Review (PDF) Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story--The Epic Stand Of The Marines Of George Company
“What would you want if you could have any wish?” asked the photojournalist of the haggard, bloodied Marine before him. The Marine gaped at his interviewer. The photographer snapped his picture, which became the iconic Korean War image featured on this book’s jacket. “Give me tomorrow,” he said at last.After nearly four months of continuous and agonizing combat on the battlefields of Korea, such a simple request seemed impossible. For many men of George Company, or “Bloody George” as they were known—one of the Forgotten War’s most decorated yet unrecognized companies—it was a wish that would not come true. This is the untold story of “Bloody George,” a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation’s call to duty in 1950. This small band of men—a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood—were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America’s urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War’s bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house-to-house in Seoul, George Company, one of America’s last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn’t realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle—modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage. Thoroughly researched and vividly told, Give Me Tomorrow is fitting testament to the heroic deeds of George Company. They will never again be forgotten.
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Press; Reprint edition (October 25, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0306820447
ISBN-13: 978-0306820441
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (179 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #65,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #9 in Books > History > Military > Korean War > Campaigns #678 in Books > History > Military > United States
I was a member of George Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division or G-3-1 in Korea. I've waited for 60 years for someone to tell our story. Fate must have sent Patrick O'Donnell to uncover this story before it was too late.He brought this story to vivid interest and readability. We were 19 and 20 year olds that had to be the least trained Marines going into a battle. In World War ll we usually outnumbered the enemy but in Korea it was the opposite. Usually 10-20 to 1.I still can't believe we did what we did.
Give Me Tomorrow is an amazing untold story about Marines who faced unbelievable odds. At the Chosin Reservior, these Marines fought a relentless enemy, weather which dipped into the minus 40s, no food (just Tootsie Rolls and handfuls of snow), and no shelter, just shallow foxholes. The book focuses George Company which battled through a division of Chinese troops and held the "Little Round Top of Korea," East Hill, against a regiment of Chinese troops. Their epic stand wasn't a one-time occurrence, the company remarkably made five epic stands (Seoul, Task Force Drysdale, East Hill, Hill 902, and on the last day and battle of the Korean War at a forgotten outpost called Boulder City). This book is action packed, a page turner which puts the reader in the boots of these Marines, and mostly in the words of these heroes.
"Give Me Tomorrow" is one of my favorite books. I knew next to nothing about the Korean War until I read this epic story. Unlike traditional histories, this reads in a very cinematic manner and focuses around a core group of Marines. The book is an amazing story of true courage and survival. These men fought in temperatures approaching 40 below zero, no food and against odds at 20 or more to one--amazing! The men of George Company and the "Frozen Chosen" are all true heroes. If you want to understand the Forgotten Ware read this book!!
Give Me Tomorrow is a Book that covers the Marine Corps Rifle Company (G-3-1) that I was in during this time frame (Sept 15 1950 to Dec 5, 1950).I bought a copy for each of my family members, Siblings and Children, to give so they could get a record of the Battles that I was in and the Buddies that I served with and lost. It covers MSgt Rocco Zullo very well. His Voice, at Tent Camp II during August 1950 and Vibrated the Quansi Hut Roofs during Revelee. He was quite a Marine. I personaly think he deserves the Congressional Medal of Honor.It covers the three battles that I was in (Inchon, Seoul, & Chosin Reservoir) very well and also gives some coverage in detail of how I was wounded (Nov. 30 1950) at the Chosin reservoir during Task Force Drysdale and evacuated. I missed the East Hill fire Fighting.ThanksOrace Leon Edwards (The Tall Texas Tee Totaler)Arlington, TexasI was actually born in Miller County, Arkansas but grew up Texarkana (Ark/Tex)A Marine participant in Give Me Tomorrow.It is Personal record for me.
I'm a history buff and this is the best combat book I have ever read. The author takes the word of the combatants and makes a "I don't want to put the book down" kind of story out of their experience. Great up front action!!!!!!!!!I know how well the author covered the story because I was a member of G/3/1 and I'm mentioned in the book.
I am sorry, but I believe the men of George company deserve better. Theirs is a truly heroic story, and one is delighted that the spotlight of history has shone on them. However, one wishes that they had a better proponent for their story.I have any number of issues, but chief among them are the following:1) Right at the start of the book, Mr. O'Donnell makes the unpardonable error of making himself central to the narrative.2) His representation of Don Carlos Faith seemed extremely churlish. Col. Faith was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions, but reading this book you would have never known it.3) The backdrop of events and the historic detail associated with those events were off - particularly in the case of Taskforce Drysdale.4) The devil is in the detail and the accuracy of the fact checking around those details really wasn't great - George Company's comrades in arms, for instance, were Royal Marines; not hard to get right, but Mr. O'Donnell persistently gets it wrong.5) There were a number of peculiar footnotes, which were repetitious in nature, especially when compared to the text itself - why weren't these properly edited? This sloppiness smacks of filler when none is required in a set of stories so gripping in nature.6) The "where are they now section" seemed sadly lacking - these are heroic men, and to know more about them and their lives would have been an honour.In short, in my opinion, Mr. O'Donnell has taken the lazy man's approach to this book - he has simply let his heroic subjects do all the work through the brush strokes of their words alone. What he has failed to do is provide them, as was his reponsibilty as the named author, with the accurate, unobtrusive and reflective canvas on which their deeds deserve to have been painted.
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