Roughstuff's Korean War Archive
book reviews and summaries, comments, analysis
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Rishell, Lyle. With a Black Platoon in Combat
A Year in Korea. DS921.6 R57 1993

The first impression this book made upon me was consistent with 'forgotten war' nature of this bitter conflict: the book has yet to be checked out of my university library, despite 4 years on the shelves. Rishell was a white Lieutenant assigned to the Black Platoon of Able Company, 24th IP. Like many Korean War books written by soldiers on the ground, it covers the year from the beginning of the conflict to May 1951, when the stalemate began to emerge.
The book has a good description of how the topography (especially the Taebek mountains), climate and lack of infrastructure in Korea affected the outcome of the war and presented formidable difficulties for both sides.
One criticism I have is the lack of maps in the book. Of course all readers at this point would have a general idea of the layout of the peninsula and how the war raged from one end to the other. But the author constantly refers to small locations and battles, and without some kind of map, the story becomes very confusing. Ironically the author himself states how invaluable maps would have been in managing the conflict more effectively. In the earliest days of the war, the only Korea maps the US had were copies they obtained from the Japanese.
On the all important issue of how the Black Platoons perfomed in Korea, Rishell is more clear. He claims bugouts were widespread in all units early in the war. He criticizes Max Hasting's The Korean War account of the Yechon battle, the first victory by US led forces in the war. He praises the 159th Artillery Battalion, also black, for its support.



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