[SAMWolf]

Korea: 1949-1953

INVASION

The surrender of Japan at the end of World War II also meant an end to 35 years of Japanese occupation in Korea. As they had in Germany, Soviet and U.S. troops liberated Korea -- and agreed to divide the nation along the 38th parallel as a temporary measure.

But as both sides withdrew their troops, they also set up rival governments, creating the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the North, and the Republic of Korea in the South.

WAR

Both North Korean leader Kim Il Sung and his South Korean counterpart, Syngman Rhee, dreamed of reunifying the peninsula under their respective governments. But Kim acted first. He pleaded with Stalin, who -- after first rejecting the idea -- helped North Korean forces plan for the invasion of the South.

Stalin also was heartened by the communist victory in China in 1949 and believed it was time to open an Asian front against capitalism. On June 25, 1950, the North Korean army rolled south in a surprise assault.

U.N. ACTS

The United States took advantage of a Soviet boycott of the United Nations to have the U.N. Security Council condemn North Korean aggression -- and create a U.N. military force that would defend South Korea.

That U.N. force included soldiers from 16 nations, with the largest contingent coming from the United States --- all under the command of U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur. At first, the U.N. troops were helpless against the North Korean assault -- and for a while appeared on the verge of being driven from the peninsula. But a daring attack behind North Korean lines at the port of Inchon rolls back the North Korean advance.

CHINA

North Korea's neighbor, the People's Republic of China, watched with alarm as U.N. forces drove the North Koreans out of the South. MacArthur assured U.S. President Truman there was no possibility of China entering the war. But unknown to Western leaders, 500,000 Chinese -- called the People's Volunteers -- were preparing to enter Korea.

In November 1950, after repeated warnings through diplomatic channels, China attacked -- sending the surprised U.N. forces reeling southward.

STALEMATE

U.N. troops stopped the advance by North Korean and Chinese forces near the 38th parallel -- and the war developed into a painful stalemate. MacArthur, who had called for the bombing of Chinese cities and pursuit of the war into China, was dismissed by Truman.

American members of the United Nations Delegation to the Panmunjom Military Armistice Conference attend a daily meeting at the Musanni United Nations Base Camp. Left to right: Colonel Andrew J. Kinney, USAF; Rear Admiral Ruthven E. Libby, USN; Vice Admiral C. Turner Joy, USN, Chief Delegate; Colonel Don O. Darrow, USAF; Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence G. Hill; Major General Howard M. Turner, USAF; and Major General Jai Heung Yu, Republic of Korea Army.

By the summer of 1951 armistice talks began. It wasn't until July 1953, after months of pointless fighting and the death of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, that a cease-fire was finally agreed to. Despite the armistice, the Korean peninsula remains divided to this day -- and a potential global flashpoint

[SAMWolf]

Reds: 1947-1953
FEAR

In the 1940s and '50s, the Cold War was fought through fear and persecution on both sides of the globe. In the United States, anti-communism became strident. Those who refused to completely renounce communism and its supporters were considered suspect. This was underscored by the actions of the FBI, under its leader J. Edgar Hoover.



In the Soviet Union, fences were raised against the outside world. The Gulag -- the secret government system of labor camps -- housed millions of prisoners.

HOLLYWOOD

At home, Americans feared communist subversion. Congress revived the House Committee on Un-American Activities. In 1947, the committee investigated America's film industry. Some of Hollywood's best-known actors, producers and writers were called to testify.


The "Hollywood Ten"

But 10 witnesses, who became known as the Hollywood Ten, defied the committee's line of questioning. The 10 were imprisoned. Hundreds more in Hollywood, suspected of communist sympathies, were blacklisted -- and unable to find work.

WITCH HUNTS

Several U.S. politicians used the Red Scare to their advantage. A State Department official, Alger Hiss, was accused by a former communist of passing secrets to the Soviet Union. Leading the prosecution against Hiss -- who was later jailed for perjury -- was a young California congressman named Richard Nixon.


Sen. Joseph McCarthy

Fear of communism also brought Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy into the limelight. During Senate hearings, McCarthy claimed to have lists of communists in the U.S. military, State Department and other government agencies. For months, McCarthy was able to attack people's reputations at will. He eventually fell out of public favor and power -- after he denounced leading Republicans and senior Army officials as communists.

ROSENBERGS

The fate of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg came to symbolize the excesses of the U.S. Red Scare. The couple were convicted of passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union and sentenced to death.


Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Despite protests that the death sentence against the Rosenbergs -- who had young children -- was unconstitutional, they became the first U.S. civilians to be executed in peacetime for espionage.

CONFORMITY

In the Soviet bloc, Joseph Stalin was eliminating all traces of outside influences -- and any dissent against his form of communism. Following his split with Yugoslav leader Marshal Tito, Stalin had Czechoslovakia's Communist Party secretary, Rudolf Slansky, arrested and charged with Titoism, spying and sabotage. Slansky and 10 others were executed in 1952.


The Czech Jewish party leader Rudolf Slansky (seen here with his family) was found guilty of "Trotskyite-Titoist-Zionist activities in the service of American imperialism" at a trial in Prague in November 1952.

In the Soviet Union, those who discussed change, even in private, risked punishment. At age 17, Susanna Pechuro was arrested and charged with treason and terrorism as a member of a secret discussion group. Three of her friends were executed. Over the years, millions shared their fate -- many vanishing without a trace.

STALIN

In 1952, an old but still-unchallenged Stalin presided over the 19th Congress of the Soviet Communist Party. Before a hall packed with international dignitaries, Stalin declared that capitalists were losing the global class struggle.

But at home, Stalin saw treachery everywhere. Most of all, he suspected so-called cosmopolitans, mostly Jewish intellectuals and professionals. In January 1953, nine Kremlin doctors -- five of whom were Jewish -- were accused of plotting with Western intelligence to kill Soviet leaders. The affair inflamed Russian anti-Semitism.



Weeks later, Stalin collapsed of a brain hemorrhage. No one dared treat him as he lay half-conscious on the floor. Stalin died on March 5, 1953. Even those in the Soviet bloc who hated him could not imagine a future without him.

Additional Sources:

www.cnn.com
people.zeelandnet.nl
www.bayern.de
www.germanembassy-india.org
www.salvator.net
www.military.com
cti.itc.virginia.edu
www.msu.edu
www.berlinairlift.com
airwar.hihome.com
cgi.cnn.com
members.tripod.com/ bonniewmon
korea50.army.mil
www.phyton.dk
www.usc.edu
www.evesmag.com
www.learnhistory.org.uk
www.friends-partners.org
www.celebritymorgue.com

[Valin]

Teaser

1966 Jimmy Hendrix changes spelling of his name to Jimi

Goodnight.

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on September 21:
1415 Frederick III Innsbruck Austria, German Emperor (1440-1493)
1452 Girolamo Savonarola Florentine monk/preacher/"reformer"
1756 John Loudon McAdam created macadam road surface (asphalt)
1788 Margaret Smith Taylor 1st lady
1817 Carter Littlepage Stevenson Major General (Confederate Army)
1824 Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn Brig General (Union volunteers)
1827 Michael Corcoran Brig General (Union volunteers), died in 1863
1866 H(erbert) G(eorge) Wells Bromley, England (War of the Worlds)
1886 Teiichi Igarashi Japan, climbed Mt Fuji at age 99
1902 Limari Salminen Finland, 10K run (Olympic-gold-1936)
1909 Kwame Nkrumah President of Ghana (1958-66)
1912 Chuck Jones animator (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck)
1918 Rand Brooks LA Calif, actor (Cpl Boone-Rin Tin Tin)
1931 Larry Hagman Fort Worth Tx, actor (I Dream of Jeannie, JR-Dallas)
1934 Leonard Cohen Montreal, singer/songwriter (Bird on a wire)
1935 Henry Gibson Germantown Pa, comedian (Nashville, Laugh-In's poet)
1940 Bill Kurtis Pensacola Fla, newscaster (The American Parade)
1944 Fannie Flagg Birmingham Ala, actress/comediene (Candid Camera)
1944 Hamilton Jordan political advisor (Crisis, Last Year of Carter Pres)
1947 Stephen King suspense writer (Shining, Kujo)
1948 Michael Finneran diver (1st perfect 10 on 10m platform)
1950 Bill Murray Evanston Ill, comedian (SNL, What About Bob, Stripes)
1955 Richard J Hieb Jamestown ND, astronaut (STS 39, Sk:STS 49)
1962 Grant Fuhr Edmonton Alberta, NHL goalie (Oilers)
1968 Ricki Lake actress(?) (Hairspray)

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Deaths which occurred on September 21:
0490 BC Callimachus General (Athens army of Marathon), dies
0019 BC Publius Vergilius/Virgilius Maro Roman poet (Aenes), dies at 50
1327 Edward II king of England (1307-1327), dies at 43
1558 Charles V, King of Spain (Carlos I)/Holy Roman Emperor, dies at 58
1576 Girolamo Cardano Italian mathematician, dies at 74
1776 Nathan Hale spied on British for American rebels, hanged
1904 Chief Joseph, US Indian chief (Nez Perc), dies
1915 Anthony Comstock anti-vice crusader, dies at 71 in NYC
1956 Anastasio Somoza García Nicaraguan dictator, assassinated by Roliberto Lopez
1961 Earle Dickson inventor (band-aid), dies at 68
1974 Jacqueline Susann author (Valley of the Dolls), dies at 53 of cancer
1974 Walter Brennan actor, dies at 80

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 AMMON GLENDON L. MUNCIE IN.
[REMAINS RETURNED 08/29/78]
1966 BAUDER JAMES R. LA CANADA CA.
1966 MILLS JAMES B. BAKERSFIELD CA.
1967 KIEN NGUYEN THAI VIETNAM
[RELEASED 09/24/84, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 JUDGE MARK W TORRANCE CA.
[NOT ON ANY OFFICIAL LIST. REMAINS RECOVERED]
1967 PLUMADORE KENNETH L. SYRACUSE NY.
1967 VESCELIUS MILTON J. MILFORD MI.
[REMAINS RECOVERED 08/14/85]
1969 CECIL ALAN B. HOLDENVILLE OK.
1969 JACKSON JAMES W. JR. ATLANTA GA.
1971 CARROLL ROGER W. JR. KANSAS CITY MO.
[REMAINS RETURNED 06/94 IDENTIFIED 10/95]
1972 COOK DWIGHT W. CENTER POINT IA.
[REMAINS RETURNED 06/94 IDENTIFIED 06/95]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0490 BC Battle of Marathon: Athens vs Persia; about 6,600 die
0454 In Italy, Aetius, the supreme army commander, is murdered in Ravenna by Valentinian III, the emperor of the West.
1066 Battle at Fulford: Norway king Harald III Hardrada beats British militia
1192 English King Richard I the Lion Hearted, captured
1348 Jews in Zurich Switzerland are accused of poisoning wells
1451 Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa orders Jews of Holland to wear a badge
1520 Suleiman (the Magnificent), son of Selim, becomes Ottoman sultan in Constantinople.
1621 King James of England gives Canada to Sir Alexander Sterling
1648 Battle at Pilawce: Bohdan Chmielricki's beats John Casimir
1745 A Scottish Jacobite army commanded by Lord George Murray routs the Royalist army of General Sir John Cope at Prestonpans.
1776 Great fire in NY
1780 Benedict Arnold gives British Major Andr‚ plans to West Point
1784 1st daily newspaper in America (Penns Packet & General Advertiser)
1792 1st French Republic declared
1823 Moroni 1st appears to Joseph Smith, according to Smith
1863 Union forces retreat to Chattanooga after defeat at Chickamauga
1872 John Henry Conyers of SC becomes 1st black student at Annapolis
1893 Frank Duryea drives 1st US made gas propelled vehicle (car)
1895 1st auto manufacturer opens-Duryea Motor Wagon Company
1913 1st aerobatic maneuver, sustained inverted flight, performed in France
1915 Stones at Stonehenge, England, sold at auction for œ6,600
1921 Pope Benedictus XV donates 1 million lire to feed Russians
1922 Pres Warren G Harding signs a joint resolution of approval to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine
1928 "My Weekly Reader" magazine made its debut
1930 Johann Ostermeyer patents the flashbulb
1931 Britain goes off the gold standard
1934 Typhoon strikes Honshu Island Japan, kills 4,000
1937 The women's airspeed record is set at 292 mph by American pilot Jacqueline Cochran.
1937 J.R.R. Tolkien, publishes "The Hobbit"
1938 Hurricane (winds 183 MPH) in New England kills 700
1942 116 hostages executed by Nazis in Paris
1944 Last British paratroopers at bridge of Arnhem surrenders
1948 "Texaco Star Theater" with Milton Berle premieres on NBC-TV
1949 Federal Republic of [West] Germany created under 3-power occupation
1949 People's Republic of China proclaimed
1951 Emil Zatopek runs 15,000 m. in record 44 min, 54.6 sec
1953 Allied forces form West Germany
1954 Nuclear submarine "Nautilus" is commissioned
1956 Yanks set dubious record, stranding 20 men on base Mantle hits a 500' plus homer but Red Sox win 13-9 in Fenway
1957 "Perry Mason" with Raymond Burr premiers on CBS-TV
1961 Antonio Abertondo swims the English Channel round trip (44 miles)
1964 Constellation (US) beats Sovereign (England) in 20th America's Cup
1964 Malta gains independence from Britain
1964 Reds Chico Ruiz steals home, beats Phillies 1-0. Phillies start a 10 game losing streak that gives the Cards the pennant
1965 O Kommissarova (USSR) sets women's longest paracute jump (46,250')
1965 Ted Erikson of Chicago, Illinois, became the first American swimmer to complete a round-trip crossing of the English Channel.
1966 Jimmy Hendrix changes spelling of his name to Jimi
1966 5" of rain falls on NYC
1969 NY Jet Steve O'Neal punts 98 yards against Denver Broncos
1970 "Monday Night Football" on ABC premiers (Browns beat Jets 31-21)
1970 Luna 16 leaves the Moon
1971 AL OKs Washington Senator move to Arlington (Texas Rangers)
1971 John Lennon & Yoko Ono are Dick Cavett's only guest
1972 Marcos declares martial law in the Philippines
1973 Nate Archibald signs 7 yr contract with NBA KC Kings for $450,000
1974 US Mariner 10 makes 2nd fly-by of Mercury
1976 Wings performs in Zagreb Yugoslavia
1980 Richard Todd of the Jets completes 42 passes in a game (NFL record)
1981 Belize gains independence from Britain (National Day)
1981 Sandra Day O'Connor becomes 1st female Supreme Court Justice
1981 Steve Carlton strikes out NL record 3,118th (Andre Dawson)
1982 2,251 turn out to see the Expos play the NY Mets at Shea Stadium
1982 Devils beat Rangers 3-2 in exhibition; 1st hockey in Meadowlands (NJ)
1983 The mutilated body of 13-year-old paperboy Danny Joe Eberle is found in his hometown of Bellevue, Nebraska.
1984 NASA launches Galaxy-C
1985 Michael Spinks becomes 1st light heavyweight to defeat the reigning heavyweight champion, he defeats Larry Holmes
1986 Miami Dan Marino passes for 6 touchdowns vs NY Jets (51-45)
1986 New Orleans Saints Mel Gray returns kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown
1986 NY Jets beat Miami Dolphins 51-45 in OT; record 884 passing yards
1989 Poland's Sejm (National Assembly) approves prime minister Mazowiecki
1990 Oakland A's Bob Welch becomes the 1st 25 game winner in 10 years
1990 Pirate Bobby Bond is 2nd to hit 30 HRs & steal 50 bases in a season
1990 Faye Vincent turns down White Sox bid to reinstate Minnie Minoso, 68, (so he can play in 6 decades) because it is a publicity stunt
1991 Armenia votes on whether to remain in the Soviet Union
1991 An 18-hour hostage drama ended in Sandy, Utah, as Richard L. Worthington, who had killed a nurse and seized control of a hospital maternity ward, finally freed his nine captives, including a baby who was born during the siege. (Worthington committed suicide in prison in 1994.)
1991 Armenia became the 12th Soviet republic to declare independence.
1998 President Clinton's videotaped grand jury testimony, during which he admitted to an inappropriate relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, was shown on television.
2000 An Iranian appeals court reduced the prison terms for 10 Jews convicted of "cooperating" with Israel, in a case that had drawn international criticism.

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Watticism Day
Malta : Independence Day (1964)
Philipines : Thanksgiving
US : Press Sunday (Sunday)
UN observance : Intl Day of Peace
National Rehabilitation Week Begins
National Singles Week Begins
Latino Heritage Month

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Religious Observances
Ang, RC, Luth : Feast of St Matthew, apostle, evangelist
Baha'is : World Peace Day
Orth : Nativity of the Birth-Giver of God (ie, Mary) (9/8 OS)
Wiccan : Alban Elfed-sabbat

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Religious History
1452 Birth of Girolamo Savonarola, Italian reformer. A Dominican from 1474, he was famous for his religious zeal. For 14 years he led in the reformation of Florence, before attacks on Alexander VI led to his excommunication. In 1498, he was convicted of heresy, hanged and burned.
1522 Martin Luther, 36, first published his German translation of the New Testament. (Luther's translation of the entire Bible was completed in 1534 -- perhaps the greatest literary achievement of the great Reformer.)
1814 Francis Scott Key's patriotic verses, entitled "The Star Spangled Banner," were first published in "The Baltimore American." (The poem became the American National Anthem in 1931.)
1848 The Arkansas Baptist State Convention was organized in Tulip, Arkansas, by 72 delegates from several area-wide Baptist churches and organizations. It was the first statewide Baptist organization in the history of Arkansas.
1933 In Germany during Hitler's rise to power, Martin Niemoeller began organizing the Pastors' Emergency League. Over 7,000 churches joined, although some 2,500 later withdrew under Nazi pressure. (The League itself gave birth to the more famous Barmen Synod, formed in May 1934.)

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"Man has always sacrificed truth to his vanity, comfort and advantage. He lives... by make-believe."

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Things You Wouldn't Hear a Southerner Say...
Give me the small bag of pork rinds

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How Many Dogs Does it Take to Change Light Bulb?
Australian Shepherd: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a little circle...

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The Ultimate Scientific Dictionary...
Chemical:
A substance that: 1) An organic chemist turns into a foul odor;
2) an analytical chemist turns into a procedure;
3) a physical chemist turns into a straight line;
4) a biochemist turns into a helix;
5) a chemical engineer turns into a profit.

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What's Your Business Astrological Sign?...
GOVERNMENT WORKER
Paid to take days off. Government workers are genius inventors, like the invention of new holidays. They usually suffer from deep depression or anxiety and usually commit serious crimes while on the job...Thus the term "GO POSTAL"

[PAR35]

On Thursday, June 24, 1948,

One of the sources of dispute during negotiations was when the travel restrictions began. At one point the Soviets suggested a start date of March 30, while the Americans held to an earlier date.

The first Soviet travel restrictions went into effect March 31 on rail travel, although some trains got through after that date. The road blockage came later. The road bridge was closed on June 16, although a small ferry on a secondary route was made available, and barge traffic restrictions later still. In any event, all traffic was halted on June 18, not the 24th. The confusion may have come because June 24 was when the airlift started.

The Soviet Union ends its blockade of Berlin on May 12, 1949.

They continued restrictions after that date. (Some of which were simply ignored by the west). Heavy restrictions on road travel only ended in mid - July after the Americans announced that they were planning to send through armed convoys once a week to supply the garrison.

The airlift itself continued through September, going on a 5 day week Aug 12, and finally ending Sept. 31.

Berliners are still free to move around their city,

Not entirely correct. On February 15 the Russians began to block streets between the two sectors (Illing one man who tried to get through) and by the end of April 53 (about half) of the streets crossing the zonal boundry had been blocked.) Passengers on the S-Bahn and U-Bahn were also subject to being stopped and searched and having parcels seized. Workers were allowed to travel to and from jobs, but goods shipments were blocked.

Fianlly, the role of the French must be noted. They favored an early surrender to the Russians in Berlin, but they did contribute by blowing up the Radio Berlin transmission towers.

Primary source: The Berlin Airlift
Ann & John Tusa, Atheneum, 1988.

[aomagrat]

Today's classic warship, USS Incredible (AM-249)

Admirable class minesweeper

Displacement. 530 t.
Lenght. 184'6"
Beam. 33'
Draft. 9'9"
Speed. 15 k.
Complement. 104
Armament. 1 3"; 4 40mm; 6 20mm; 2 .50 cal.; 1 Hedgehog; 4 Y-gun depth charge projectors; 2 depth charge tracks.

USS Incredible (AM-249) was launched 21 November 1943 by Savannah Machine & Foundry Co., Savannah, Ga.; sponsored by Mrs. Herbert Hezlep; and commissioned 17 April 1944, Lt. R. N. Ekland, USNR, in command.

After shakedown along the East Coast and in the Caribbean, Incredible departed Norfolk 24 July, escorting a convoy to North Africa for the invasion of southern France, the Allies landing 15 August. She carried out her sweeping duties very effectively, sometimes without destroyer cover. On 10 September Incredible and her group gallantly repelled an attack of 12 human torpedoes, 2 of which she destroyed. She continued her minesweeping duties off southern France until 18 January 1945 when she sailed for a special mission to Russia and the Black Sea. Incredible performed sweeping duties out of Sevastopol, Russia, then served as air-sea rescue patrol ship in the Black Sea until resuming to Palermo, Sicily, 20 February.

Incredible returned to Norfolk 5 May; and, after overhaul, departed 23 July for duty in the Pacific. She arrived Pearl Harbor 8 days after the fighting stopped via the Canal Zone and San Diego. The minesweeper sailed from Pearl Harbor 31 August for Operation "Skagway", clearing the minefields in the East China Sea-Ryukyus area. This important duty lasted until 17 February 1946 when she returned to San Pedro, Calif. She remained there until she decommissioned at Puget Sound 6 November, joining the Reserve Fleet. From 28 November 1947 to 28 September 1949 Incredible was "In Service, out of commission", based at Yokosuka, Japan.

In June 1950 when the Communists again tested the will of the free world by attacking South Korea, President Truman readily accepted the challenge and immediately ordered American forces into the area to drive the enemy back and establish peace in Korea. Incredible recommissioned 14 August 1950 at Yokosuka and departed 18 September for minesweeping and patrol duties in the Pusan area. While on patrol in mine-infested waters, on 12 October she rescued 27 survivors from USS Pirate (AM-275) which had struck a mine. Delivering her passengers to safety, she continued her operations in the battle zone, sweeping harbors and serving on patrol and escort duty. Returning to Yokosuka, Incredible sailed for Long Beach, arriving 4 August 1951.

The minesweeper operated along the West Coast and out of Pearl Harbor until 6 August 1953 when she sailed for the Far East. For the remainder of the year she operated out of Japan and on patrol along the coast of Korea. Incredible returned to Long Beach 11 March 1954 and decommissioned there 21 September, again joining the Reserve Fleet. Reclassified MSF-249, 7 February 1955, Incredible remained in the Long Beach Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet until she was struck from the Navy List 1 December 1959. She was sold for scrap 8 August 1960 to National Metal and Steel Corp.

Incredible received two battle stars for World War II service and four for Korean service.