General Douglas MacArthur
"Just as Grant’s disastrous 1864 offensives had wiped away the optimism of the prior summer and sent the Union into a defeatist mood, so, too, the Chinese invasion now rendered Inchon a distant memory and a real defeat an immediate possibility."
- Victor Davis Hanson, Author of The Savior Generals
The Inchon LandingWith the South Koreans pushed all the way down the peninsula, General Douglas MacArthur, then the Supreme Commander of the United Nations forces in Korea, launched an aggressive, amphibious assault on the port of Inchon. This bold counteroffensive cut off the North Koreans' supplies and allowed the United Nations to recapture Seoul and Pyongyang. However, after this success, MacArthur disregarded the orders of his superiors and jeopardized the war. His desire to expand the war into China led to a near United Nations defeat. On October 14th, 1950, Communist China entered the war, throwing thousands of troops at the United Nations frontline and forcing a hasty retreat.
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"...and what to do with Mr. Prima Donna, Brass hat, Five Star MacArthur. He's worse than the Cabots and the Lodges - they at least talked with one another before they told God what to do. Mac [MacArthur] tells God right off. It is a very great pity we have to have Stuffed Shirts like that in key positions. - President Harry S. Truman talking about General MacArthur in a diary entry
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"Everyone in life has their faults and MacArthur had them to an extraordinary extent, which apparently he concealed from the public. I was well aware when I reported to General MacArthur on the day after Christmas of 1950 that I was on dangerous ground. I'd have to be very careful. I knew his temperament. I knew there would be no hesitancy in relieving me if I did something he disliked." - General Matthew B. Ridgway
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