I’ve thought this over many, many times over the years. I’m now thinking that if MacArthur had gotten his way and used tactical nukes to keep the Chinese “volunteers” out of the war, there would BE no North Korea today. My Dad and his brother were both there during the war. The North Korean army had its ass handed to it after Inchon – they were rabble to begin with, but there was a whole LOT of them. The Chinese were a professional, trained and well-led fighting force. The American army was a shell of its 1945 self and didn’t take the NKs seriously – Task Force Smith fought bravely, but was thrown together from occupation forces in Japan and had outdated weaponry – 3.5 inch bazooka shells bounced of T34 hulls. Truman was a ‘Rat, pure and simple. Once a DummycRAT, always a DummycRAT.
I've often wondered about this very scenario.Why didn't Truman,or the Secretary of Defense,state publicly,and communicate privately to the Chinese,something like "any foreign troops entering Korea from the north will be met with a nuclear response".And at the same time it could be communicated to the Soviets (privately,at least) that if *they* wanted to mix it up we'd be happy to oblige.
You and your Dad are exactly right about how we shoulda turned MacArthur loose(r). But my 3.5 inch bazooka didn’t have any real trouble with T-34 sheet iron-—you just had to be closer than he could shoot——that’s the butt-pinching part.