North Korea shells South Korea, soldiers injured

It's true. Another case of "throw out the records."

 

One notable one is chronicled in Rick Atkinson's oustanding book, "The Long Gray Line", which spotlights members of West Point's Class of '66. One of those Atkinson focused on was Captain Art Bonifas.

This account is not from Atkinson's book, although if you haven't read it already, you need to posthaste. But it sums up what happened that date in August, 1976.

Near the Bridge of No Return a row of poplar trees, and the fifth tree blocked a line of sight between checkpoint 3 and the bridge from the view of check point 5. in the Joint Security Area. The trimming of a poplar tree each summer was a routine procedure. However in early August 1976 a South Korean work force was threatened with death if they tried to trim the tree.

On 18 August 1976 a Korean work force was escorted by CPT Bonifas and 1LT Barrett to trim the large poplar tree. The UNC force on 18 August 1976 consisted of the two US officers, an Republic of Korea officer and eight UNC guards escorting the workforce. The Korean People's Army from the North told them to cease activity. When the commanding officer, Captain Bonifas, ordered work to resume, thirty North Korean soldiers who silently watched were ordered "mikunulchi ki cha" ["kill the US soldiers"]. The North Koreans, armed with the work detail's axes and metal picks, outnumbered the soldiers. CPT Bonifas was the first killed, attacked from behind by five. A Corporal saw the attack from a nearby three-story pagoda and recorded the murders with a movie camera. The attack ended as soon as it began, with the two US officers were killed and the nine guards UNC guards injured.

After a mobilization on both sides, and despite Henry Kissinger's apparent desire to bomb the North, President Ford ultimately decided the appropriate response would be to chop down the tree. On the morning of 21 August 1976 a joint mission involving ROK and UN-supported American troops felled the tree. The poplar tree was removed entirely and a small monument was placed with the names of those killed and injured. Under OPERATION PAUL BUNYAN this action was backed up by an armed platoon, 27 helicopters, and a number of B-52 bombers fying along the DMZ. The North Koreans held their fire, and within an hour the operation was complete.

 

I don't think China is completely in North Korea's corner ... only to the point where it doesn't aversely affect China.

 

Birdscribe, that is a fascinating story. Seems like such a waste, to have two people die so needlessly. Sometimes I wish the ROK/US would stop letting the DRPK kill people with no retaliation, but I suppose they're afraid of the DPRK response to such actions.

 

China's main interest in North Korea is making sure its government keeps the population IN North Korea, rather than China. So war is something they will try to help avoid, as war creates refugees like nothing else can.

 

Great pull Birdscribe. The Long Grey Line is one of my favorites. Any book involving Atkinson - I'm in.

 

And by the same token, China will prop up North Korea because they don't want American troops on their direct border.

You wonder whether it wouldn't be in China's interest to invade North Korea and wipe them out as the crazy uncle wild card in the Far East. Then again, that would enflame South Korea, Japan, the U.S., etc.

 

I say we tell South Korea but we want them to take more than 5% of our cars.

 

What the U.S. and China BOTH want is for the North Korean government to collapse of its own accord so that they can manage the transition to a united Korea while South Korea pays for it. But it never happens. Besides, it's just as likely U.S. troops would leave Korea altogether if the North fell. Relations between China and South Korea are decent if not warm.

 

Chilling fictional (?) account of what could happen if war erupts

 

There's citizen journalism ... and then there's citizen journalism in North Korea.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/southkorea/8165274/North-Koreas-undercover-journalists-reveal-misery-of-life-in-dictatorship.html

Much respect to the people who do this kind of work.