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When you think of bayonet charges, images of fierce close-quarters combat during the early 20th century often come to mind—of soldiers desperately fighting for every inch of ground. But in the early days of the Korean War, something that seemed like an echo of the past occurred: a bayonet charge that would mark the last time such an assault would be seen in U.S. military history. This moment took place on the frozen slopes of a hill called Old Baldy in 1951, a battle where the U.S. soldiers faced the brutality of both the terrain and the enemy in one final, brutal act of valor.
The Korean War, often called the "Forgotten War," was full of surprises and intense battles, with both North Korean and Chinese forces launching surprise attacks against U.N. and South Korean troops. By 1951, the war had reached a stalemate, with both sides entrenched in a brutal back-and-forth of position fighting. The Chinese had entered the war in late 1950, adding a new layer of complexity, and as U.N. forces fought to maintain their hold on the Korean Peninsula, both sides endured savage combat in freezing conditions. In this grim environment, the last bayonet charge in U.S. military history occurred at a battle for Old Baldy, one of the most important and contested high points along the front lines.
Old Baldy was a hilltop that commanded a strategic view of the surrounding area, making it a key piece of real estate for both the U.N. forces and their adversaries. By the time the U.S. Army’s 7th Infantry Division was tasked with defending it, it had already been the site of heavy combat. The Chinese forces, eager to push U.N. forces back and regain the advantage, launched a series of attacks on the hill, determined to take it at all costs.
It was on April 22, 1951, during one of these attacks, that the U.S. soldiers were forced to charge into hand-to-hand combat with the enemy in a final, desperate attempt to defend their position. The bayonet charge came after a series of Chinese assaults on U.N. positions, where the enemy's overwhelming numbers and relentless attacks had already pushed the Americans back. In the freezing cold, with snow on the ground and visibility low, the U.S. forces dug in and prepared for an assault they knew could be their last. They had no choice but to close the distance and engage in close-quarter combat to hold their ground.
The charge itself was chaotic and brutal, a desperate fight where the men of the 7th Infantry Division pushed forward with fixed bayonets, charging across open ground and into enemy positions. In this final stand, the soldiers of the 7th Infantry, with their bayonets fixed, fought with the raw ferocity born of desperation. The intense melee that followed was one of those rare moments in history when soldiers had to use every ounce of physical strength, skill, and willpower to survive and protect their comrades.
Despite being outnumbered and faced with enemy forces entrenched on the hill, the U.S. soldiers ultimately prevailed in holding the position. The success of the bayonet charge was critical not just for the fight at Old Baldy but also for maintaining morale during a difficult phase of the war. It demonstrated that even in the most dire circumstances, with their backs against the wall, U.S. soldiers were willing to go to extreme lengths to protect their ground. The charge marked a turning point in the battle for Old Baldy, though the hill would continue to change hands several more times during the conflict.
Why was this bayonet charge the last of its kind? After this battle, the nature of warfare had already begun to shift significantly. The Korean War was the first major conflict in which the U.S. military faced a modern enemy armed with both conventional and increasingly sophisticated weapons. As the war progressed, heavy artillery, tanks, and aircraft became the primary means of combat. The bayonet, once an essential part of a soldier’s kit, was increasingly seen as an outdated relic of a past era. The more efficient, mechanized nature of modern warfare would make the bayonet charge unnecessary, and it would remain as a rare historical footnote.
The battle for Old Baldy, and specifically the bayonet charge that marked the U.S. Army's last use of the weapon in combat, stands as a testament to the courage and determination of soldiers in the Korean War. It was a brutal reminder of the close, personal nature of war and a symbol of the fierce fighting spirit that carried U.S. forces through one of the most grueling and often-overlooked conflicts in American military history. As technology advanced, warfare became less about the individual and more about the machine, but for those who fought on the icy slopes of Old Baldy, the bayonet charge was a final, raw act of bravery that would remain etched in their memories forever.