The Korean War was fought basically as
an Infantry war, primarily because it was fought at all
only as a result of errors in judgement, intelligence
and leadership on all sides. As that became clear,
everyone's main objective was not to win an
unneccessary war but just to end the tragic slaughter
and suffering it entailed while avoiding a nuclear
World War III.
Army Wounded In Action, Pusan Perimeter, 8/50
Truman's Department of Defense
assumed, before Korea, that if mobilization were
required it would be all-out global commitment. Korea
fell far short of another world war, but involved most
of the nation's active ground forces by the end of
the first month of fighting. Some degree of
mobilization, although reached under pressure and in
haste, was mandatory.
Realistically, the Army was far too
small to fight the North Koreans and at the same time
meet American commitments elsewhere. Our magnificent
Marine Corps, which would have crushed the North
Koreans had it still been only two divisions in
strength, had been gutted and turned into a Navy Police
Force by the Truman Administration. With no other
choice, Truman raised the Army's authorized strenth
from 630,000 to 740,500, and called up the Marine Corps
reserves.
These belated steps saved South Korea
which is still free today. These wounded troops, part
of the delaying actions of the Pusan Perimeter, were
only part of the price resulting from
our nation's leaders misunderstanding the nature of the
Soviet Bloc.
