Korea "The Forgotten War"

Korea "The Forgotten War". . On June 25, 1950, the five-year old peace of World War II was shattered when the North Korean People's Army poured across the 38th parallel invading South Korea. They moved quickly down the Korean peninsula, but United States President Harry Truman's response was swift and decisive. Air combat and transport assets were in theater on June 26, and ground troops were committed by June 30., Meanwhile, the newly-formed United Nations (UN) condemned the invasion and called for a cessation of hostilities. Then, the UN asked its members to furnish assistance to the Republic of Korea. Twenty Nations allied themselves with the United States and Korea to push back the aggressors and fight to preserve South Korea'd freedom., The first hot war in what was to become a long Cold War between Communism and the Free World, saw early victories for North Korea. But those victories were short lived. General of the army and UN Commander-in-Chief Douglas MacArthur's brilliant amphibious landing at Inchon and the UN forces breakout from the Pusan Perimeter opened the door to victory for the allies. Enemy forces were rolled back across the 38th parallel., Despite warnings from the Red Chinese, the Allies crossed the North Korean border in hot pursuit., In late October, as a harsh winter set in, the Allies were overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops. Fierce battles ensued at the Chosin Reservoir, where the Marine 1st Division and the Army 7th Infantry Division were surrounded by the enemy, and across the Western Front where UN forces had nearly reached the Yalu River. The fighting tenacity of US and Allied troops averted a complete massacre. Air support aided successful withdrawal actions. In the East, naval forces transported 90,000 troops south from Hungnam to regroup and fight again., In 1951, Allied and Enemy forces pushed against one-another until they settled into trench-like warfare roughly along the pre-invasion boundary of the 38th Parallel. Bloody fighting continued for two years as peace talks lingered. An Armistice was finally signed on July 27, 1953, but the War was never officially ended. North Korean Forces remain deployed opposite United States and South Korean Forces along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas today. Hostile North Korean actions have claimed 92 American Service Members' lives since July 27, 1953., "Freedom is not Free".