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Give Me Tomorrow
The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story -- The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company
Description
An epic story of valor and sacrifice by a legendary Marine company in the Korean War brought to gripping, cinematic light by an acclaimed historian (“Gives the brave Marines of George Company long overdue recognition”–New York Post)
“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.
Thoroughly researched and vividly told, Give Me Tomorrow is fitting testament to the heroic deeds of George Company. They will never again be forgotten.
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.
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Praise
"Patrick O'Donnell has a rare talent for isolating and burrowing into the great military stories of recent history. With Give Me Tomorrow he applies his well-seasoned skills to a brutal, Thermopylae-like battle from the Korean War--a battle that tested the upper limits of heroism and the outer limits of human endurance."--Hampton Sides, author of Ghost Soldiers and Blood and Thunder
"Pat O'Donnell is, quite simply, one of the best combat historians of our time. In Give Me Tomorrow, he turns his attention to the Korean War and brings the story of the George Company Marines to life in a way that will keep you turning pages. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wishes to understand something of the realities of combat."--John C. McManus, author of Alamo in the Ardennes
"A meticulously crafted narrative that not only follows the heroic struggles of one Marine unit but gives the reader a sense of what for most Americans is, sadly enough, a forgotten war. Absolutely flawless: If you only read one book about the Korean War, Give Me Tomorrow should be that book."--John Mosier, author of The Myth of the Great War and The Blitzkrieg Myth
"Patrick O'Donnell has done it
again! With finesse, he has created an impressive book that captures the
experiences of the George Company 3/1 Marines and Sailors in their pivotal
battles in the Chosin Reservoir campaign. He has captured a mosaic of
individual experiences that paint a realistic picture of the hard fighting and
extreme conditions these heroic men endured. Marines and Sailors fight for
their shipmates on their flanks, and this outnumbered Marine company played a
crucial role in the success of the breakout. This volume should be in the
professional library of every warrior and student of the Korean War."--Colonel
Preston McLaughlin, USMC (Ret.), former chief of staff, Marine Expeditionary
Brigade-Afghanistan
"Patrick O'Donnell's Give Me Tomorrow is more than an infantryman's war story. It is about gut-level combat--up-close and personal, with rifle and bayonet--that separates the men from the boys. It is the personal account of a Marine rifle company--the tip of the spear--in the first few months of the 'Forgotten War.' O'Donnell's storytelling is superb. By using the Leathernecks' own words and personal accounts he brings the story to life. Each page resonates with authenticity. O'Donnell follows George Company, Third Battalion, First Marines from the amphibious landing at Inchon to the 'Frozen Chosen,' where it fights desperately to stay alive in the 60+ degrees below zero weather against overwhelming Chinese Communist 'volunteers.' I like this book. It stirs the blood of an old infantryman."--Col. Dick Camp (Ret.), former Deputy Director of the Marine Corps' History Division and now the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation's VP for Museum Operations at the National Museum of the Marine Corps
"To understand what it means to commit body, mind, and spirit to the defense of our country under the most arduous conditions, we only need to read Give Me Tomorrow. The legacy of brotherhood, the spirit of commitment, and the example of sacrifice in George Company's hellish fight reminds us all the cost to keep alive our experiment in democracy."--General James. N. Mattis, USMC
"Chronicles a Marine company's struggles in the toughest campaign of the Korean War...Drawing on interviews with the surviving members of George Company, O'Donnell graphically details the rigors of battle in the brutal Korean winter...While he does not underplay the horrors of the war, and does justice to the lighter moments that men remember years later, the author shines when he captures such catch-in-the-throat moments as when the Fifth and Seventh Marines, coming into base after a harried withdrawal under intense Chinese pressure, marched in singing the Marine Hymn...George Company's performance at Chosin Reservoir practically defines heroism. O'Donnell brings it to vivid life."
—Kirkus Reviews
"First Sergeant Rocco Zullo...isn't the only marine portrayed with great skill here...Place this book beside We Were One in the certainty of attracting the same audience."
—Booklist
"The subjective nature of Give Me Tomorrow's primary source material is also its most exceptional strength...A fitting tribute to these Marines and an excellent addition to your bookshelf."
—Marine Corps Gazette, ?Book of the Month?
"O'Donnell gives the brave Marines of George Company long overdue recognition."
—New York Post
"A testament to the bravery and fortitude of the American fighting man."
—Military Heritage
"A story involving heroism, endurance, sacrifice, devotion to duty and survival...O'Donnell deftly guides the revelations, including graphic descriptions of face-to-face combat where young men shaped victory when others would have yielded. In this 60th anniversary of the Korean War, O'Donnell's book demonstrates the impacts one small company-level unit can have on victory."
—Leatherneck
"Readers will appreciate [O'Donnell's] skill in developing this grunt's-eye view of combat...For readers wanting to get a sense of what it was like to be an infantryman in the 1st Marine Division during the opening months of the Korean War, the stories of the men of George Company more than fill that niche."
—Naval History
"A detailed book...A gripping read."
—Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Provides a little seen insight into the devastation of a war that has been nearly forgotten."
—Bradenton Times
"O'Donnell's ability to document George Company's formation, training and tactical movements is indicative of an experienced journalistic 'embed.'"
—Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
"A detailed survey...Offers a personal approach to battle experience...[A] 'must' for any military history collection."
—Midwest Book Review
"Brings to life the camaraderie shared between these men, and the gritty realities of combat that cemented their bond... The war in Korea is often called the Forgotten War. In honoring the boys who became men under the most harrowing conditions, the author chips away at that epithet and ensures that the valor of the men of George Company is preserved for the next generations."
—Portland Book Review