A (nearly) Forgotten Anniversary from the Forgotten War

GeekLethal GeekLethal

This week marks the 55th anniversary of the amphibious operations at Incheon/Inchon.

Stars and Stripes covered ceremonies held mid-week at the memorial in Incheon. I learned that the monuments and statuary of soldiers at the memorial is a cause of tremendous grief to Korean lefties, which is probably an excellent reason on its own to fight savagely to keep them there. They forget that if not for us, they'd all be speaking Korean now.

The US Navy has alot of cool maps, photos, and detailed exposition discussing the preparation and execution of the attack here.

Here's the short version: The hammer was the attack north out of the beleaguered Pusan Perimeter. The anvil was 70,000 soldiers and Marines put ashore at Incheon. The walnut was the North Korean army in the field.

Posted by GeekLethal GeekLethal on   |   § 9

§ 9 Comments

1

I love reading about the Korean War, especially the fluid situations of the first year.

The Pusan Landing was a spectacularly balsy move by MacArthur. His last real hurrah – followed up by spectacular fuck-ups a few months later.

I bet that if the North Koreans come flowing across the border tomorrow, the South Korean lefties will be whining and crying for American help faster than a Louisiana Mayor.

Bram Bram

2

Bram,
If the lefties are so...erm, lefty...I don't understand why they're not charging northward across the DMZ- mines be damned!- to escape the hellish prosperity of the south in favor of the workers' paradise up north.

One thing though that the protesting classes talk about isn't entirely kooky: whether it's necessary for such a large US commitment there. The ROK armed forces are quite capable, and their special operations and intelligence apparatus is, so far as I understand, robust.

Sure the NPRK can throw a gazillion infantrymen and armor and arty across the DMZ on Monday, but they're going to be fought out and awfully hungry by the next Monday.

I'm not advocating for a US withdrawal, I'm just saying that 37,000 American soldiers, plus the Air Force, plus rotating Navy elements in and out of the area, might be a little too much deterrent.

GeekLethal GeekLethal

3

GL, you almost sound like you want to tempt the North Koreans.

Actually, though, I think you're right. The ROK armed forces are by all accounts top notch and well equipped, and their special ops people are class of the world. With some high altitude attitude adjustment by American Air Force and Navy bombers, I think they'd do just fine.

But the purpose of those troops is not exactly to deter the North Koreans - its a message to the South Koreans that if the whackos from the north invade, we'll be there in force.

Buckethead Buckethead

4

I always thought that the presence of U.S. Troops was a deterrent to prevent the Red Chinese from helping their North Korean brethren from trying something (again).

Bram Bram

5

Bram,
I wonder if in this day and age, with global economics being what they are, whether China has more to lose than gain by fielding an army to support North Korea.

I can't point you to a learned source. I just get the vibe that China works with the US in keeping Li'l Kim in his cage.

GeekLethal GeekLethal

6

They certainly would sustain a huge economic loss with such an adventure. The place is run by a small group of geriatric tyrants so anything is possible.

The only reason I can think of for them to support their little buddy in a 2nd Korean War would be a distraction for their invasion of Taiwan.

Bram Bram

7

Personally, I think that it is in China's interest to keep Lil Kim in a cage, but not to get rid of him. There are a couple reasons. One, if N. Korea goes belly up, China will be flooded by refugees. But second, I think that China wants a crazy-eyed madman on a leash in case things get crazy. Like, say, they invade Taiwan and they want to really distract us.

Buckethead Buckethead

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