As I Recall: A Marine's Personal Story

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This memoir reveals a series of short, personal stories of experiences George Tsegeletos had as a young Marine serving in Korea. Unlike most accounts describing the horrors of war, the author describes the sights, sounds and what is most fascinating, the thoughts that ran through his mind from moment to moment with heart and humor.

"All night long the Chinese came in droves...the sky lit up like a 4th of July Celebration. The noise, fire, dirt and smell were almost overpowering; the earth trembled that night as the large shells crashed through the trees, ending with that familiar, deafening explosion. When I dared to look up out of my foxhole, I thought I had died and gone to Hell. The sky was glowing red. All anyone could do during that night of continued bombardment was to stay as low as one could and pray. I did both!"

At the age of 17, Tsegeletos, along with many of his high school friends, joined a Marine reserve unit close to home. Halfway around the globe, North Korea invaded South Korea. To these young Marines, it seemed too far away to be of much concern.

Looking forward to their next step in life and about to head off to college, they found themselves diverted into a very uncertain future.

From his first step on North Korean soil through each ensuing scene, Tsegeletos tells the story, including his final narrative describing the freezing scene he survived during the epic Chosin Reservoir Campaign. With copies of photographs and actual letters sent home, this book gives the reader a true picture of life in a war zone as seen through the eyes of a young Marine.