The Korean War
"In the simplest terms, what we are doing in Korea is this: We are trying to prevent a third world war."
- President Harry S. Truman
The Korean War was the first time America ever stepped up to defend Korea. When the Soviet-trained North Koreans invaded, America took action and aided capitalist South Korea, making this "the first 'hot' war in the Cold War" (Stanley Weintraub, author and former Lt. of the Eighth Army) It was the first true test of America and democracy.
"He [MacArthur] had indicated that he had no sympathy with the decision to try to limit the conflict in Korea. This would make it difficult for him to carry out Joint Chiefs of Staff directives. Since we had decided to try to confine the conflict to Korea and avoid a third world war, it was necessary to have a commander more responsive to control from Washington." - General Omar Bradley
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