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U.S. Marines in the Korean War (Paperback)
Loot Price: R1,470
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U.S. Marines in the Korean War (Paperback)
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The anthology of articles that follows was compiled by the History
and Museums Division during the 50th Anniversary commemoration of
the Korean Conflict, 1950-1953. The focus of the various authors
who wrote these historically related works on Korea did so to
remember those Marines who fought and died in what some historians
sometimes characterized as the "forgotten war." Forgotten or not,
the Korean conflict was without parallel in Marine Corps history
and no one who experienced it or lived through this era could ever
forget the difficulties that they would encounter there. The Korean
War also represented a milestone in the developmental history of
the Marine Corps. For perhaps what could very well be the last
time, the Marine Corps made an opposed World War II style
amphibious landing against a dedicated enemy. Korea was also the
opening salvo in what became known as the Cold War. In reality,
Korea represented the beginning of a series of "limited wars" that
would be fought by the United States with the express political
purpose of keeping such conflicts from developing into full blown
world wars. Frustratingly for the men and women in uniform during
the Cold War, political considerations frequently overrode military
exigencies and logic. Having just successfully concluded a total
war against an enemy whose objectives were clearly identifiable,
the Korean conflict proved fraught with political twists and turns
that made the military's job immensely more difficult. This was
especially evident during the "stalemate" phase of the war,
1952-1953. No less bloody or violent, this period of the conflict
saw the Marine Corps incur a significant number of casualties. The
Korean conflict was also important for operational reasons. It was
clear that from 1950 on, limited wars fought by U.S. forces would
be largely "come as you are affairs." During the summer and early
fall of 1950, the Marine Corps learned a valuable lesson when it
had to scramble to assemble its landing force for the Inchon
operation, getting the 1st Marine Division into theater in the nick
of time. No longer would the United States have the luxury of time
in getting forces ready for limited wars. Next, for the first time,
the advent of the helicopter would play a significant role in the
combat plans of Marine units in the field. Experimentation with the
concept of vertical assault, using this new technology took place
during the conflict. Korea would also be the first time Marines
would be given personal body armor or "flak jackets" to wear in
combat. Such body armor would come in handy as the war settled into
a stalemate along the 38th Parallel. While Marine elements had
deployed to extremely cold locations in the past such as the
occupation of Iceland by the 1st Marine Brigade (Provisional) in
1941, Korea would be the first time in the modern era where the
Marine Corps would have to fight in extremely cold conditions.
During Korea, the Corps came away with a new appreciation for the
necessity of having the proper environmental gear tested and
available for use by its combat and combat support troops. In sum,
Korea set the operational tone that the Marine Corps would follow
for the rest of the Cold War.
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