The Forgotten War essays

The Forgotten War essays A half a century ago, war erupted in Korea on June 25, 1950, along the 38th parallel that separated North and South Korea. The communist ruled North Korea invaded South Korea. The UN (United Nations) called this invasion a violation of international peace. The Korean War was the first war in which a world organization, the United Nations, played a military role. The United States provided about ninety percent of the troops, military equipment, and supplies that were sent to South Korea. The Soviet Union gave military equipment to the North Koreans and China fought on the side of the North Koreans. The Korean War was one of the bloodiest wars in history. Over a million South Korean people were killed and several million were left homeless. More than one and a half million communist troops were killed or wounded or reported missing. When North Korea invaded South Korea the North Korean army had about one hundred and thirty five thousand soldiers. North Korea had tanks, airplanes, and artillery. South Korea had only ninety-five thousand soldiers and very few planes. In South Korea they did not have any tanks. After the UN forces (90% from America) joined the South Koreans to assist, they had over a million soldiers and lots of airplanes, tanks, and artillery. The North Koreans army grew after the Soviet Union and China sent more than nine hundred thousand troops during the war. The Korean War marked the first battles between jet aircraft. Allies were forced back to the Pusan Perimeter by August 2. The Pusan Perimeter was a battle line in the southeast corner of South Korea. It extended roughly from the city of Pohang on the southeast coast, west around Taegu, and south and southeast nearly to Pusan. The Naktong River was the boundary of most of the area. Allied bombers and fighter planes from South Korea reared over North Korea. The Soviet Union soon began to supply North Korea with MiG-15 jets, and ...