Charles Hanley brings that imperative to bear on a work of history, “Ghost Flames: Life and Death in a Hidden War, Korea 1950-1953.” As Mr. Hanley notes, the Korean War—wedged between World War II and Vietnam—is known as “the forgotten war” and viewed as “an indecisive conflict in a far-off place.” Yet it left at least three million soldiers and civilians dead, including 42,223 Americans killed or missing. Whether he makes his case persuasively is doubtful, but he does manage to show that all wars are hell, not least the forgotten ones. A little more than 70 years ago, on June 25, 1950, 90,000 North Korean soldiers backed by 150 Soviet-built T-34 tanks suddenly poured across the border into South Korea. This was the first serious test of America’s post-World War II strategy of containing communism—and yet there were almost no troops to carry it out. To relieve Pusan and reverse the war’s course, MacArthur launched a dramatic amphibious landing at Inchon on Sept. 15, 1950, and the long slog of retaking South Korea began.

Source: Wall Street Journal September 04, 2020 14:42 UTC