On April 15, 1942 Ralph Gastelum turned 11-years-old. That same day his uncle, a Marine fighting in the Pacific, was killed in action during the Battle of Corregidor. This loss stayed with Ralph and inspired him to Join the United States Marine Corps in July 1949.

On September 15, 1950 Gastelum along with the rest of the 1st Marine Division made the epic landing at Inchon, and went on to help liberate the capital city of Seoul from the North Koreans communists.

By November, the Marines had advanced into the mountains of the Chosin Reservoir, where they would find themselves surrounded by an overwhelming force of ten divisions of Chinese communist forces and fighting in 40 degree below zero temperatures.

What followed would be some of the most harrowing combat of the Korean War.

Ralph Alphonso Gastelum Jr. died peacefully at home on October 1, 2022.

Recorded on July 26, 2022

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Video Credits:
Interviewer - Greg Corombos
Director of Photography - Jon Hambacker
Editor - Daniel Taksas