Do you approve or disapprove of the way that Douglas MacArthur is handling his job as president?

  • Approve

    Votes: 199 72.6%
  • Disapprove

    Votes: 75 27.4%

  • Total voters
    274
Status
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The Japanese played a minor part in Japan. They loaded and unloaded ships/planes. They continue to sweep Japanese waters for old minefields (the last units of the Imperial Japanese Navy were employed until 1950 on that duty). Basically, they were the dog's bodies which did all the labour in and around US units in Japan.
The Korean War was a huge benefit to Japan and was a great help to the Japanese economy. In fact, South Korea studied how Japan was able to use the Korean War to help their nation's recovery in order to replicate the same success in the Vietnam War.
 
Part I, Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7

Perhaps I stabbed our Saviour
In His sacred helpless side.
Yet, I've called His name in blessing
When after times I died.

August 15, 1950


General William F. Dean was at the front. Half of all the field commanders would be today, and the other half would be tomorrow. A few days ago Patton had decided it would be good for morale if the troops saw more of their commanders, so he ordered all of them to visit the front at least once every second day, and to send their chiefs of staff out any days they did not themselves go. Whether it had any real impact on troop morale, Dean wasn’t quite sure. Everyone got excited when Patton visited, but he was a household name and well known for being successful. Dean wasn’t famous for anything, and a lot of troops really didn’t care if they saw their divisional commander or not. Most of them probably thought they would get fined for unclean uniforms (though very few of those had to be given out any more). It did give him a greater awareness for conditions at the front. Maybe that’s why Patton had given the order.
“You know today’s the Korean Fourth of July, sir?” one corporal said.
“I can’t say I had thought about it like that.” Dean admitted. He had been told earlier this morning that it was five years since Japan surrendered, but he had never bothered to make the connection to Korea.
“Well one of those fellas over there, they captured a gook prisoner a couple weeks ago. Back in that stinkin’ city.” the corporal’s buddy said. “Then one of our gooks start to interrogate him, y’know, back when they were still out here. Bastard said Kim wanted to win by today. Symbolic victory or some crap like that.”
“We shoved that victory up their asses, eh?” The corporal added.
“You sure did.” Dean said. “A hundred miles east they launched another attack but we stopped that one too.” He didn’t bother mentioning that it had been ROK troops that stopped the communists in the mountains. These two probably wouldn’t care if he did.
“Bet Kim’s pissin’ ‘imself for that.” The clearly uneducated buddy said. The corporal laughed.
“I tell you two what.” Dean said. “You tell me the thing you think would make Kim’s life even worse, I’ll do my best to get it out here.”
“Artillery.” they said in unison. The corporal added that he “hadn’t hardly heard ‘em the last three, four days.”
He had asked that question to dozens of men on the line today, and on Sunday, and on Friday. A lot of men said they wanted the ROKs back. Some thought that Pyongyang needed to be hit with an A-bomb. Still too many of them just wanted to go home and leave Korea to its fate. None of those requests could be granted. Artillery though, that was a request that could be met. “I’ll see what I can do.” he promised.
As he was driven back to the division headquarters, now just down the road from Patton’s army headquarters in Taejon, he wondered if perhaps it would be better if the troops didn’t get the extra artillery right now. The division, or actually most of Eighth Army, had been running on fumes ever since the battle in Taejon. Fighting that action had blown through what little stockpiles there were in Korea, and building those up again would take some time. The area near Munui was very much a quiet sector right now – they advanced a half-mile a day to keep the pressure on the enemy, but little more than that. Maybe it was better if the stockpiles were allowed to build up again.

***

August 18, 1950

The last time Walton Walker had been at this airfield near Tokyo, it had been the day of that terrible accident. To this day, nobody was quite sure what had gone wrong. What was certain was that a fire had started in the plane, ignited something else, and the C-54 had exploded into pieces. The best explanation anyone had come up with was that the maintenance crew had done an inadequate job. A couple of chunks of the plane had been kept – one had already been put on a stone column installed near the door to the airbase’s largest building as a grim warning to anyone who thought about slacking on the job. Another would go in a Tokyo museum before too long. The rest had merely been cleared from the runway, turned to scrap metal, and sold to Japanese factory owners.
Like it did with any unpleasant events, the world was eager to forget the accident ever occurred. Walker knew he never would, and not just because his right leg had been amputated above the knee and most of his body still hurt like hell a lot of the time, or even that he now used a wheelchair whenever he wanted to go more than about ten feet at a time. Captain Mike Lynch, the pilot that would have flown him to Korea, had bravely fought for a week after the accident to stay alive, before ultimately succumbing to his many injuries. His remains were set to fly back to the United States today, as would Walker himself, on another C-54. One that had been checked over much more carefully than the last.
Then, when he got back to Texas, his retirement from the Army would become official. He would leave with a fourth star, a ‘thank you’ from Washington and quite likely a way to give him the same rank as the new owner of his last command.
Today was the day to say goodbye.
As soon as the doctors said that Walker was fit enough to be flown across the Pacific, MacArthur had decided to turn his departure into a great media event. All of the people from the press that had been covering events in Korea were here, cameras were set up all along the runway. Even that giant American flag that Patton had given a speech in front of was present, adding to the background scenery. Now MacArthur stood in front of it, announcing what an honour it had been to have Walker manage the occupation army and how he had done a splendid job helping turn Japan into a bastion of democracy.
Patton, who had flown over from Korea, also gave a speech filled with colourful language and stories from their service together in Europe. It suddenly occurred to him that the radio people might be broadcasting the speech live, in which case there were bound to be quite a few shocked ears back in America.
Finally he gave his own speech, expressing his thanks to everyone in the Army and wishing the UN troops in Korea the very best. He kept it short, because talking would become painful if he did it long enough, and he could be certain that it wouldn’t be very memorable, especially after the performances it was following.

What the world would remember was a comment he made to Patton, who had seemingly been reunited with his dog Willie (who must have flown in on the same plane that was going to fly him out), as the ground crew were about to lift his wheelchair into the C-54.
“Fight like a bulldog.”

***

August 21, 1950

“There can be no doubt that the Koreans are planning something big.” Oscar Koch said. “Since we broke their radio codes a couple of weeks ago, we’ve identified at least four enemy divisions in front of our positions near the Kum River. In addition to the 3rd and 4th known to have been facing these positions since July, it appears that the 2nd and 15th Divisions are also in the area. Their intention is unclear, but I suspect there will be an attack centred on the Chongju road.”
Patton flicked a bit of ash off the end of his cigar. He had called a meeting of the entire staff to plan his own offensive, not hear about an enemy one. “What makes you think that?”
“Lieutenant General Kang Kon.” Koch said. “Tall for a Korean, and an extremely fierce opponent. We think he was part of the Red Army during the last war. One of the best generals North Korea has. He’s been spending a lot of time around Chonan. If they were going to launch a major attack, he is a likely candidate to lead it. Some of our troops call him King Kong.”
“Any intercepts explicitly mentioning an attack?” Abrams asked.
“Negative.” Koch said. “At least that we’ve caught and decoded. If I was Kim Il-sung though, I’d want to launch one quickly. North Korea must know they cannot hope to win a war of attrition, so the only alternative would be a quick victory. Their offensive in the east was a failure, so they would have to look somewhere else. Korea isn’t wide enough to give them too many other options.
“Any armour reinforcements?” Colonel Landrum asked.
“Maybe a handful of T-34s.” Koch said. “Although by all accounts the North Korean armour is finished as a significant threat.”
“Good.” Patton said. “Because I want to hit them with everything we’ve got.”
He walked up to a map of Korea that had been pinned to a wall and now had all the front lines and divisions marked on it.
“Here” he said as he pointed to the area west of Taejon, where neither side had many troops, “is where we shall strike them. Station the 2nd Division, those two regiments in the south, and the British troops, as well as most of our tanks. Tie up King Kong in front of the river while we hit him from the side. Then use the 25th to get around him from the east. Surround the army and march into Seoul.”
“George, we don’t have any of those units there yet.” Muller noted. “Only the regiments are even in Korea.”
“I’ll have them in ten days, and I expect you to have a plan to get them in position forty-eight hours after they arrive in Pusan.” Patton said. Getting the Commonwealth troops placed under his command hadn’t been easy, but Prime Minister Attlee was eventually called, only to say he would rather they be under his command than under MacArthur’s.

Once he had dismissed the staff back to their plans for the upcoming offensive, Sergeant Meeks presented him with a pile of mail. “A lot of things for you today, sir.”
Most of them were letters from Beatrice that had gotten stuck in the mail and were now arriving all at once. Willie was apparently quite sad about having been left back in California, although that wasn’t a problem now that he lay resting under a nearby desk. Richard Nixon was making even more of a fuss than usual as he campaigned for a seat in the Senate. The polo club had found a new coach but had promised to give him the spot back once he returned from the war. Then Patton noticed that the last one in the stack was both rather thick, and had a name on the back that was most unexpected: Field Marshal Montgomery.
“What’s he writing me for?” Patton wondered. When £1000 fell out of the envelope he became even more confused. Then he read the letter.
Dear General,
Sometime near the end of the last war, you and I made a bet about whether England would be at war in ten years. It’s not yet 1954 and His Majesty’s Government is sending troops for you to command, so it looks like you’ve won. Congratulations.
This isn’t a Flying Fortress, but maybe you could buy yourself one with it.
Yours,
Montgomery of Alamein


“Why would you want to buy a B17?” Meeks asked. “They’re not exactly top of the range anymore.”
“Beetle Smith bet him one in Africa once.” Patton explained. “When Monty won, he actually made Ike get him it too. I wish I’d seen Ike’s face the day that happened.”
Meeks just rolled his eyes. It sounded like the stupidest thing he had ever heard.

- BNC
 
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“Beetle Smith bet him one in Africa once.” Patton explained. “When Monty won, he actually made Ike get him it too. I wish I’d seen Ike’s face the day that happened.”
I remember reading about that incident, Eisenhower was absolutely furious. Smith only made that bet as a joke. Montgomery took it seriously and refused the drop the matter. Eisenhower was so furious to see Monty acting like a child that he actually visibly showed his anger in front of Alan Brooke, Montgomery's mentor, to convey just how annoyed and angry he was at Monty. If you know anything about Eisenhower, then you know that he is famous for his calm demeanor and his diplomatic nature.

After that Alan Brooke, harshly criticized Monty for his "crass stupidity", and Monty apologized to him. Eisenhower, ever the diplomat, gave Monty his B-17, but it came at a huge political cost to Montgomery. His relationship with Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe was ruined. Eisenhower couldn’t believe that Montgomery would selfishly accept the plane; the Allied troops desperately needed B-17s to bomb targets and succeed. The two men faced each other with ill feelings for the rest of their work together in the Allied forces.

In a somewhat ironic twist, Montgomery didn’t get to keep his “winnings” for very long. After all of the anger and ruined diplomatic relationships, Montgomery’s Flying Fortress experienced a crash landing. It was written off as too damaged to salvage, and the plane was never repaired or replaced.


 
Other than the fact that ignoring or threatening the Man, who is the President in the Nation that they are trying to protect, is a really bad idea?

One should remember that Rhee had a lot of powerful friends in the United States. Before his authoritarian rule over the Republic of Korea, Rhee spent a lot of time in the United States and in the Korean independence movement. He had converted to Christianity in Korea due to his involvement with the American Missionaries in Korea and this open a lot of powerful connections for him when he came to the United States. He actually became friends with President Woodrow Wilson and his family and attended worship service with them.

When Korea was eventually liberated, Rhee got a lot of influence and political cred as he was one of the very few Korean independence activists, who refused to give up on the cause of Korean independence. By the 1930s, the majority of Korean independent activists believed that Korea would forever remain in the Japanese Empire. Not Rhee. Throughout the 1930s, he kept pressuring the US State Department to aid Korean independence to the annoyance of Secretary Hull. When Korea was liberated, he managed to become President of Korea partly not only due to American support but also due to the fact that he was one of the very few credible leaders who was not tainted by past collaboration with the Japanese. During the years of Japanese occupation, most Koreans did collaborate with the Japanese to some extent. Rhee was one of the very few who didn't because he had to flee Korea at a young age and worked in the Korean independence movement aboard.

In addition, Rhee's distrust of the United States is not unjustified. Rhee's resentment and distrust of the United States can be traced as the result of a meeting he had with Theodore Roosevelt. At the time, Japan was about to completely annex Korea, the young Rhee, and the Korean delegation he was traveling with desperately needed American backing to prevent the Japanese annexation. President Roosevelt met with them and told him that he would consider it. Rhee celebrated this until years later when he realized that TR was playing him and had no intention of giving American support to Korea. TR had merely indulged him in order to prevent Rhee and the Korean delegation from messing with his own plans regarding Japan. Rhee remembered this and never forgot the lesson. That despite America's commitment to Democracy and Freedom, America was fully capable of abandoning causes that they dislike or have no interest in.

During the Korean War, Rhee was in a very difficult situation as he could not afford to let South Korea be seen as the United States lapdog, while at the same time he needed to maintain American support. This meant, he often felt that he had to be difficult and uncooperative with the Americans in order to assert South Korea's national sovereignty as Korea was occupied by US troops and there were plenty of accusations that Korea was being turned into a colony of the Americans. Obviously, the Americans were constantly pissed and angry at Rhee because he kept getting in their way and was very uncooperative. At the same time, the Americans could not move against Rhee because, at the time, the South Korean people overwhelmingly supported him because he was seen as defending the Republic of Korea's national sovereignty and the Korean people like Rhee wanted to reunify the Korean Nation.

One of the biggest examples of the Americans considering putting Rhee in his place happened during the Armistice talks. The South Korean people overwhelmingly opposed the talks as this meant that Korea would be forever divided. Rhee, who was aware of this, unilaterally released thousands of North Korean POWs in protest of the United States' promise to repatriate NK and Chinese POWs back to their nation regardless of whether they wanted to return. The United States was enraged by this and seriously considered overthrowing him, but they realized that they couldn't because the South Korean people overwhelmingly praised Rhee for his actions. Thousands of Korean students went to the Blue House and celebrated Rhee for his stern opposition to the Armistice talks, thus the Americans could not overthrow Rhee without losing their credibility with the South Korean people.

Obviously, the Rhee administration was extremely corrupt and seriously violated the civil rights of the Korean people. He was an authoritarian leader who kept power through undemocratic means and suppressed the civil liberties of the Korean people. At the same time, he was competent enough to defend and advocate the Republic of Korea's foreign interests, which was vital for South Korea's survival especially during and after the Korean war.
He's the head of state of an independent country not the local mayor.
Chiang Kai Shek also had a lot of friends in the US in the form of the Chinese lobby though.He got pushed around by the US as well(even great powers like Britain and France had to fold when the US told them to shove off during the Suez Crisis).Why is Rhee an exemption?He’s the ruler of a much weaker and beleaguered US client state.There are a lot of ways the US could fuck with Rhee without overthrowing him,like withdrawing aid etc.
 
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Dear General,
Sometime near the end of the last war, you and I made a bet about whether England would be at war in ten years. It’s not yet 1954 and His Majesty’s Government is sending troops for you to command, so it looks like you’ve won. Congratulations.
This isn’t a Flying Fortress, but maybe you could buy yourself one with it.
Yours,
Bernard Montgomery
Wouldn't he sign it "Montgomery of Alamein"?
 
Part I, Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8

In the dimness of the shadows
Where we hairy heathens warred,
I can taste in thought the lifeblood;
We used teeth before the sword.

August 23, 1950


Douglas MacArthur looked at his watch. 1729. In one minute, the most important conference of the war would begin. He and his staff had been working on the plans for ‘Chromite’ for two months. Washington had been informed about the general idea of the plan, but little more. This meeting, with General Collins representing the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Forrest Sherman from the Navy and a group of other commanders, would be when he explained to them the full extent of the plan. They would approve it, and then in three weeks his beloved operation would go ahead and he would win the war.
“Gentlemen,” he announced as he stood up. “I’d like to begin by taking you back to the winter of 1847. You will undoubtedly recall that we were at war with Mexico. Zachary Taylor had won battle after battle south of the Rio Grande, and California was secured in our arms. Santa Anna retreated from the smoky battlefield of Buena Vista. Had you asked General Taylor where to go from there, he would have asked for supplies and marched south. The way to Mexico City was open. Why did we not follow?” he puffed on his corncob pipe for dramatic effect. “It would not be decisive. All that Taylor would accomplish would be to push the Mexicans into the mountains. It would be the beginning of an endless war, where we fight an unseen enemy the way my father did in the Philippines.
“A similar situation faces us today. This morning General Patton sent my staff another request for men and supplies. He claims that the defeat of the communists is inevitable. I have no doubt that Patton is one of our most talented officers. We have all studied his campaigns in Europe and Africa.” He puffed on his pipe once more. “Since he arrived just in the middle of July, Eighth Army has averaged an advance of less than one mile a day. This is not the broad sweeping advance of a dashing cavalry general, but a march into the German Westwall. Continuing that advance would not see us reach Seoul for another five months, and all it would do is allow the North Korean army to hide in their mountain outposts, preparing another communist insurrection in the lands of our ally.
“Therefore, we must invoke the spirit of Winfield Scott, and land at Inchon. Behind the enemy lines, and but twenty miles from Seoul, a landing there would allow us to put a cork in the bottle, trapping the communist army south of the parallel while Patton ensures their destruction. The weather conditions of the region have led me to believe that September 15th would be the optimal date for a landing, and if this operation is successful, as I am confident it will be, North Korean resistance shall be concluded within a month thence. Our troops would be able to return to their previous duties by Thanksgiving.
“Inchon.” he repeated. “I shall now have my G3 explain the details of the operation.”
Pinky Wright stood up in front of a large map of the Inchon area and began reciting the details of the invasion. Three divisions, “one from the Army, one from the Koreans and one from the Marines” organised as the X Corps, were to land on three beaches: Green and Red at the city’s north and Blue two miles to the south. A few days before, the Navy would begin shore bombardment to disable any North Korean defences that might be present. On the morning of the 15th, the tiny island of Wolmi-do would be captured, although the tides would not be suitable for the rest of the landing force until that evening. Once the port of Inchon was secured, the landing force would advance inland and capture Kimpo airfield, before turning south to attack Seoul from behind. The North Koreans, faced with this overwhelming attack in their rear, would be forced to pull troops from the frontline to meet it, easing the pressure on Eighth Army and allowing Patton to conduct a simultaneous offensive.
Admiral James H. Doyle, who was to command the amphibious forces as they landed, then spent an hour and a half explaining every aspect of the naval and amphibious parts of the operation, although to MacArthur’s dismay he did not sound especially confident about the operation.
“Doyle,” Admiral Sherman broke in, “do I gather that you think this is an impossible operation?”
“The operation is not impossible.” Doyle said, “But I do not recommend it.”
Doyle then claimed that according to the Navy, nothing was impossible, but the questions had already begun. Officer after officer raised their concerns about virtually every aspect of the operation. The tides, despite being some of the world’s highest, would be suitable for a landing only for a couple of hours. The channel through which the Navy would have to be passed could be easily blocked if a ship was sunk in the wrong place. It was monsoon season, so the weather could easily interrupt plans, and indeed a typhoon could well tear through the landing sites. One had passed through Okinawa in October 1945 and caused catastrophic damage to the military base there: had the invasion of Japan still been set to go ahead on November 1st that storm might have jeopardised the whole operation.
There was plenty of doubt in the room – far too much for MacArthur’s liking – but the strongest opposition emerged in General Collins. “If, as you say, it will take five months for Patton to reach Seoul, and the troops at Inchon are held up by a strong communist defence, then the meeting of the two forces will be impossible. The Inchon force would be trapped, and their loss would be a disaster. How can this operation possibly be preferable to using the troops to simply reinforce Patton?”
MacArthur leaned back in his chair as the room fell silent. No-one said anything for a full minute, before he stood up for another speech.
“Since Patton crossed the Kum River at the end of last month, the Reds have launched two major offensives against our lines. Once against Patton and once against the South Koreans. I am convinced that they did so because they are desperate for a breakthrough, and to achieve that breakthrough, they have committed the bulk of their forces against the Eighth Army.
Everyone in this room is familiar with the book Patton published three years ago. Many of our troops brought a copy with them to Korea. It is likely that at least one of these has fallen into enemy hands. Even if they did not, the North Korean General Staff, and the Red Chinese, and the Russians, will all have studied the campaigns across Sicily and Western Europe. They will have studied it again once we announced that Patton would lead the Eighth Army.” That Patton was leading the American troops was no secret: Truman had announced it on the radio in an effort to boost morale. “Patton is an opponent with a well known style of fighting. Every day, he argues that more forces should be sent to Eighth Army, which is exactly what his book would recommend. The communists will therefore be prepared for us doing exactly that. If they have any reserves, they will be positioned in anticipation of an armoured attack by Eighth Army. Just as Patton was used as a distraction to keep the Germans away from Normandy, we may use him in this role once again. As long as our foe believes that Patton will lead the offensive, their defences at Inchon will be unprepared.
“The Navy’s objections as to tides, hydrography, terrain and physical handicaps are indeed substantial and pertinent.” He said, waving those same concerns away with his hand. “My confidence in the Navy is complete, and in fact I seem to have more confidence in the Navy than the Navy has in itself.”
“Of course, should my estimates prove to be inaccurate and I run into a defence with which I cannot cope, I will be there personally and will immediately withdraw our forces before they are committed to a bloody setback. The only loss then will be my personal reputation. But Inchon will not fail. Inchon will succeed, and far more brilliantly than Patton’s attempts to push through the North Korean army alone.
“The arms of destiny await us. Just as Scott’s landing at Veracruz shifted the strategic focus of the war in Mexico, my landing at Inchon will shift the focus of Korea. The capture of Mexico City ensured the end of the Mexican War, and now the opportunity to capture Seoul will enable us to end the war in Korea with one swift stroke.” MacArthur gave one last puff of his pipe. “We shall land at Inchon and I shall crush them.”
The room sat in a stunned silence until Admiral Sherman stood up. “Thank you. A great voice in a great cause.”
MacArthur had thought Sherman one of the people least convinced by the Chromite plan, and sure enough, once he spoke up it seemed like everyone else wanted to voice their support for the operation as well.

The following day, Collins and a number of others returned to voice their concerns about Chromite, but MacArthur remained steadfast. They suggested an alternative landing site, such as a position due west of Osan, which would be just forty miles away from Patton’s present positions.
“If you were to make a list of every handicap to an amphibious invasion,” one officer remarked, “Inchon has them all.”
“And that is why we should land there.” MacArthur replied. “The North Koreans will think it impossible, so we shall catch them by surprise. Inchon will not fail.”
The officers left without comment.

***

August 29, 1950

“General, MacArthur says that Chromite has been approved.” Doyle Hickey said. “He orders you to transfer the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade to his command effective immediately, and see to it that they be transported to Pusan in four days.”
“He’ll have them.” Patton promised. “I believe MacArthur wishes for me to launch a synchronised general offensive on the same day as the landings. When is that to be?”
“September 15th, sir.” Hickey said.
“Thank you.” Patton said, putting down the phone.
Colonel Abrams was off visiting the front, but when he returned to the Taejon headquarters a couple of hours later, he brought news that Patton had been looking forward to hearing for a while.
“Sir, the Korean offensive has been stopped in front of Chongju. Our losses were light, the enemy’s heavy. General Gay believes that the enemy’s momentum is shot.”
“I wouldn’t be quite so confident about that yet.” Patton said. “Every one of the North Korean offensives has begun with a frontal attack, and as soon as that fails they try hitting from the side.” He shouted for Colonel Landrum, who was then ordered to warn Gay against a possible enemy attack along the road between Chongju and the similarly named Chungju twenty-five miles to the northeast.
“As for you, Abe, I’ve got something important.” Patton said. “I got a call from Tokyo this morning, they’re taking the Marines off us. Chromite is on for September 15. Doug MacArthur wants to surprise the communists by landing in their rear.” Abrams had been briefed on the plan for Inchon days ago, but Patton felt the need to repeat it. “Take the port, take Seoul, win the war, he says.”
“That’s a big risk.” Abrams said.
“A stupid one.” Patton said. “That’s not the point. What I want to do is have Eighth Army launch the attack early. Dawn of September 4th. We’ll have all the men we’re likely to get for a while by then, so I can’t see a reason to waste time. Have the plans ready and troops in position for that.”
“September 4th?” Abrams asked, wondering if Patton had meant to say the fourteenth. “Eleven days ahead?”
“September 4th. That’s right. We’ll keep it going past the 15th if that’s what he wants.” Patton confirmed.

That evening, he would offer Sergeant Meeks another explanation for the early offensive. “Just between you and me, I’m going to beat that son of a bitch into Seoul.”

END OF PART I

- BNC
 
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No matter who wins, SOMEONE is going to invoke Goodwood/Cobra and say that their operation was planned all along to allow the other to succeed 🤣
 
It was 'how do we keep anybody in the armed services if they aren't conscripted' Board.
The Victors of WWII had mostly moved onto civilian life by 1947.
My grandfather was a combat engineer in the 3rd Army (he despised Patton), volunteered to serve in Korea because he felt that since he had the experience he should be over there.
 
Interestingly the pilot's story of Montgomery's plane bet here as Gott, his predecessor had been killed in a plane crash it is understandable that Monty would want a better plane, the RAF had been asked and refused to provide one before the bet was made...
 
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Interestingly the pilot's story of Montgomery's plane bet here as Gott, his predecessor had been killed in a plane crash it is understandable that Monty would want a better plane, the RAF had been asked and refused to provide one before the bet was made...
Gott's plane didn't crash, as many say.
It was shot down by the Luftwaffe.

"Before he could take up his post, Gott was killed when the transport plane he was traveling in was shot down and destroyed while returning to Cairo from the battle area.[24][25] The aircraft, a Bristol Bombay of No. 216 Squadron RAF flown by 19-year-old Flight Sergeant Hugh "Jimmy" James, was intercepted and shot down by Unteroffizier Bernd Schneider and Emil Clade of Jagdgeschwader 27 (Fighter Wing 27). With both engines out, the pilot had made a successful crash landing, but two German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters attacked the crashed plane, strafing it until the Bombay was totally wrecked. Those who were unable to escape from the downed Bombay (including Gott) were killed. Gott's body was buried at the El Alamein War Cemetery."
 
Chiang Kai Shek also had a lot of friends in the US in the form of the Chinese lobby though.He got pushed around by the US as well(even great powers like Britain and France had to fold when the US told them to shove off during the Suez Crisis).Why is Rhee an exemption?He’s the ruler of a much weaker and beleaguered US client state.There are a lot of ways the US could fuck with Rhee without overthrowing him,like withdrawing aid etc.
I think you are forgetting just how hated Chiang Kai Shek was in the United States. He was seen as corrupt and incompetent and he did not have a great reputation compared to his wife. His wife, Soong Mei-ling, was insanely popular in the United States and really help raise China's status among the American people, but her husband was not seen in the same light. In addition, one must remember that America's decision to intervene in Korea was influenced by the Chinese Nationalist defeat in the Chinese Civil War. They feared if Korea fell, then most of East Asia would be at risk of a communist takeover.

Not to mention, the United States did pressure Rhee and it was effective. Despite Rhee's "uncooperative nature", he remained a strong American Ally and was a fervent anti-communist. The United States just greatly preferred to use a carrot approach regarding Korea. They did not want to overthrow or appear to be overthrowing the South Korean Government as that would delegitimize the Republic of Korea Government and justify communist propaganda that the Republic of Korea was a client state. The Americans knew that if they actually intervened in South Korean politics, then the American presence in South Korea would be completely delegitimized in the eyes of the Korean People. And throughout American-ROK relations, the Americans frankly just did not want to directly intervene in South Korean domestic affairs.

Not to mention, one should realize that Rhee did not want to break away from the United States, he wanted to keep US troops in Korea as a deterrence against North Korea. And in this, he succeeded. In order to placate Rhee, the United States gave South Korea significant economic and military aid, which is what South Korea needed, after being devastated by the Korean War.

South Korea's primary goal throughout the 20th century was to develop and maintain a strong relationship with the United States. The Korean political and economic elite were deeply traumatized by the Korean War and deeply feared any indication of an American pullout of Korea. Once the Americans realized that the best way of keeping good relations with South Korea was to develop and create a strong economic/military alliance. There was never any point in trying to threaten the ROK by threatening to withdraw aid ( though the Americans often did threaten to do that) when the obvious answer to the problem was to provide more aid and military assistance.
 
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marathag

Banned
In addition, one must remember that America's decision to intervene in Korea was influenced by the Chinese Nationalist defeat in the Chinese Civil War. They feared if Korea fell, then most of East Asia would be at risk of a communist takeover.
1949/1950 KMT was in the doghouse. I doubt Truman would have sent the USN to intervene had Mao actually had enough boats to try an invasion.
Even South Korea was infamously put outside the US sphere of influence

Then the DPRK ran rampant over the ROK

The thought the South Korea could be lost in Weeks, well, that put a bit more shine on being more proactive in backing the Anti-Communists in the area.
That meant Chiang and Rhee.
What could have been done before the Invasion, no longer could be done to those two after the Invasion
 
They'll both be wrong.

General William Dean will end up taking another wrong turn, manage to avoid capture somehow or escape at some point, wind up somewhere in Seoul, find small arms and some locals willing to help him, and lead an unexpected harassment campaign for days til Mac and Patton finally show up. Instead of being the highest ranking US POW, he'll meet one or both generals somewhere in Seoul, looking horrible from the experience, but otherwise fine, look at both of them, and say something along the lines of " you're late", or "what kept you".
 
I'm imagining something like this happening in Seoul
Funnily enough, that scene was actually my first inspiration to write this TL! Rest assured I have something planned for MacArthur and Patton's next meeting :)

Ah, Dugout Doug. Never was on to share the glory.
The same can be said for Patton... going to be quite hard for both of them to have all of it :p
They'll both be wrong.

General William Dean will end up taking another wrong turn, manage to avoid capture somehow or escape at some point, wind up somewhere in Seoul, find small arms and some locals willing to help him, and lead an unexpected harassment campaign for days til Mac and Patton finally show up. Instead of being the highest ranking US POW, he'll meet one or both generals somewhere in Seoul, looking horrible from the experience, but otherwise fine, look at both of them, and say something along the lines of " you're late", or "what kept you".
TTL doesn't have Dean being captured. The rest of that post... it's so tempting to include something like that in a later chapter now! Though I'm not sure the laws of physics allow for someone to get ahead of Patton.

- BNC
 
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