New Film Offers Grunt’s Eye View Of Unrelenting Combat During Korean War

North Korea, 1950: U.S. Marines move forward after close-air support flushes out the enemy from hillside trenches. Billows of smoke rise from the target areas. Adam PBS's new documentary, "The Battle of Chosin Reservoir," is a brutally honest account of the infamous battle that nearly wiped out the 1st Marine Division during the Korean War.
When I ask Korean War veteran Juan Balleza about what he thinks of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there’s a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. He tells me that he’s followed the wars closely, on the news and in the movies. He marvels at the amount of equipment soldiers have to carry these days, and the power and accuracy of their weapons.
Then, after a long pause, Balleza says, “I don’t think I could survive that type of fighting. It’s got be very stressful.”