Statistics:
Killed and missing America: 36,574 South Korea: 217,000 (1,000,000 civilians) North Korea: 406,000 (600,000 civilians) China: 600,000 "Korean War Fast Facts." CNN World. CNN, 19 June 2014. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. |
Summary:
The Korean War was a conflict that took place during the cold war and was essentially a battle for control of a country by the US and the Soviet Union. The war came about after the US beat Japan in WW2. Japan at this point was in control of Korea and were forced to leave after WW2, which left Korea without any government. Because the Soviet Union and the US were the two countries that had taken Japan although the US had done most of the work they agreed to split Korea and take control of it until there could be an agreement between the two sides. Unfortunately an agreement did not come about and in June of 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea starting the war. North Korea (with Russian help) was able to steam through South Korean forces while the US and UN organized but once the US was able to bring their full force the tide of battle dramatically changed and North Korea was pushed almost to the Chinese border. Unfortunately this brought China into the war as they didn't want a capitalist and US controlled country adjacent to them. China was able to push the US, UN and South Korean forces all the way back through North Korea and into South Korea but the US was able to push back with the war slowly stabilizing at the 38th parallel. And as the war became a stalemate peace talks started and on July 27th 1953 a ceasefire was declared but to this day the war is still technically in progress. |
Bridges at Toko-Ri by James A. Michener (A Summary)
Protagonist Harry Brubaker is a lawyer from the U.S. and is forced to fight in the Korean War as a bomber pilot aboard the naval carrier Savo. Throughout the novel he struggles with the dilemma of participating in the bombing of the bridges at Toko-Ri, a vital mission in the Korean War, or safety with his family.
Protagonist Harry Brubaker is a lawyer from the U.S. and is forced to fight in the Korean War as a bomber pilot aboard the naval carrier Savo. Throughout the novel he struggles with the dilemma of participating in the bombing of the bridges at Toko-Ri, a vital mission in the Korean War, or safety with his family.