Re: Nuclear Ironmongery and the Korean War

[Ed Evanhoe <evanhoe@arbuckleonline.com>]

>Marc,

> >>Again and again, there is a difference between spreading nuclear wastes and
>dropping nuclear bombs.  To my knowledge, all US officials were opposed to
>the use of nuclear bombs in Korea save as a last resort.  Churchill stated
>his opposition to the use of nuclear bombs in Korea but I do not believe
>that the Truman Administration seriously considered such.  Certainly the
>Eisenhower Administration would have done so, and it was this decisveness
>which forced the ChiCom/Soviet/North Korean bloc to sign an Armistice quite
>rapidly once Eisenhower became President.  (Compare the rapid "solution" of
>the Iranian Hostage problem once Reagan was elected.)<<

One of the first things Eisenhower did when he took office was have the 
military begin laying the logistics foundation in Japan and South Korea for 
a joint  additional Marine division-two airborne division assault targeted 
targeted at Wonsan (Marines) and P'yongyang areas.  The military made no 
attempt to hide these preparations to make sure NK/China/Soviet Union 
understood that if a ceasefire was not signed, we were going back into 
North Korea.  And, from the diplomatic side, Eisenhower made sure all three 
countries understood that if the peace talks failed, he was prepared to use 
all options, including nukes to take Chinese air fields and military 
installations.

Ed

Ed Evanhoe, PO Box 916, Antlers, OK, 74523-0916
Author: DARKMOON: Eighth Army Special Operations in the Korean War
Life Member: Special Forces & Special Operations Associations
Co-list owner: KOREAN-WAR-L   Web site: http://www.korean-war.com