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thedrifter
07-12-06, 10:53 AM
North Korea: Fifty Six Years Ago
Cates, A Persistent Bear of a Marine


On the eve of the Korean War the Marine Corps consisted of two combat divisions and two aircraft wings. Both were under-strength thanks to the actions of President Truman and newly appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Omar Bradley. Thank God General Clifton Bledsoe Cates, Commandant of the Marine Corps, had worked tirelessly to keep Truman from completely demolishing the Corps.

On June 25, 1950 the North Korean People’s Army (NPKA) sent six NPKA divisions, and three Border Constabulary brigades south across the 38th parallel. They were supported by 100 Russian made T-34 tanks and large numbers of Yak fighters. Truman waited until the NPKA captured Seoul to authorize MacArthur to use ground forces. On June 30, 1950 the “incident” became the Korean War and MacArthur began airlifting forces into Pusan. Because the Joint Chiefs of Staff considered the war a “police action” that could be settled without the Marines, MacArthur’s only available troops were the soft, out-of-condition, and under equipped occupation forces from Japan.

General Cates had been busy for the week that Truman temporized over the incident, and of his own volition he ordered the 1st Marine Division to prepare for war. Cates went directly to Admiral Forest Sherman, Chief of Naval Operations and offered him a full brigade of Marines within two weeks. The Marines, as always, were in good physical shape, had maintained their equipment and were ready to fight.

On July 2 MacArthur sent a request to the JCS asking that the Marines be sent posthaste. When the JCS convened to discuss the matter, General Cates showed up uninvited. The JCS had no choice but to approve Cates’ offer because the Marines represented, just as they had for 171 years, the only force in America ready to fight.


Source:
The Illustrated Directory of the Marine Corps by Chester G. Hearn.

Ellie