 17 Medals of Honor received during this battle, more than any other single battle in US History and 70 Navy Crosses, the second highest medal given for valor by the Navy.
Historians have termed Chosin the most savage battle of modern warfare, but despite the incredible odds the American and British were able to checkmate the Chinese and allow the successful evacuation of more than 100,000 North Korean men, women, and children, the last on Christmas Eve, 1950. These individuals voted with their feet against communism and are now living free, many in the United States, as the final legacy of our services sacrifices and American dedication towards freedom and justice for all.
You can see why a mountain in the frozen area of Alaska a fitting tribute to those who gave their lives for our country in far off North Korea. The National Board of The Chosen Few Organization held their national convention in San Antonio, TX during Aug 2012 with great celebration with the announcement in Alaska that a mountain is named as a lasting memorial and reminder to the men who gave their lives for our country.
Two of our Alaskan survivors of the Chosin Reservoir Battle, Richard Lilly and John Beasley led the charge for getting the approval of the name of Mount Chosen Few. They wanted Congress to pass a bill to name Mount Chosin Few in remembrance of all those who fought and died in the battle of the Chosin Reservoir. “Let this mountain serve as a lasting monument to our fallen brothers”, said Richard Lilly and John Beasley. Richard Lilly contacted me. He’s 94 this year and asked for pictures of the battle of the Chosin Reservoir. Some we have but most are just not of a very high quality. I felt it would be better to make it a News release in our Alaska Veterans Museum website and to release it on Memorial Day, 2025. On this Memorial Day and those in the future, do not forget our great warriors who fought and some who died for the sake of keeping communist aggression in check in Korea. The Alaska Veterans Museum does have displays and artifacts of the Korea war in our museum. Come and relive a little bit of that history at 411 W. 4th Ave suite 2A inside the bright yellow sunshine building. Anchorage has a Korean American Group who work closely with the local Korean Consulate. If you’d like to know more, Aves Thomspon at aves1941@gmail.com is the current president of the group.