Tuesday, November 20, 2007

 

This Day in the History of Great Victories, Just Before Disaster


On this day in 1950, having crushed the North Korean Army starting with the amphibious landing at Inchon on September 15, 1950, U.S. troops, the major part of the UN contingent, pushed to the Yalu River, within miles of Manchuria in northwest North Korea. The Chinese would enter the war with attacks on American forces within days and kick us out of North Korea (and from Seoul, for a while), committing ultimately about 780,000 troops of which 400,00 would be killed (they admit to 'only' 148,000). The photo is part of the destruction of Hungnam in December when we bugged out of North Korea.

Labels:


Comments:
My dad was there, I do believe.....not on that ship though.....nor was he on the fishing boat... ;o]
 
The Korean War is especially relevant today.

That war took 38,000 US lives in three years. Thirty-Eight Thousand!

There are 40,000 US troops guarding the border between North and South Korea. They've stood guard there since 1953.

Was the sacrifice worth it? Is the annual expense to maintain our presence money well spent?

South Korea has boomed while North Korea has withered. Is there a better contrast to exemplify the value and meaning of freedom, democracy and capitalism vs every form of impoverishment that totalitarianism brings?
 
Cool, Mark, so a Navy guy, like my dad?
No slappz. If you look at it as a beginning bleed which hamstrung the Commies, who learned in Korea that they had to have a big, modern military to have a chance to beat us (and they couldn't keep it up for ever) then the Korean War was worth it. I just wish the South Koreans were a little more grateful.
 
Rog,

Yup...my dad also served with McCain during Vietnam, and had a few funny anecdotes regarding the Pilot.
 
I'd like to hear them. Was he on the 'O' or the Forrestal? Or perhaps another ship?
 
Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?