The Korean “Police Action”

Western satisfaction over “winning” the Berlin Blockade was short-lived. After the end of WW II, there was a civil war in China between the Nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-Shek, who were supported by the United States, and the communist forces of Mao Zedong, who were supported by Russia.

In October 1949, Mao’s forces defeated the Nationalist forces causing the Chinese Nationalists to flee to the off-shore island of Formosa, a/k/a Taiwan. (Anderson, p. 6.) The view at the time among right wing groups was that the United States “lost” China because communists had infiltrated the American Department of State and had undermined its foreign policy.

Because of the concept of monolithic communism, American and world leaders viewed the Russian communists and the Chinese communists as a unified bloc, with the same goals and policies. As events played out over the decades, that belief was mistaken. The Chinese communists were very different. (Jennings and Brewster, p. 308.) Nevertheless, the Republicans in Congress in the late 1940s pointed the finger at the Truman administration for this “serious set-back.” (Id.)

With Japan’s defeat at the end of WWII, Korea (which had been controlled by Japan) was divided into North under Russian influence and South under American influence. The border between North and South was at the 38th parallel. American forces occupied South Korea until the summer of 1949, when they were called home.

In June 1950, North Korea, which according to a CIA report was a “tightly controlled Soviet satellite that exercises no independent initiative and depends entirely on the support of the USSR,” tried to take advantage of the absence of American forces by attacking the South. It was the first “hot war” of the Cold War Era. America believed that the conflict meant Russia was trying to escalate the Cold War; the conflict was not seen as a civil war between the two Koreas. (Casey, Selling the Korean War: Propaganda, Politics and Public Opinion in the United States, 1950-1953, pp. 19, 41.)

The North Korean forces quickly pushed the South Koreans to the end of the peninsula and were on the verge of defeating them. President Truman, concerned about “the domino effect” on the whole of Asia (Jennings and Brewster, p. 314), felt compelled to intervene and prevent the collapse of the South Korean regime. Truman characterized the U.S. intervention as a United Nation’s “police action” with a limited policy objective: to reinstate the status quo ante, or, return to the 38th parallel. Truman did not want the situation to expand beyond the Korean peninsula. (Casey, pp. 21, 30.) United States and United Nation forces, led by General Douglas MacArthur, stopped the advance of the North Koreans and counterattacked, pushing them back to the 38th parallel.

Songs about the Korean War are fairly rare, at least when compared to other American wars, and were dominated by four main themes: patriotism, the soldier in battle, faith, and emotional pain. A few songs expressed discontent about the war, but none of them opposed it outright. Most Korean War songs came from the country music genre, just a few years before the advent of rock ‘n’ roll. (http://www.authentichistory.com/1946-1960/2-korea/3-music/.)

“Thank God for Victory in Korea,was written and performed by Jimmie Osborne in 1950 after MacArthur’s initial successes. This musical declaration of victory would prove to be premature, however, as Chinese forces entered the fray only three weeks later, fundamentally changing the character of the war. https://youtu.be/mb45MMZJh3M

Thank you dear God for victory in Korea
We’re grateful that the battle’s won
We give you the praise for victory in Korea
We thank you dear God for what you’ve done

Oh the boys gave their lives, left their children and wives
They were willing to die for you and me
Night and day they did fight, for the cause that is right
For America and its liberty

Thank you dear God for victory in Korea
We’re grateful that the battle’s won
We give you the praise for victory in Korea
We thank you dear God for what you’ve done

For awhile it looked to me we would be pushed into the sea
But the good Lord said, “I will not let you down”
He gave us tanks, planes and guns, so America’s fighting sons
Have Old Glory waving in Korea now

Thank you dear God for victory in Korea
We’re grateful that the battle’s won
We give you the praise for victory in Korea
We thank you dear God for what you’ve done

We must kneel and pray that peace will come and stay
For this world, it is full of greed and hate
The oppressor waiting there, we can stop him with a prayer
So let’s talk to God before it is too late

Thank you dear God for victory in Korea
We’re grateful that the battle’s won
We give you the praise for victory in Korea
We thank you dear God for what you’ve done

Truman allowed MacArthur to cross the 38th parallel, which changed the nature of the conflict from one reinstating the status quo to one that looked like an aggressive action to change the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula. (Farber, Mary Sheila McMahon, The American State and Vietnam, p. 61.) The US/UN forces pushed the North Koreans almost all the way to the Chinese border at the Yalu River. Believing that the US/UN forces were intent on being aggressors and fearing an attack on their territory, the Chinese army intervened and pushed the US/UN forces to below the 38th parallel. A stalemate developed at 38th parallel in the spring of 1951.

“Heartbreak Ridge, by The Delmore Brothers (http://redmp3.cc/20179212/the-delmore-brothers-heartbreak-ridge.html) is a song about a costly United Nations victory in mid-October 1951. Casualty figures in that battle were estimated at over 3,700 American and French and an estimated 25,000 North Korean and Chinese. The song’s narrator views the conflict as a struggle between good and evil: “We fight the Reds trying to win, to rid this world of hatred and sin.” He reflects on the heroic sacrifice of a buddy from down the street in his hometown. Yet, standing atop the ridge, he takes in the enormous destruction: “On Heartbreak Ridge I stand tonight, with nothing but wounded and dying in sight.”

My dear, dear mum, dear mother of mine
From Heartbreak Ridge I’m dropping this line
Where we fight the Reds, try to win
To rid this world of hatred and sin

[chorus]
On Heartbreak Ridge we fight and fight
Where the enemy that can’t see the light
On Heartbreak Ridge I stand tonight
Nothing but wounded and dying in sight

Remember my buddy? He lived down the street
I saw him fall right at my feet
Please tell his mother as soon as you can
That her boy died a hero, and an honorable man

[repeat chorus]

Oh mama how I long to see you tonight
But I must stay here and go on with this fight
We’ve fought and we’ve fought, I’ve seen thousands fall
I’ve prayed to God that they heed freedom’s call

[repeat chorus]

Truman and MacArthur had a serious disagreement over tactics. MacArthur made a series of public statements in which he threatened to escalate hostilities with China in defiance of Truman’s stated limited war policy. General MacArthur is supposed to have wanted to use atomic bombs and lay down a permanent radioactive belt along the Yalu River. President Truman, however, decided not to use the atom bomb again. Some Americans questioned Truman’s decision not to authorize use of the atomic bomb as MacArthur wanted.

A 1951 song by Jackie Doll and his Pickled Peppers titled, “When They Drop the Atomic Bomb” (https://youtu.be/ofZzZ3vT6G0) enthusiastically anticipated the use of the atomic bomb by MacArthur, and the effect it would have on the evil ‘commies.’

There will soon be an end to this cold and wicked war
When those hard headed Communists get what they’re lookin’ for
Only one thing that will stop them and their atrocious bunch
If General MacArthur drops an atomic bomb

Now over in Korea our boys have fought and fell
But they died just like heroes amid the many shot and killed
They had their hands tied behind them and were murdered by the score
By those dirty minded Communists who started this sad war

There’ll be fire, dust and metal flying all around
And the radioactivity will burn them to the ground
If there’s any Commies left they’ll be all on the run
If General MacArthur drops an atomic bomb

Old hard headed Joe will be feelin’ mighty blue
When he finds out he’s bitten off more than he can chew
For his aggression will be ended and the job will be well done
If General MacArthur drops an atomic bomb

Old MacArthur has the power to stop those murderin’ thieves
And he’ll make them sorry for their underhanded schemes
Just leave it to the general for he really has the nerve
To give no good Communists just what they deserve

There’ll be fire, dust and metal flying all around
And the radioactivity will burn their playhouse down
If there’s any Commies left they’ll be all on the run
If General MacArthur drops an atomic bomb

Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination, a decision later supported by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Truman and his advisors did not want to risk further Chinese and/or Russian involvement. Ultimately, the “police action” ended in a draw; essentially, North and South Korea were left with the “status-quo ante.” (Casey, pp. 21, 30.)