‘Jangjinho Battle Hero’ Omsted, US Marine Corps Lieutenant General, Passes Away

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Retired U.S. Marine Corps Major General Steven Olmsted, who served in the Korean War and distinguished himself in the Battle of Jangjin Reservoir, passed away due to an illness at the age of 92.

According to foreign media on the 24th, Major General Olmsted died at the age of 92 after being transferred from his home in Annandale, Virginia, USA, to a hospital on the 20th (local time). His funeral will be held on the 28th at the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial Chapel in Quantico, Virginia, and he will be buried at the Quantico National Cemetery.

Major General Olmsted, originally from Albany, New York, served as a soldier in the U.S. Marine 1st Division and participated in the Korean War, playing an active role in the Incheon Landing Operation and the Battle of Jangjin Reservoir. He retired after 41 years of military service in 1989 as a three-star general. He served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Ronald Reagan administration and also acted as an advisor to the organization promoting the construction of the Jangjin Reservoir Battle Memorial. A famous anecdote recounts that former President Moon Jae-in personally met Major General Olmsted during his visit to the U.S. in 2017 at the Jangjin Reservoir Battle Memorial wreath-laying ceremony, bowing 90 degrees to express gratitude and respect.

The Battle of Jangjin Reservoir was fought in the winter of 1950 in Jangjin Reservoir, Hamgyeongnam-do, where the U.S. Marine 1st Division was conducting an operation to capture Ganggy?ng, the temporary capital of North Korea. The division was surrounded and faced annihilation by the Chinese 9th Army Group (comprising 7 divisions with approximately 120,000 troops) but managed to break through the encirclement and withdraw after two weeks. The U.S. Marine 1st Division delayed the advance of 120,000 Chinese troops for two weeks, enabling the Hungnam evacuation operation; however, about 5,000 casualties occurred in the division during this battle.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.