Knee Deep in Kim Chee: Seven Stories from the Korean War - Widenhofer

KNEE DEEP IN KIM CHEE: SEVEN STORIES FROM THE KOREAN WAR. 2010 by David J. Widenhofer. In June of 1950, the United States, along with several members of the United Nations, came to the aid of South Korea after it was invaded by North Korea. The communist forces of North Korea had the direct support of the Peoples' Republic of China and the Soviet Union. In the early stage of the war, the U.N. forces fought desperately to keep the Communist forces from taking complete control of the Korean peninsula. Eventually, the U.N. forces successfully drove the communists from South Korea and pursued them to the Chinese border. At this point, the Chinese sent in hundreds of thousands of soldiers and an immense amount of war material. The Chinese pushed the U.N. forces back into South Korea before their advance was halted. Through savagely desperate fighting, the U.N. forces were able to retake most of South Korea and advance slightly into North Korea. The final two thirds of the war was, for the most part, a stalemate. The Chinese superiority in numbers was held in balance by the U.N.'s overwhelming firepower and air superiority. Both sides dug elaborate systems of trenches, bunker, barbed wire and minefields across the peninsula. Battle lines changed very little during this time. An armistice agreement was finally reached after years of negotiation. However, a peace treaty has never been signed. Over two million people lost their lives in a struggle that lasted for three years, one month, and two days. The United States lost more than thirty-six thousand troops. In America, this became known as the Korean War. As with many wars, most of the historical focus has been on the decision-making politicians and military leaders. The majority of the individuals who did the fighting, had little or nothing to do with the decision making process. Here are the stories of seven men from western Pennsylvania who experienced the war, firsthand. 71 photos and maps. 112 pages, 7 x 10 Soft cover Read about the author: http://www.mechlingbooks.com/DavidWidenhofer.html.