The Korean War 1950-1953

The Korean War 1950-1953. . , The Korean War began on June 25, 1950 when Communist-backed North Korea attacked South Korea. Led by the United States, the United Nations issued a demand that North Korea withdraw back across the 38th parallel, which was the line that had divided the two nations, and it authorized member nations to send troops to assist South Korea. The United States responded immediately by sending inexperienced, unprepared Army troops from Japan. In the early stages of the fighting, U.S. and South Korean forces made a courageous stand at the Pusan Perimeter before U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur staged a dramatic, surprise attack behind the enemy lines at Inchon. This action caused the North Koreans to split their forces, enabling the U.S. and South Korean armies to push inland, recapture Seoul and then drive the North Koreans back across the 38th Parallel., When the United nations pushed further into North Korea, Communist China entered the war. This action caught the American troops by surprise and a desperate campaign was waged at the Chosin Reservoir. This campaign and the heroic withdrawal to Hungnam have been cited as one of the most significant battles in United States Marine Corps history., The next phase of the Korean War saw numerous smaller, but nevertheless brutal, battles for strategic positions while representatives of the battling nations engaged in truce talks at Panmunjom., These talks continued for over a year while the fighting continued. Finally, in the summer of 1953, a truce agreement was signed. The July 27, 1953, truce agreement re-set the boundaries between North and South Korea at the 38th parallel, provided for the exchange of POWs and called for elections to re-unite the two Koreas. As of 2017, these elections have not occurred., The Korean War is significant in many respects. It was the first time a world organization had united to fight back an aggressive nation. Twenty-one United Nations countries participated in the war – sixteen sent military personnel. It was the first time helicopters were used to evacuate wounded to M.A.S.H. hospitals and for low-level ground support. The first time an all-jet aerial combat took place was in the Korean War. historians have also cited the Korean War and the friction it caused between the Soviet Union and Communist China as a factor in the downfall of Communism in later years., The Korean War was a brutal war for all the countries involved. There were nearly 37,000 U.S. personnel killed in Korea and over 8,000 servicemen remain missing in action. Almost 200,000 U.S. servicemen were sent to Korea during the war. The devastation to South Korea and its way-of-life was enormous, but their recovery from this devastation continues to be miraculous. What was once called “the forgotten war” in now remembered as a great victory for democracy., Antietam Chapter 312, Korean War Veterans Association June 23, 2013