Re: South Korean Perceptions

["Bob Dove" <swan@haysco.net>]

We caved in because Eisenhower wanted to be president.
Truman wouldn't let MacArthur bomb the Chinese staging area. Gutless
politicians are the reason we didn't win a decisive victory ... and the
reason why we haven't won one since then.

Bob Dove


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ed Evanhoe" <evanhoe@arbuckleonline.com>
To: <KOREAN-WAR-L@raven.cc.ku.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2002 11:01 AM
Subject: RE: South Korean Perceptions


> Dan,
>
>  >>At 11:26 AM 5/14/2002 -0400, you wrote:
> >What was the reason for going above the 38th Parellel if we had the NK on
> >the run?
> >We went right up tot he Chinese boarder.
> >China had already cautioned us about getting close.
> >Then we acted like we were completely surprised when the Chinese attacked
> >in droves.
> >
> >I do not understand why this was not heeded.
> >Was it ignorance? Was it calculated?
> >Was there a group baiting for a continuance in Korea?<<
>
> You're confusing Oct 1950 with April/May 1951 when, for all intents and
> purposes, we destroyed the CCF during their two separate, ill-advised
> offensives.  After the 2nd Chinese Spring Offensive was over, the CCF had
> used up most of its ammuntion, lost over a 100,000 KIA since Jan, plus who
> knows how many WIA or died of disease, lost most of its artillery and
> mortars, while its supplies were in shambles because of air
> interdictions.  It was then the Chinese decided to have the Soviet Union
> suggest a "ceasefire" and "peace talks" to buy time to build up its
forces.
>
> In other words, after the 3nd Spring Offensive we could have gone back the
> Ch'unch'ong River - Wonsan line with minimal casualties because there
> almost nothing to stop UN forces.  However, the Soviet Union proposed a
> ceasefire and peace talks at the UN and the communist countries' & 3rd
> World media picked up the hue-and-cry so we caved in and settled, more or
> less, for the current DMZ.  If we had gone north to the Ch'unCh'ong
River -
> Wonsan line and stopped, the Chinese would have happily settled for that
> solution since all the wanted was a buffer between themselves and any U.S.
> forces.  (That is what they said originally in early Oct 1950.)
>
> 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
> Web site:  http://www.korean-war.com
>


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