The Korean War
It is said that every action has a consequence. In the case of World War II, that consequence would become known as the Korean War. The Library of Congress reminds us that[1] “Japanese influence and control over Korea lasted from 1905 until 1945.” During Japan’s reign, they suppressed Korean culture, demanding adherence to Japanese ideology. As noted by the National Archives, following the Allies’ victory of World War II, Korea was liberated of Japanese rule, dividing in the country in half, between the Soviet Union and America to “oversee the removal of” Japanese troops[2] (NationalArchives). The Soviet Union, however, had another tactic in mind, encouraging the North Korean regime to invade the southern half of the country, where U.S. troops existed.
The Korean War lasted from 1950-1953, and represented a concerning evolution in the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Despite a loss of 54,246 American soldiers during the Korean War, America emerged victorious to its primary objective, effectively containing communism within its borders and preventing the further intrusion of the infectious ideology, while preserving the sovereignty of South Korea and Japan[3]. Yet aside from our historic allied victory, communism has continued to seep into our nation, entering from the digital domain. Today, the same principles aim to influence the planet to align with its seemingly innocuous system of hidden nefarious political conditioning. The American definition of “victory,” over the Korean War meant that moving forward, temporary suppression of noxious intent can now function as a warfare success. This, combined with Truman’s decision not to formally declare war, created an ambiguous precedent now used to justify U.S. engagement in foreign conflicts and international wars. As Historian Donald Jeffries reminds us, “Most Americans probably don’t realize that a formal declaration of war hasn’t been made by the United States since World War II.” The Korean war represents the first of many undeclared wars by America, and the normalization of perpetual militancy throughout the world.
Analysis
Kim Il Sung & The CIA. “This is a fight for the laboring masses.” As revealed in classified CIA documents from December 2nd, 1949, Manchurian citizen Kim Sung-ju attended school in China, when his parents died at a young age[4]. Desperate to flee, Kim killed his classmate for money, and planned to go to the Soviet Union. First returning to his hometown in Manchuria, he met Li Lisan, one of the founding members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), before Mao would harness control. Li “discovered him [Kim] to be extremely reliable in executing dramatic measures.” In October 1931 Li changed Kim’s name from Kim Sung-ju, to Kim Il Sung, stealing the identity of a Japanese General who had disappeared in 1919. Kim was even sent to the General’s point of operation. Li appointed Kim into the Chinese Communist Party, and began violently persecuting those who resisted or rejected the Communist doctrine. Stalin soon appointed Kim as head of the North Korean regime and the leaders of the North Korean Communist Party. Members were instructed not to ask questions about Kim’s identity. The CIA would describe Kim Sung-ju, (now Kim Il Sung) as “neither brilliant nor adequately educated,” yet to their dismay, noted that he had “proven himself highly acceptable to Stalin. The Japanese surrender was a golden opportunity for both Stalin and Kim to Communize Korea.” With the approval of Stalin, Kim advanced into the Southern half of Korea, occupied by American troops. So began the Korean War.
China. In 1949, the Chinese Civil War finally came to a close, with Mao’s Red Army rising from the rubble as victors. Formally declared on October 1st, 1949, the ironically named “People’s Republic of China” would be formed[5]. With just two decades of experience converting the communist militia into an operational military[6] [People’s Liberation Army (PLA), “officially” formed in October 1949] and reluctant assistance from the Soviet Union, Mao attempted to sustain both his reign and the people of China as the country entered into the Korean war just one year later, in 1950. Though the PLA soliders persevered, China entered the war greatly underprepared, as Historian Robert F. Ritchie detailed, “[m]eanwhile, the light Chinese infantry began freezing to death, but as their appendages fell off they still continued to grind up ROK [Republic of Korea, South Korea] units and the widely spread U.S. forces.” China’s participation and sacrifice represented Mao’s attempt to gain more respect from Stalin, who would die just three years later in 1953. Beyond the massive loss incurred by China, the war paved the way for Mao’s Great Famine, the egregious starvation of millions of Chinese citizens in 1958. China’s contribution to the Korean War would reveal the instability and fragility of communist ideology. As a result, China has relied on forced child labor, mass re-education camps, organ harvesting from minorities, a social credit system, and total persecution of those who publicly resist, reject, or ignore government compliance.
MacArthur Fired. As Communism began to spread across Korea, America began to coordinate strategies to contain the ideology while avoid another World War. The Eisenhower Library states that “The Truman Administration abandoned plans to reunite North and South Korea and instead decided to pursue limited goals in order to avoid the possible escalation of the conflict into a third world war involving China and the Soviet Union.” This meant scraping MacArthur’s plan to eradicate the Communist regime and its nefarious doctrine. According to Donald Jeffries’ research, War hero General Douglas MacArthur had proposed the United States “surge into North Korea” to eradicate Communism and liberate Korea. In response, President Truman publicly deposed MacArthur, firing him. However on April 11th 1951, with General MacArthur out of the picture, President Truman would reiterate that same idea, enlisting America into the war.
Truman, NATO, & Stalin. On June 25th 1950, an announcement would be made by radio of the North Korean invasion[7]. Like previous wars, the President would publicly resist engagement until the public demand could be swayed through yellow journalism and other means of propaganda. vThe Cold War which began on March 12th, 1947, would shape American’s geopolitical perception of communism, declaring it a threat to our national security. Two years later on April 4th, 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would be established. NATO would be used to intimidate the Soviet Union, deterring them from attacking America, or other allied nations. Upon the fall of the U.S.S.R. in 1991, NATO has redirected its radar to unofficially declare global conflict and international government intervention around the world. However, unlike the previous World Wars, the Korean War, implemented warfare rules and regulations, which both sides agreed to. These included basecamps and hospitals which both sides were allowed, alongside the mutual restrictions on nuclear weapons, and biological weapons. Despite these regulations China would accuse U.S. Troops of using bioweapons throughout their camps. As Robert Ritchie reveals[8], “the Chinese continued to accuse the Americans of committing germ warfare and for dropping lice and fleas on the Chinese countryside as biological warfare.”
Seoul retaken by UN. As Robert F. Ritchie reveals, “on July 7, 1950 the United Nations created a unified military command under the United States.” Though publicly, the United Nations reveals their participation public deception, and the manipulation of history, stating that[9] “[f]ollowing North Korean aggression against South Korea, United Nations Command (UNC) was established on July 24, 1950.” The United Nations Command would become the first global military, bringing the United Nations one step closer to themselves becoming a global superpower, superseding the interests of its Members. However, creating the UNC would be require the assistance of many countries, the United Nations states that “From 1950 to 1953, twenty-two countries contributed either combat forces or medical units to support South Korea under the United Nations flag.”
Incheon Landing. On September 13th, 1950, the United States Navy set out for Incheon Landing. The National Museum of the United States Navy notes the poor conditions as the Navy set course for the landing, describing[10] “shallow channels, with poor beaches, and had a tidal range restricting landing operations to a few hours a day.” Historian Robert F. Ritchie depicts Incheon as General Douglas MacArthur’s “best moment,” despite the General’s subjectivity between WWII and the Korean War[11]. MacArthur was able to turn the battle “into a potential victory by invading Korea mid-way up the western side of the peninsula at the port of Incheon, the beginning of the road to Seoul.”
F-86 Sabre. As Robert Ritchie writes[12], “The Korean War witnessed the first [regular] use of military jets.” The United States Army had developed, tested, and used jets during World War II, resulting in the Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star, designed in 1943 and first used on January 8th, 1944 during the Second World War[13] (National Museum of the United States Air Force). It successor would be the F-86 Sabre, an American innovation utilized to combat the Soviet Union’s Mikoyan-Gurevich[14] MiG-15 (NATO code name Fagot). NASA displays the F-86 specifications, indicating the aircraft boasted “a 35 degree sweptwing and a wing span of 37 feet 1 inch with a General Electric J47-GE engine[15].” Like the MiG-15’s, the F-86’s replaced the nose propellor with a front air intake. The difference however, the Sabre resembled the mouth of an ominous Devil Ray in the skies whose weapons could produce a significant sting, utilizing the F-86’s six .50-caliber machine guns. Like the Devil Ray, the F-86 Sabre could maneuver the skies with ease, using its 5,200 lbs of thrust to propel the aircraft up to 685mph at altitudes up to 49,000 feet[16]. An inside view of the cockpit reveals the complexity of the aircraft, including air conditioning for the interior to reduce fogging[17]. Overall, the F-86 Sabre proved to be greatly superior to the Soviet Union’s MiG-15. The National Museum of the United States Air Force states that “[b]y the end of hostilities, F-86 pilots had shot down 792 MiGs, with a kill ratio of about 8:1” adding that “[m]ore than 5,500 F-86 day fighters were built in the U.S. and Canada. Air forces of 20 other nations, including West Germany, Japan, Spain, Great Britain and Australia, also operated the Sabre.”
Meat Grinder Tactics. Another operational strategy implemented during the Korean War was General Matthew Ridgway’s “Meatgrinder Tactics,” against the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Historian Robert F. Ritchie describes General Ridgway as[18] “The Christian concept of self-sacrifice for others certainly described the leadership by example of Matthew Ridgway, one of the greatest fighting generals ever produced by America.” Strategies included Operation Strangle/Saturate, Pressure, and Spring, and other Air War tactics. Operation Tack dropped nails and caltrops over the roads to deter enemy conveys. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) reminds us that[19] “[d]uring the Korean War air campaign, the US suffered 2,714 aircraft destroyed and 4,055 service personnel killed.”
Eisenhower & The End of the Korean War. Upon establishing a truce, effectively ending the Korean War, the southern half would be given to Korean politician Syngman Rhee, South Korea’s first president, and a graduate of George Washington University, Princeton University, and Harvard University[20],[21]. While Rhee was a Korean patriot, he had chosen to get his education in America, and therefore had the mutual desire to engage in foreign policy conducive to ensuring national sovereignty, apart from communist influence. The details of the Korean War would face suppression from the American media. Despite lasting until 1953, peace talks began being suggested by the United States military as early as 1951. “[B]y the summer of 1951 U.S. planners sought the Kansas Line as the best defensive line for the United States to force the success of peace talk.” In 1952, Eisenhower, a WWII veteran, proclaimed[22] "[a] soldier all my life, I have enlisted in the greatest cause of my life, the cause of peace. I do not believe it is a presumption to call the effort of all who have enlisted with me a crusade." It would be Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidential campaign, and promise to the American public which would effectively end the war, and secure him the 1952 election[23] (NPS). Just two years after becoming President Eisenhower would break that promise, inverting his “crusade of peace,” into another unofficial American war, sending troops into Vietnam on November 1st, 1955.
God. Like Fascism, the spectre of Communism is an influence that derived from Hell. Both prehistoric ideologies have attempted to rewrite God’s order, and as a result, have been subdued and deposed of their potential to infect America. During the Korean War, the Lord revealed His position on communism, striking down the maleficent forces, and securing the sovereignty of His kingdom. In Numbers 25:4 (NIV) enraged by the sins of the Israelites, “The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.” Despite the sins commited by the Israelites, God knew the instigators of their depravity, the Baal of Peor who demanded worship of the Israelites. In the context of the Korean War, Israel is representative to Korea, as 24,000 were slain under orders given Moses, who was commanded by God. While the leaders of Communism were themselves never killed by the hand of man, they were deposed of their authority as communism was revealed by the Lord as an inferior doctrine to His natural order. Realizing that the elimination of Communist forces, and their leaders would likely result in World War III, the containment of the abominable doctrine was determined to be the best alternative. America’s decision to contain and depose, rather than exterminate, correlates with 2 Samuel 23:6 (NIV) which states that “evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand. Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie.” By the hand of God, the Korean war concluded, and communism was physically contained to the Northern Half of Korea. God’s advice can also be applied to the communist doctrine upon the conclusion of the Korean War. Isaiah 1:19,20 (NIV) “’If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.’ For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Conclusion.
Since World War II, the concepts of “victory” and “limited warfare” has become an excuse to insert ourselves into conflicts around the world under the guise of National Security. In reality, these wars have consistently left America with tragic losses, due to the misappropriations and weaponization of the American military in the name of politics. The bottom line, Communism is not a model for the world, but instead functions as a deceptive ploy to violently mandate the willingness of the populace into compliance. As a result of our “victory” from the Korean War, communism remains an active practice, continuing to take on various forms, assuming different names, and perpetually aiming to infiltrate our daily lives through entertainment and other forms of propagandized consumerism. Though the war against communism has transformed into a global economic competition, today’s U.S. government actors and foreign policies have fallen subject to reform in order to coexist alongside communized nations. Our rapid involvement and resignation from the Korean conflict set a sustaining precedent for establishing the standard used in today’s American Way of Fighting (AWoF) on international battlegrounds.
Citations
[1] https://blogs.loc.gov/maps/2018/05/maps-of-seoul-south-korea-under-japanese-occupation/
[2] https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/korean-conflict
[3] Jeffries, D., 2019, Pg. 325 Crimes and Cover-ups in American Politics, ISBN 978-1-5107-4147-8
[4] https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80-00809A000600270269-4.pdf
[5] https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/chinese-rev
[6] http://gr.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/gyzg/
[7] https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/k/korean-war-chronology/june-dec-1950.html
[8] Ritchie, R. F., 2021, Modern American Military history, Fifth Edition, Pg. 149, ISBN 978-1-7924-6825-4
[9] https://www.unc.mil/About/About-Us/
[10] https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/explore/photography/korean-war/inchon-landing.html
[11] Ritchie, R. F., 2021, Modern American Military history, Fifth Edition, Pg. 140, ISBN 978-1-7924-6825-4
[12] Ritchie, R. F., 2021, Modern American Military history, Fifth Edition, Pg. 146, ISBN 978-1-7924-6825-4
[13] https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196116/lockheed-f-80c-shooting-star/
[14] https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196115/mikoyan-gurevich-mig-15bis/
[15] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/multimedia/imagegallery/F-86/F-86_proj_desc.html
[16] https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196118/north-american-f-86a-sabre/
[17] http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/cockpits/KW_tour/KW-6.html
[18] Ritchie, R. F., 2021, Modern American Military history, Fifth Edition, Pg. 145, ISBN 978-1-7924-6825-4
[19] https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaFamWebInKoreanAirBattles
[20] https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v15p2/d739
[21] https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA424921.pdf
[22] https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/research/online-documents/korean-war
[23] https://www.nps.gov/eise/learn/historyculture/korea.htm