ABLE:What is your response to the steadfastness of MacArthur’s insistence on the Inchon landing? How does it change, had the mission gone otherwise?

My response to the steadfastness of MacArthur’s insistence on the Inchon landing is that of full support for his reasoning. Had General (UN Supreme Leader) MacArthur decided to take the advice and not go forward with Operation Chromite, then the battle at Pusan would have continued and the morale of the Soldiers in that area would have only taken a deeper dive.  Soldiers in Pusan were continuing to fight off the attacks from the North and without any alteration to the plan, they would have continued to be a punching bag with little to no reaction.  General MacArthur stated in a top US Military Leader conference in Tokyo that, “The only alternative to a stroke such as I propose will be the continuation of the savage sacrifice we are making at Pusan, with no hope of relief in sight. Are you content to let our troops stay in that bloody perimeter like beef cattle in the slaughterhouse? Who will take the responsibility for such a tragedy? Certainly, I will not.”  The reasoning behind General MacArthur’s insistence on the Inchon landing far exceeded the reasoning for the other military leaders to either alter the location of Operation Chromite or stand fast and continue to wait for another opportunity.

The reasoning for altering the location or ditching Operation Chromite in full was due to the Inchon port size and the high tides in that area.  General MacArthur argued that it would give him even more reasoning to choose that location because the North would not expect an attack from that location.  General MacArthur’s decision to move forward with Operation Chromite allowed the US to capture the port by September 15th and then retake Seoul 11 days after the capture. This Operation ultimately became the turning point of the Korean War.

Had the Operation gone otherwise, then it would have been difficult for General MacArthur to keep the confidence of the leaders under his charge.  Nonetheless, I do not believe my response with full support would change.  Something had to be done at this point of the war.  With UN forces being pushed back to the southeastern corner of Korea, there had to be a change in plan.  General MacArthur’s refusal to stand fast and wait for an opportunity follows one of the most ingrained phrases in every Soldier’s mind, “seize the initiative”.  General MacArthur seized the initiative by conducting Operation Chromite and changed the tides of the Korean War.