The Korean War was a great struggle in East Asia. I have read the book, "Give Me Tomorrow". The George Company was thrown together from untrained recruits and World War II veterans, when North Korea’s invaded the south in 1950. When they went ashore at Inchon, most of the men had never seen combat and barely knew how to handle their weapons. But their arrival tipped the balance for the barely holding on South Koreans. It began an offensive that drove the North Koreans nearly to the Chinese border by late October. That's when the Chinese army entered the mix. That invasion set up George Company’s defining moment. Surrounded by overwhelming numbers near the Chosin Reservoir, the company held out with strong determination to protect a vital intersection and haven for other units. General Oliver Smith’s response, when asked if his men would retreat, showed their resolve: “Retreat, Hell; we’re just advancing in another direction.” The book ends with a victorious tone: the battle was won and many of the men had survived. George Company then fought its way into Hagaru-ri and saw their 1stSgt Rocco Zullo, receive what seemed to be a mortal wound when they entered the town. For years, many of the survivors thought Zullo had died on that day and were astonished to see him walk into the room for their first reunion in 1986. Solemnly the book ended, with a monument to the George Company being built at Quantico, Virginia. My book matters because it gives a retelling of what happened in a war which nobody really cared about. I think its really important for us to know about the Company's bravery and their sacrifices. So what? After reading this book I had to think about that a bit. What could a story about killing, maiming, and crying possibly have to do with our lives today? I think the best reason to read this book is to understand that despite the blood and death, this is a story of brotherhood and friendship. The Korean War might be long over, but the bonds the Marines made were nothing short of eternal. A few of the proofs for this can be found in my book. "The nicest thing in my life was being on that ship. We had good times together. (O'Donnell 187)" "There's no way you could understand war unless you were there. They were all my friends. (O'Donnell 190)" And the bonds that they made, were evident at the George Company reunion many years later. "On this day, it was all fellowship-- friendships and bonds formed in battle among men who trusted and loved one another. "It was like heaven," recalled one George Company Marine, "Seeing my friends for the first time" since the war." This is still valuable today, because instead of us fighting a war, we are fighting ourselves. Bullying and human trafficking is still around. If we acknowledged how good friendship can be for these situations, it might help the people going through it. It's because of these things that I think the main takeaway from this book is friendship and how it can survive war, peace, and years of not seeing each other. This has been a great read!
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SoniaStudent at Martin Middle School :D Archives
May 2017
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