It is difficult enough to fight a war against a strong enemy but the extreme cold takes a severe beating upon a soldier. It takes most of your effort just to keep from freezing much less march and fight. I think the cold killed a great amount of men. The Marines often reported Chinese soldiers surrendering just to get a chance to get warm again. Army General Almond offered to fly out some of the Marines; many would have been lost at the end of the evacuation. Instead Marine General Smith brought in Marine replacements. The Marines came out with their wounded, their equipment, and many of their dead and many Chinese prisoners. When you see a Marine veteran take off your hat to him. The 27th CCF Army reported in captured document that their troops often had little to eat and that many starved or were too weak from hunger to effectively fight.