This inspiring story unfolds into the coldest winter ever recorded in North Korea, where survival required legendary feats of human endurance. Having lost his father, young Don Purkerson leaves the family farm in Oregon to join the United States Marines.Sent to Korea in a policing action for the United Nations, Private Purkerson marches into the shadow of death to find himself in several of the most significant battles in Marine Corps history. These include the Inchon landing, the taking of Seoul, the firefight at Sudong, the battle of Chosin Reservoir, and the midnight passage through Hell Fire Valley. Those lucky enough to return became known as The Chosin Few. Many suffered all their lives, not just from physical injuries, but from the deep emotional scars left by the nightmare they endured.This story focuses on the extraordinary events of 1950. Startling, grotesque, and heart-rending - this is how a small-town kid made a Promise, and how keeping it saved his life. (This is a good book for young and old, but the author recommends parental guidance for children under 14 years)