1. MARINE CORPS HISTORY KOREAN WAR SSGT BRYCE BISKUP “WE’RE SURROUNDED. THAT SIMPLIFIES OUR PROBLEM.” LEWIS “CHESTY” PULLER

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BATTLES OF PUSAN, INCHON, SEOUL, AND CHOSIN. STATE THREE MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS THAT RESULTED FROM THE WAR IN KOREA. STATE THREE IMPORTANT EVENTS THAT OCCURRED AFTER KOREA. STATE THE YEAR THE OFFICE OF SERGEANT MAJOR OF THE MARINE CORPS WAS ESTABLISHED AND WHO HE WAS.

3. BACKGROUND INFO POST WWII DEFENSE CUTS IN FEB 1948 FROM 495,000 MARINES TO 75,000 BY 1950. SOUTH KOREA NOT SEEN AS A STATEGIC INTEREST BY U.S. UNTIL THE THREAT OF COMMUNIST INVASION. JUNE 1950 - ARMY OF NORTH KOREA INVADES WITH 10 DIVISIONS AND AID FROM USSR AND CHINA COMPLETELY OVERUNNING THE POORLY TRAINED AND DISORGANIZED SOUTH KOREAN ARMY. USE OF MARINE CORPS RESERVE ENABLED A RAPID RESPONSE TO THE CRISIS.

4. EARLY STAGES OF THE CONFLICT U.N. QUICKLY ACTS PLACING GEN. MACARTHER IN CHARGE. 4 UNDERMANNED AND COMPLACENT ARMY DIV. SENT FROM JAPAN. PUSHED BACK TO PUSAN PERIMITER WITH 4 SOUTH KOREAN DIV. MACARTHER REQUESTS MARINES. 1 ST PROVISIONAL MARINE BRIGADE CREATED AND DEPLOYED FROM SAN DIEGO IN LESS THAN 10 DAYS.

5. PUSAN PERIMETER AUG 1950 – MARINES ARRIVE AND PUSH NORTH KOREANS BACK. ARMY UNITS REPLACE MARINES AND LOSE GROUND. MARINES FORCED TO REGAIN GROUND LOST BY ARMY.

6. INCHON STABILITY AT PUSAN AND ARRIVAL OF 1STMARDIV, ALLOWS MACARTHUR OPPORTUNITY TO LAUNCH COUNTER-OFFENSIVE. 1STMARDIV AS THE MAIN EFFORT ATTACKS AT INCHON FOR 1 ST AMPHIB OP SINCE WWII CUTTING OFF SUPPLIES TO NORTH KOREAN TROOPS. INCHON WAS WORST POSSIBLE LOCATION FOR AMPHIB OP AND CHOSEN FOR ELEMENT OF SURPRISE. ATTACK SUCCESSFUL AND CONSIDERED TURNING POINT OF WAR.

7. SEOUL CONTINUED FIGHTING TO RECAPTURE CAPITAL CITY CAUSES IMMENSE CASUALTIES DUE TO WELL ENTRENCHED ENEMY. HOUSE TO HOUSE FIGHTING IN SEOUL IS DRASTIC CHANGE FOR MARINES USED TO FIGHTING IN SOUTH PACIFIC JUNGLES. MACARTHUR CONTINUES NORTHERN ADVANCE PAST 38 TH PARALLEL DESPITE PRESIDENT TRUMAN’S CAUTION OF CHINESE INTERVENTION.

8. CHOSIN RESERVOIR CROSSING OF 38 TH PARALLEL CAUSES INTERVENTION OF CHINESE. NOV 1950 – TEMP. DROPS FROM 32 DEGREES TO -20. “FROZEN CHOSIN” 1STMARDIV SURROUNDED BY 7 CHINESE DIV. AND CUT OFF FROM SUPPLIES. “WE ARE NOT RETREATING, WE ARE ATTACKING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.” GEN. SMITH CLOSE AIR SUPPORT AND MEDEVAC’S REASON FOR SUCCESS. MOST SUCCESSFUL MIL. WITHDRAWL IN HISTORY. COL. PULLER RECEIVES 5 TH NAVY CROSS

9. WAR’S END MARCH 1951 – SEOUL RETAKEN AND FRONT LINE ESTABLISHED AT 38 TH PARALLEL. MACARTHUR RELIEVED BY RIDGEWAY FOR INSUBORDINATION. JUN 1952 – DOUGLAS- MANSFIELD ACT GUARANTEES MARINE CORPS WILL HAVE 3 DIV. AND 3 AIR WINGS WITH SUPPORT. EST. COMMANDANT OF MARINE CORPS AS NONVOTING MEMBER OF JCS. JUL 1953 – ARMISTICE SIGNED EST. 38 TH PARALLEL AS BORDER.

10. DEVELOPMENTS OF KOREAN WAR BODY ARMOR – I.E. FLAK JACKETS THERMAL BOOTS AND COLD WEATHER TRAINING. VERTICAL ENVELOPEMENT THROUGH USE OF HELICOPTERS.

11. 1 ST SERGEANT MAJOR OF THE MARINE CORPS SGTMAJ WILBUR BESTWICK BORN NOV 11, 1911 IN SABETHA, KS. ENLISTED IN 1934 COMBAT IN BOUGAINVILLE AND GUAM WITH 3RDMARDIV. NAVY COMMENDATION MEDAL WITH COMBAT “V” IN KOREA. 1 ST SGTMAJ OF THE MARINE CORPS FROM 1957 - 1959

12. QUESTIONS???

13. QUESTIONS NAME THE 4 MAJOR BATTLES OF THE KOREAN WAR. NAME 3 DEVELOPMENTS INSPIRED BY THE CONFLICT. GIVE 2 DETAILS OF INCHON LANDING. GIVE 2 EVENTS FROM THE BATTLE FOR CHOSIN RESERVOIR. GIVE THE NAME AND YEAR OF THE 1 ST SGTMAJ OF THE MARINE CORPS.