Oliver P. Smith
Major General
"Retreat, hell! We're just attacking in a different direction."
Biography
Major General Oliver P. Smith commanded the 1st Marine Division through the Inchon landing, the liberation of Seoul, and the legendary ordeal at the Chosin Reservoir. A methodical, careful commander who inspired intense loyalty, Smith repeatedly clashed with his impetuous superior Edward Almond over the reckless pace of the advance to the Yalu. Smith quietly prepared for Chinese intervention — stockpiling supplies and improving a single road — preparations that saved his division when 120,000 Chinese troops surrounded his 15,000 Marines at Chosin. His steady leadership through the fighting withdrawal to Hungnam became one of the most celebrated episodes in Marine Corps history.
Did you know?
Smith so distrusted Almond's orders that he secretly slowed his division's advance toward the Yalu, spacing his regiments to prevent the encirclements Almond ordered — a calculated act of disobedience that saved thousands of Marine lives.
Key Battles
Battle of Inchon
UN / South Korea victorySeptember 15–19, 1950 · 14,232 total casualties
Inchon was one of the most audacious and successful amphibious operations in military history. It instantly reversed the strategic situation, cutting off North Korean forces besieging Pusan and forcing them into a chaotic retreat. MacArthur's gamble vindicated his unconventional operational genius.
Liberation of Seoul
UN / South Korea victorySeptember 25–28, 1950 · 17,500 total casualties
The recapture of Seoul was both a military and symbolic achievement, restoring the South Korean government to its capital and demonstrating the dramatic reversal of fortune achieved through the Inchon operation. It broke North Korean morale and accelerated the collapse of their forces in the south.
Battle of the Chosin Reservoir
UN / South Korea victoryNovember 27 – December 13, 1950 · 62,843 total casualties
Chosin became a defining legend of the US Marine Corps — an epic of courage and endurance against overwhelming odds in brutal conditions. The Marines not only survived but inflicted catastrophic losses on the encircling Chinese forces. The successful evacuation at Hungnam saved an entire corps and 100,000 Korean refugees.
Life Journey
Timeline
October 26, 1893
🌅 Birth
Born in Menard, Texas
1916
📚 Education
Graduated from UC Berkeley
1941
📍 Posting
Commanded battalion in Philippines campaign
September 15, 1950
⚔️ Battle
Led 1st Marine Division at Inchon
November 27, 1950
⚔️ Battle
Chosin Reservoir — commanding surrounded Marines
December 25, 1977
✝️ Death
Died in Los Altos, California