THE BIG PICTURE: THE COBRA STRIKES

you Oh before the Japanese surrender in World War two we made an agreement with the Russians who were then our allies when surrender came on the Asian mainland Russian troops would accept the surrender of Japanese forces north of the 38th parallel and we would do the same south of it the 38th parallel was chosen because it divides the Korean Peninsula roughly in half it was also agreed that free elections would be held and the government of Korea returned to the Korean people in August of 1948 free elections were held in south korea supervised by United Nations inspectors establishing the Republic of Korea three weeks later communists controlled elections in North Korea from but UN inspectors were barred established a communist regime and divided the Korean nation not long afterwards the Communists decided their moment for conquest had come in early summer 1950 life was good in the agricultural South there was peace time for living in the quiet ancient way then suddenly in the pre-dawn darkness of jun 2015 50 South Koreans were jarred awake by a living nightmare unprovoked and unannounced the Communist latest war of conquest had begun and many thought it was the beginning of World War three it might have been if we had not taken immediate action President Truman ordered our Navy and Air Force to provide cover and support to the Republic of Korea in the United Nations United States delegate Warren Austin spoke for the indignant people are free nations everywhere the armed invasion of the Republic of Korea continues the Republic of Korea has appealed to the United Nations for protection I am proud to report that the United States is prepared to furnish assistance to the Republic of Korea four days after the invasion began the capital city of Seoul fell to the Communists small elements of the United States Army were Allen didn't from Japan to help check the red advance they were greeted with cheers but the cheering was soon forgotten our small forces found themselves greatly outnumbered by communist troops trained and equipped by the Russians our handful of troops fought a delaying action buying precious time until reinforcements would arrive other United Nations forces began arriving in Korea British troops of the Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders the international army was beginning to take shape it was none too soon again time was running out the Nakdong River provided a natural defense line around Pusan it was here that the guts and stamina of the American soldier and his Republic of Korea allies and a protective wall of artillery fire held the communist forces at bay the build-up of Allied strength was rapidly gaining momentum in charm September fifteen nineteen fifty United Nations suddenly took the offensive General Douglas MacArthur the Supreme Commander had conceived this daring amphibious strike along the coast of the Yellow Sea just west of soul the marine landing force secured wall me island in just 58 minutes and pushed on in two inch arm itself kicking in the back door to the enemy's defenses additional army forces poured in simultaneously the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter got underway in the south in a week of heavy fighting our forces drove 20 miles inland from Incheon to Seoul more than 10,000 North Korean foods were dog air and waiting at every street corner with orders to fight to the death the United Nations offensive roll back the communist forces sweeping northward past the 38th parallel first hey song then once on on the East Coast then count yang the North Korean capital itself psychological warfare played an important part loud speaker messages and safe conduct passes for not Korean troops inviting them to surrender met with striking success often entire units stacked their weapons and awaited the arrival of UN forces you our army units pushed on toward the Yalu River Korea's northernmost boundary but there were signs of potential trouble ahead some of the prisoners taken in the North wore the quilted uniform of the Communist Chinese army you once again so changed hands as we pulled out blowing up the bridges behind us far to the south our units were regrouping in late februari we made a fresh start an operation general Ridgeway graphically called Operation killer the Chinese armies held a staggering superiority of numbers and ridgeway's intent was simple cut down the arms operation killer did just that the enemy lost 10 men for every United Nations casualty what had begun as an attempt to inflict heavy personnel losses on the enemy developed into a ground gaining operations on March fifteenth soul again changed hands South Korean troops entered the deserted streets unopposed the enemy had pulled out to the north but not for long springbrook with it still another crisis another massive communist offensive general VanFleet fortified the city of Seoul determined not to lose it again the enemy came on in human waves to be met by a storm of fire they lost tens of thousands but still they came on and then suddenly they faltered broke and started falling back pursued by our armor again the Communists had run afoul of two things the immense firepower of the 8th army and the principles of logistics they were simply unable to supply a large force for a sustained offensive jun 2nd 1951 again we cross the 38th parallel a badly battered enemy withdrawing before us Soviet UN delegate Jacob Moloch frankly proposed truce talks suggesting that perhaps a ceasefire could be discussed on July tenth preliminary truce talks were opened in the red held city of Kaesong they were to drag on for two long years while the bloodshed continued the lines of the fighting front became virtually stabilized after 12 days the talks in Kaesong were deadlocked over the issue of a ceasefire line then the Communists broke off the top in the fall they were resumed at pan moon job the fighting continued materials were expended daily and nightly in prodigious amounts you massive supply by air was a new military concept that came to full development in Korea airlift and airdrop techniques became a major means of supply in a large-scale combat situation winter 1952 found the talks at pan moon Jean deadlocked over the principle of prisoner exchange while back and forth along the twisted the length of the main line of resistance raged the bitter Hill battles in March 1953 the Communist world was shaken by the death of Joseph Stalin his successor yogi Mollenkopf launched what he termed a worldwide peace offensive its influence would soon be felt in Korea within a month the Communists suddenly took us up on our standing offer to exchange sick and wounded prisoners this was Operation little switch it indicated that a ceasefire might come soon battle weary men listen forward that the shooting was to end on july twenty seventh 1953 at the UN base camp in moon sawhney General Mark Clark signed the ceasefire agreement a few miles away the Communists did the same by August fifth operation big switch was underway some 13,000 UN soldiers returned from red prison camps General William Dean captured in the battle for tayshaun early in the war returned with his thousands of comrades in arms it was then that the world image of communism received a telling blow for two-thirds of the Chinese prisoners refused to return to Red China and 35,000 North Koreans decided they'd rather live in South Korea