[KOREAN-WAR-L:11358] Re: MASH ethics

[Ed Evanhoe <evanhoe2@korean-war.com>]

John C.,

>>At 09:43 PM 2/12/2004, you wrote:
> Taking a hill just to prove we could is just "an investment in management 
> ego" and is, in my mind, criminal.<<

If that were the case, I'd agree but Pork Chop Hill and the other hills in 
that complex were of tactical importance at the time since they gave U.N. 
troops command of the river valley to the north.  It was important to hold 
this terrain for the next planned advance -- which never happened because 
the cease-fire talks began.

 Conversely, this same hill complex was important to the Chinese and North 
Koreans because it would give them command of the river valley to the 
south, plus they needed to keep us from controlling there planned advances, 
which included an attack down the Uijonbu-Seoul corriidor.  Thus this 
entire piece of terrain became some of the most fought over in the world in 
the next two years.

Ed.