The United States Leads the UN in Protecting Korea

The UN Security Council delegated the power to command all the UN forces in Korea to the United States and granted the US government the right to appoint MacArthur as commander of the UN forces.  Twenty-two countries joined the UN forces, which was led by the US at the time; 90% of the forces came from the US.     

The first troop to be deployed in the Korean War was the 24th Division of the 8th Army in Japan. Commanded by L. Colonel Smith, the 1st Battalion of the 21st Regiment arrived at Suyeong Airfield in Busan as the division’s advance team. The US forces were optimistic about this battle, but Smith's battalion suffered great damage, with 150 out of 400 soldiers killed or missing. There was no doubt that this battle was a meaningful one that  bought time for the South Korea.

The Nakdong River Defense Line was formed in compliance with General MacArthur’s instructions, "no withdrawal from Korea," securing the Busan perimeter by mid-August 1950.

With the front lines retreating time and again to reach the Nakdong River ultimately and when the situation was dire, General Walton Walker, the commander of the UN ground forces, decided to defend the Republic of Korea to the end, and follow General MacArthur’s order and commanded:

“You will die if you fail to protect! If you can’t protect, die!   Protect with your life!” Having protected the Nakdong River line of defense with desperate efforts, General Walker and his troops, firmly determined avoid any further invasions. The miraculous victory achieved there became a stepping stone for the success of the Incheon Landing Operation by the UN forces that turned the tide in the war that was hopelessly outgunned in the beginning.

General MacArthur carefully planned the Incheon Landing Operation with details, such as wave heights and landing point thoroughly checked, and requested the permission to carry it out, but the US Joint Chiefs of Staff was pessimistic; in particular, the plan was challenged due to the muddy coastal foreshore of Incheon Port.  However, MacArthur insisted that he is willing to bet his stars that the operation would be successful. 

MacArthur’s plan was pushed forward; the success of the amphibious operation allowed the UN forces to advanced north to claim Pyongyang, but they had to retreat as the communist Chinese army intervened.  During the Battle of Jipyeong-ri, the 4th offensive by four divisions of the communist Chinese army during was halted. Following the 5th offensive with the negotiations for ceasefire ongoing, battles to protect entrenched positions ensued.

This was a battle that took place between UN forces under the command of the US 1st Marine Division and three corps from China’s 9th Army in Changjin County, South Hamgyong Province, from November 27 to December 11, 1950.  12,000 Chinese troops who crossed the border were ambushed in the reservoir region, and the marines were attacked by enemies that were over ten times their number.  

The communist Chinese army was not their only enemy. The murderous, extreme cold with the temperature dropping to minus 20 degrees (centigrade) during the day and minus 40 degrees at night was a more formidable enemy than the Chinese army.

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, one of the world’s three greatest winter battles, including the Battle of Moscow and the Battle of Stalingrad.  The deadly cold weather in the Kaema Plateau’s narrow valley even froze gun barrels, making it impossible to shoot.

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir is a legendary withdrawal operation and one of the most fierce yet successful battles since the US Marine Corps’s foundation. 

It was the daring valor of the US 1st Marine Division that allowed the US and Korean troops that had advanced on the eastern front to evacuate safely along with about 100,000 refugees. 

The survivors of this battle at the Chosin Reservoir, Kaema Plateau, South Hamgyong Province in 1950, are called “the Chosen Few of the Chosin Reservoir.” The US 1st Marine Division, which took part in the battle, suffered 4,418 casualties, 748 killed, and 192 missing.

When the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir was dragging on, the communist Chinese army intervened in December 1950, and the war situation deteriorated quickly. Then, the US and Korean troops that had advanced north, together with refugees,  packed into Hungnam Port in Hamgyeongnam-do, and started to evacuate in a hurry.

In the Port of Hungnam, located near Hamhung, 105,000 soldiers of the South Korean Army and US forces, almost 20,000 vehicles, and over 35,000 tons of war supplies were waiting to be transported.  Major General Baek-il Kim and Interpreter Bong-hak Hyun requested the US forces to take the refugees on board, and General Almond persuaded the UN command to launch the Hungnam evacuation, helping nearly 100,000 refugees gain freedom.

The last ship to leave Hungnam on December 24 was SS Meredith Victory. Its captain, Captain Leonard LaRue, decided to offload nearly all cargoes and weapons to make room for 14,000 refugees. As the ship sailed into Geoje Island after the three-day voyage, there were five new lives on board. The US crewmen had nicknamed the babies born on the ship, “Kimchi.” The Hungnam evacuation that ended on December 25th is known as the “Miracle on Christmas.”

The United States sent over 1.8 million troops, the highest number among the 22 UN combatant countries, resulting in 130,000 casualties, including about 34,000 deaths and around 3,700 missing.

As the war progressed, US forces not only performed most of the roles assigned to UN forces but also led the war. 

As a result, they accomplished the goal of “recovery to the pre-war state,” which was set when they decided to take part in the war, thereby contributing to the UN’s goal and objective of “the maintenance of international peace and security.”