Battle of Heartbreak Ridge
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge , also known as the Battle of Wendengli , was a month-long battle in the Korean War
fought between September 13 and October 15, 1951. The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was one of several major engagements in an area known as "The Punchbowl." The battle site is located in the hills of North Korea a few miles north of the 38th parallel north
(the pre-war boundary between North
and South Korea
), near Chorwon
. For the Chinese, this battle is often confused with Battle of Triangle Hill
, which occurred a year later.
, the Korean People's Army
(KPA) set up new positions just 1500 yards (1,371.6 m) away on a seven mile (11 km) long hill mass. If anything, the Communist defenses were even more formidable here than on Bloody Ridge. The U.S. 2nd Infantry Division's acting commander, Brigadier General
Thomas de Shazo, and his immediate superior, Major General
Clovis E. Byers
, the X Corps
commander, seriously underestimated the strength of the North Korean position. They ordered a lone infantry regiment—the 23rd
—and its attached French battalion
to make what would prove to be an ill-conceived assault straight up Heartbreak's heavily fortified slopes.
Infantry Regiments, along with the attached French Battalion. The attack began on September 13 and quickly deteriorated into a familiar pattern. First, American aircraft, tanks, and artillery would pummel the ridge for hours on end, turning the already barren hillside into a cratered moonscape. Next, the 23rd's infantrymen would clamber up the mountain's rocky slopes, taking out one enemy bunker
after another by direct assault. Those who survived to reach the crest arrived exhausted and low on ammunition. Then the inevitable counterattack
would come—waves of North Koreans determined to recapture the lost ground at any cost. Many of these counterattacks were conducted at night by fresh troops that the North Koreans were able to bring up under the shelter of neighboring hills. Battles begun by bomb
, bullet
, and shell
were inevitably finished by grenade
, trench knife
, and fist as formal military engagements degenerated into desperate hand-to-hand brawls. Sometimes dawn broke to reveal the defenders still holding the mountaintop.
And so the battle progressed for two weeks. Because of the constricting terrain and the narrow confines of the objectives, units were committed piecemeal to the fray, one platoon
, company
, or battalion
at a time. Once a particular element had been so ground up that it could no longer stand the strain, a fresh unit would take its place, until the 23rd Infantry as a whole was fairly well shattered.
Several units up to company size (100-200 men) were wiped out. The Americans employed massive artillery barrages, airstrikes and tanks in attempts to drive the North Koreans off the ridge, but the KPA proved extremely hard to dislodge.
, called a halt to the "fiasco" on Heartbreak Ridge as American planners reconsidered their strategy.
As long as the North Koreans could continue to reinforce and resupply their garrison on the ridge, it would be nearly impossible for the Americans to take the mountain. After belatedly recognizing this fact, the 2nd Division crafted a new plan that called for a full division assault on the valleys and hills adjacent to Heartbreak to cut the ridge off from further reinforcement. Spearheading this new offensive would be the division's 72nd Tank Battalion, whose mission was to push up the Mundung-ni Valley west of Heartbreak to destroy enemy supply dumps in the vicinity of the town of Mundung-ni.
It was a bold plan, but one that could not be accomplished until a way had been found to get the 72nd's M4A3E8 Sherman tanks
into the valley. The only existing road was little more than a track that could not bear the weight of the Shermans. Moreover, it was heavily mined
and blocked by a six foot (2 m) high rock barrier built by the North Koreans. Using shovels and explosives, the men of the 2nd Division's 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion
braved enemy fire to clear these obstacles and build an improved roadway. While they worked, the division's three infantry regiments—9th, 38th, and 23rd—launched coordinated assaults on Heartbreak Ridge and the adjacent hills. By October 10 everything was ready for the main operation. On October 11, led by more than 30 tanks and supported by artillery and airplanes, the 2nd Division started advancing into the valley. The sudden onslaught of a battalion of tanks racing up the valley took the enemy by surprise. By coincidence, the thrust came just when the Chinese 204th Division
was moving up to relieve the North Koreans on Heartbreak. The Chinese unit under fire was the 610th Regiment of the 204th Division (Commander: Wenfang Luo), dispatched by the 68th Army (Commander: Niansheng Wen). The regiment's mission was to reinforce the North Korean defense along the valley against possible American armored offenses; more specifically, they were ordered to prevent the Americans from reaching the town of Mundung-ni at all costs. Before they could dig in, the 2nd Division already started the attack. Caught in the open, the Chinese division suffered heavy casualties from the American tanks as the armored vehicles penetrated into the depth (6 km) of the Chinese defense lines and caused great damage. However, the 610th Regiment managed to damage 5 Sherman tanks before the Americans halted the offense. On October 12, the 2nd Division started airborne and artillery bombardment that lasted for two hours on hill 635.8 and hill 709.6 before the 23rd Regiment, led by 48 tanks, assaulted Chinese defense positions. Having learned the American tactics from the previous day, the 610th Regiment of the Chinese army already reinforced the anti-tank trenches flanking the road that runs through the Mundung-ni Valley; in addition, a battalion of anti-tank guns was assigned to the regiment; 49 infantry guns, recoilless guns and rocket launchers were also distributed among the first-line soldiers. At point-blank-range, the Chinese infantry soldiers fired upon the advancing American tanks. Before the 23rd halted the assault at 1600hr, the Chinese destroyed and damaged 18 tanks at a high cost of casualties. The 23rd Regiment did not assault the hills on the next day. The South Korean 8th Division, however, starting from the 13th of October, launched its attack on hills 974，742.8，650，932.8 and 922. These battles were later known to be brutal and costly; for example, a company of the Chinese 610th Regiment was defending hill 932.8. Under the attack of four battalions of the South Korean soldiers, the company resisted for four days to the last man before the South Korean army took over the hill on its 11th assault. On October 14, eight Sherman tanks in arrow formation attacked the Chinese positions along Mundung-ni Valley. All eight tanks were lost under the cross fire of Chinese anti-tank guns. Two more tanks were lost on October 19 due to anti-tank mines. During the five days the Shermans roared up and down the Mundung-ni Valley, over-running supply dumps, mauling troop concentrations, and destroying approximately 350 bunkers on Heartbreak and in the surrounding hills and valleys. A smaller tank-infantry team scoured the Sat'ae-ri Valley east of the ridge, thereby completing the encirclement and eliminating any hope of reinforcement for the beleaguered North Koreans on Heartbreak.
The armored thrusts turned the tide of the battle, but plenty of hard fighting remained for the infantry before French soldiers captured the last communist bastion on the ridge on October 13. After 30 days of combat, the Americans and French eventually gained the upper hand and secured Heartbreak Ridge. Yet the Sherman tanks did not penetrate through the Mundung-ni Valley and reach the town of Mundung-ni after 38 tanks were destroyed and nine were damaged.
However, the U.N. offensives were to continue with equally high casualty rates for the 1st Cavalry in Operation Commando, and the 24th Division in Operation Nomad-Polar, which was the last major offensive conducted by U.N. forces in the war.
Public opinion had by this time turned against "limited-objective" operations of this nature, and military censorship resulted in far less media focus on the other October battles that followed Heartbreak Ridge.
Sporadic battles along the line of contact between U.N. and communist forces continued to be fought until the armistice was signed in July 1953, but they were usually initiated by the North Koreans or Chinese.
of Company C, 1st Battalion, 23d Infantry, was clinging to a small stretch of Heartbreak's ridge top on the night of September 17 when a battalion of North Koreans came charging out of the darkness from an adjacent hill. The company fought valiantly, but a shortage of ammunition soon compelled it to retreat down the mountain. After receiving reinforcements and a new issue of ammunition, the Americans advanced back up the ridge. North Korean fire broke the first assault, but Company C soon regrouped and advanced again, recapturing the crest by dawn. But by midday the men of Company C were once again fighting for their lives as the North Korean battalion surged back up the hill. Running low on ammunition, the company commander called retreat. Pililaau volunteered to remain behind to cover the withdrawal. Pililaau wielded his Browning automatic rifle with great effect until he too had run out of ammunition. He then started throwing grenades, and when those were exhausted, he pulled out his trench knife and fought on until a group of North Korean soldiers shot and bayoneted him while his comrades looked on helplessly from a sheltered position 200 yards (182.9 m) down the slope. Determined to avenge his death, the men of Company C swept back up the mountain. When they recaptured the position, they found over forty dead North Koreans clustered around Pililaau's corpse.
Pililaau's sacrifice had saved his comrades, and he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
.
is associated with the title and backstory of the 1986 movie directed by and starring Clint Eastwood
. Eastwood's character is a fictional veteran of the battle at Heartbreak Ridge, as is one other character, where he received the Medal of Honor. The movie itself is a fictional account of events that took place during actual operations in Grenada. The Korean battle was mentioned in episode 25 1982 of M*A*S*H.
Crèvecœur (Heartbreak) is a French combat documentary released in 1955 featuring the battle and using actual war footage. It was nominated for the Academy Award Best Documentary Award for 1955.
Heartbreak Ridge (단장의능선) is a map for the RTS (Real-Time Strategy) computer game StarCraft, . It was released in South Korea in 2009 and has since then been used in many leagues in the professional StarCraft scene, as well as in Non-Korean leagues and in amateur play.
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
fought between September 13 and October 15, 1951. The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was one of several major engagements in an area known as "The Punchbowl." The battle site is located in the hills of North Korea a few miles north of the 38th parallel north
38th parallel north
The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean...
(the pre-war boundary between North
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
), near Chorwon
Chorwon
Chorwon is a kun, or county, in Kangwon province, North Korea. Portions of it were once a single county together with the county of the same name in South Korea; other portions were added from neighboring counties in the 1956 reorganization of local governments...
. For the Chinese, this battle is often confused with Battle of Triangle Hill
Battle of Triangle Hill
The Battle of Triangle Hill, also known as Operation Showdown or the Shangganling Campaign ,Chinese sources often mistranslate Shangganling Campaign as the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge. was a protracted military engagement during the Korean War...
, which occurred a year later.
Background
After withdrawing from Bloody RidgeBattle of Bloody Ridge
The Battle of Bloody Ridge was a ground combat battle that took place during the Korean War from August 18 to September 5, 1951.Located in hills north of the 38th parallel north in the central Korean mountain range, the battle was fought between the communist North Korean forces of the Korean...
, the Korean People's Army
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army , also known as the Inmin Gun, are the military forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
(KPA) set up new positions just 1500 yards (1,371.6 m) away on a seven mile (11 km) long hill mass. If anything, the Communist defenses were even more formidable here than on Bloody Ridge. The U.S. 2nd Infantry Division's acting commander, Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
Thomas de Shazo, and his immediate superior, Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Clovis E. Byers
Clovis E. Byers
Lieutenant General Clovis E. Byers was an American soldier and General in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his role as Chief of Staff of the Eighth Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II and in the Occupation of Japan. He was wounded while leading American...
, the X Corps
U.S. X Corps
X Corps was a corps of the United States Army in World War II and the Korean War.-World War II:The X Corps was activated in May 1942 at Sherman, Texas...
commander, seriously underestimated the strength of the North Korean position. They ordered a lone infantry regiment—the 23rd
23rd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 23rd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army originally formed on June 26th 1812. The 23rd saw action in 14 battles during the War of 1812...
—and its attached French battalion
French Battalion in the Korean War
The French Battalion in the Korean War was a battalion of volunteers made up of active and reserve French military personnel sent to the Korean Peninsula as part of the UN force fighting in the Korean War.-Korea:...
to make what would prove to be an ill-conceived assault straight up Heartbreak's heavily fortified slopes.
Attempts to take the ridge
All three of the 2nd Division's infantry regiments participated, with the brunt of the combat borne by the 23rd and 9thU.S. 9th Infantry Regiment
The 9th Infantry Regiment is one of the oldest and most decorated active duty infantry units in the United States Army.- Early organizations :...
Infantry Regiments, along with the attached French Battalion. The attack began on September 13 and quickly deteriorated into a familiar pattern. First, American aircraft, tanks, and artillery would pummel the ridge for hours on end, turning the already barren hillside into a cratered moonscape. Next, the 23rd's infantrymen would clamber up the mountain's rocky slopes, taking out one enemy bunker
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
after another by direct assault. Those who survived to reach the crest arrived exhausted and low on ammunition. Then the inevitable counterattack
Counterattack
A counterattack is a tactic used in response against an attack. The term originates in military strategy. The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy in attack and the specific objectives are usually to regain lost ground or to destroy attacking enemy units.It is...
would come—waves of North Koreans determined to recapture the lost ground at any cost. Many of these counterattacks were conducted at night by fresh troops that the North Koreans were able to bring up under the shelter of neighboring hills. Battles begun by bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
, bullet
Bullet
A bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...
, and shell
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
were inevitably finished by grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
, trench knife
Trench knife
A Trench knife is a combat knife designed to kill or gravely incapacitate an enemy soldier at close quarters, as might be encountered in a trenchline or other confined area. It was developed in response to a need for a close combat weapon for soldiers conducting assaults and raids on enemy...
, and fist as formal military engagements degenerated into desperate hand-to-hand brawls. Sometimes dawn broke to reveal the defenders still holding the mountaintop.
And so the battle progressed for two weeks. Because of the constricting terrain and the narrow confines of the objectives, units were committed piecemeal to the fray, one platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
, company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
, or battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
at a time. Once a particular element had been so ground up that it could no longer stand the strain, a fresh unit would take its place, until the 23rd Infantry as a whole was fairly well shattered.
Several units up to company size (100-200 men) were wiped out. The Americans employed massive artillery barrages, airstrikes and tanks in attempts to drive the North Koreans off the ridge, but the KPA proved extremely hard to dislodge.
Regroup and replan
Finally, on September 27, the 2nd Division's new commander, Maj. Gen. Robert N. YoungRobert Nicholas Young
Robert Nicholas Young was a Lieutenant General in the United States Army. He gained prominence in the 1950s as the commander of the 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War and as commander of the Sixth United States Army.-Early life:Young was born on January 14, 1900 in Washington, D.C...
, called a halt to the "fiasco" on Heartbreak Ridge as American planners reconsidered their strategy.
As long as the North Koreans could continue to reinforce and resupply their garrison on the ridge, it would be nearly impossible for the Americans to take the mountain. After belatedly recognizing this fact, the 2nd Division crafted a new plan that called for a full division assault on the valleys and hills adjacent to Heartbreak to cut the ridge off from further reinforcement. Spearheading this new offensive would be the division's 72nd Tank Battalion, whose mission was to push up the Mundung-ni Valley west of Heartbreak to destroy enemy supply dumps in the vicinity of the town of Mundung-ni.
It was a bold plan, but one that could not be accomplished until a way had been found to get the 72nd's M4A3E8 Sherman tanks
M4 Sherman variants
The M4 Sherman tank was produced in several variants and it was also the basis for a number of related vehicles.In addition, Shermans have been modified by several nations from modernization upgrades to complete hull conversions for another task.-Overview:...
into the valley. The only existing road was little more than a track that could not bear the weight of the Shermans. Moreover, it was heavily mined
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
and blocked by a six foot (2 m) high rock barrier built by the North Koreans. Using shovels and explosives, the men of the 2nd Division's 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion
2nd Engineer Battalion (United States)
The 2nd Engineer Battalion is an engineering battalion in the United States Army which can trace its lineage back to 1861.-Lineage:Organized 31 December 1861 in the Regular Army at Washington, D.C., from new and existing companies of engineers as a provisional engineer battalion Expanded 14 March-7...
braved enemy fire to clear these obstacles and build an improved roadway. While they worked, the division's three infantry regiments—9th, 38th, and 23rd—launched coordinated assaults on Heartbreak Ridge and the adjacent hills. By October 10 everything was ready for the main operation. On October 11, led by more than 30 tanks and supported by artillery and airplanes, the 2nd Division started advancing into the valley. The sudden onslaught of a battalion of tanks racing up the valley took the enemy by surprise. By coincidence, the thrust came just when the Chinese 204th Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
was moving up to relieve the North Koreans on Heartbreak. The Chinese unit under fire was the 610th Regiment of the 204th Division (Commander: Wenfang Luo), dispatched by the 68th Army (Commander: Niansheng Wen). The regiment's mission was to reinforce the North Korean defense along the valley against possible American armored offenses; more specifically, they were ordered to prevent the Americans from reaching the town of Mundung-ni at all costs. Before they could dig in, the 2nd Division already started the attack. Caught in the open, the Chinese division suffered heavy casualties from the American tanks as the armored vehicles penetrated into the depth (6 km) of the Chinese defense lines and caused great damage. However, the 610th Regiment managed to damage 5 Sherman tanks before the Americans halted the offense. On October 12, the 2nd Division started airborne and artillery bombardment that lasted for two hours on hill 635.8 and hill 709.6 before the 23rd Regiment, led by 48 tanks, assaulted Chinese defense positions. Having learned the American tactics from the previous day, the 610th Regiment of the Chinese army already reinforced the anti-tank trenches flanking the road that runs through the Mundung-ni Valley; in addition, a battalion of anti-tank guns was assigned to the regiment; 49 infantry guns, recoilless guns and rocket launchers were also distributed among the first-line soldiers. At point-blank-range, the Chinese infantry soldiers fired upon the advancing American tanks. Before the 23rd halted the assault at 1600hr, the Chinese destroyed and damaged 18 tanks at a high cost of casualties. The 23rd Regiment did not assault the hills on the next day. The South Korean 8th Division, however, starting from the 13th of October, launched its attack on hills 974，742.8，650，932.8 and 922. These battles were later known to be brutal and costly; for example, a company of the Chinese 610th Regiment was defending hill 932.8. Under the attack of four battalions of the South Korean soldiers, the company resisted for four days to the last man before the South Korean army took over the hill on its 11th assault. On October 14, eight Sherman tanks in arrow formation attacked the Chinese positions along Mundung-ni Valley. All eight tanks were lost under the cross fire of Chinese anti-tank guns. Two more tanks were lost on October 19 due to anti-tank mines. During the five days the Shermans roared up and down the Mundung-ni Valley, over-running supply dumps, mauling troop concentrations, and destroying approximately 350 bunkers on Heartbreak and in the surrounding hills and valleys. A smaller tank-infantry team scoured the Sat'ae-ri Valley east of the ridge, thereby completing the encirclement and eliminating any hope of reinforcement for the beleaguered North Koreans on Heartbreak.
The armored thrusts turned the tide of the battle, but plenty of hard fighting remained for the infantry before French soldiers captured the last communist bastion on the ridge on October 13. After 30 days of combat, the Americans and French eventually gained the upper hand and secured Heartbreak Ridge. Yet the Sherman tanks did not penetrate through the Mundung-ni Valley and reach the town of Mundung-ni after 38 tanks were destroyed and nine were damaged.
Aftermath
Both sides suffered high casualties: over 3,700 American and French and an estimated 25,000 North Korean and Chinese. These losses made a deep impression on the U.N. and U.S. command, which decided that battles like Heartbreak Ridge were not worth the high cost in blood for the relatively small amount of terrain captured.However, the U.N. offensives were to continue with equally high casualty rates for the 1st Cavalry in Operation Commando, and the 24th Division in Operation Nomad-Polar, which was the last major offensive conducted by U.N. forces in the war.
Public opinion had by this time turned against "limited-objective" operations of this nature, and military censorship resulted in far less media focus on the other October battles that followed Heartbreak Ridge.
Sporadic battles along the line of contact between U.N. and communist forces continued to be fought until the armistice was signed in July 1953, but they were usually initiated by the North Koreans or Chinese.
Private Pililaau
Private First Class Herbert K. PililaauHerbert K. Pililaau
Herbert Kaili Pililaau was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Korean War. A Native Hawaiian who was born and raised on the island of Oahu, he was drafted into the military as a young man...
of Company C, 1st Battalion, 23d Infantry, was clinging to a small stretch of Heartbreak's ridge top on the night of September 17 when a battalion of North Koreans came charging out of the darkness from an adjacent hill. The company fought valiantly, but a shortage of ammunition soon compelled it to retreat down the mountain. After receiving reinforcements and a new issue of ammunition, the Americans advanced back up the ridge. North Korean fire broke the first assault, but Company C soon regrouped and advanced again, recapturing the crest by dawn. But by midday the men of Company C were once again fighting for their lives as the North Korean battalion surged back up the hill. Running low on ammunition, the company commander called retreat. Pililaau volunteered to remain behind to cover the withdrawal. Pililaau wielded his Browning automatic rifle with great effect until he too had run out of ammunition. He then started throwing grenades, and when those were exhausted, he pulled out his trench knife and fought on until a group of North Korean soldiers shot and bayoneted him while his comrades looked on helplessly from a sheltered position 200 yards (182.9 m) down the slope. Determined to avenge his death, the men of Company C swept back up the mountain. When they recaptured the position, they found over forty dead North Koreans clustered around Pililaau's corpse.
Pililaau's sacrifice had saved his comrades, and he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
.
Popular culture
Heartbreak RidgeHeartbreak Ridge
Heartbreak Ridge is a 1986 American war film, starring Clint Eastwood and Mario Van Peebles, surrounding the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada, West Indies. A portion of the movie was filmed on the island itself....
is associated with the title and backstory of the 1986 movie directed by and starring Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
. Eastwood's character is a fictional veteran of the battle at Heartbreak Ridge, as is one other character, where he received the Medal of Honor. The movie itself is a fictional account of events that took place during actual operations in Grenada. The Korean battle was mentioned in episode 25 1982 of M*A*S*H.
Crèvecœur (Heartbreak) is a French combat documentary released in 1955 featuring the battle and using actual war footage. It was nominated for the Academy Award Best Documentary Award for 1955.
Heartbreak Ridge (단장의능선) is a map for the RTS (Real-Time Strategy) computer game StarCraft, . It was released in South Korea in 2009 and has since then been used in many leagues in the professional StarCraft scene, as well as in Non-Korean leagues and in amateur play.