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InbrigdablThe Korean War took place between the years of 1950 and 1953. 
The cause of the war was that Korea was under Japanese rule ever 
since the end of the Chinese-Japanese war in 1895. After World 
War II, in 1945, Korea was freed from Japan. The United States 
troops occupied the southern part of the country and Russian forces 
took the north.
The very first and main reason we entered the war in Korea was 
because John Foster Dulles, the future Secretary of State under 
Dwight Eisenhower, said that it would be best if we entered the 
war. At the time Dulles was a special advisor to the Secretary of 
State Acheson. Dulles was in Tokyo when the Koreans staged war. 
Dulles sent a message to Acheson that if the South Koreans start 
losing and cannot hold back the North Koreans, they should send in 
United States forces. He said to do so, even though this risks 
Russian counter moves. To sit by while Korea is overrun by 
unprovoked armed attack would start a disaster chain even leading 
most probably to World War III. When Dulles got back to 
Washington he specified that he meant sending in United States Air 
and Naval forces only, not troops.
Almost immediately after getting word of the invasion, Acheson 
decided that the United States should put the matter before the 
United Nations. He then called President Truman and got his 
approval. 
Almost fourteen hours after Washington got word of the war 
there was a conference set up among certain members of the United 
Nations. The final decision of the United Nations was to give arms 
and equipment to the R.O.K. army (Republic of Korea). Then they 
authorized General MacArthur to use his forces and the United 
States Seventh Fleet, to stabilize the combat situation. 
We first entered the war on June 25, 1950 because the United 
States felt that if Russia's troops would fight for North Korea, we 
should fight for South Korea. Also, since South Korea had a 
dictatorship, we wanted to prevent it from becoming communist and 
remaining a dictatorial form of government. If the communist 
started conquering many nations they might start a whole empire 
(the domino effect).
In December 1943 the United States, China and Great Britain 
made a promise to Synyman Rhee during World War II that Korea would 
be given its independence in due course after World War II. Our 
involvement began with Korea dates back to when we dropped the atom 
bomb in Hiroshima, Japan and the defeated Japanese gave up Korea. 
The United States took all of Korea below the 38th Parallel and 
Russia took everything else. Russia began indoctrinating its 
occupied territory of Korea in communist thinking. This upset the 
United States which wanted the region to have a democratic 
government, rather than the existing dictatorship.
On June 25, 1950 , without warning a surprise attack was 
staged by North Korea, on South Korea, across the 38th Parallel. 
Almost the minute the United States found out from Ambassador John 
J. Muccio, the United States asked for a meeting of the United 
Nations Security Council, which had been formed just five years 
before , to discuss the matter on hand. The first decision of the 
United Nations was not to aid North Korea. Two days later a second 
meeting was called and the United Nations decided to assist the 
Republic of Korea because it was necessary to repel the armed 
attack and regain international peace and security in the area. 
Earlier that day President of the United States, Harry S. Truman, 
had announced that he had ordered U.S. air and naval forces to give 
the South Korean troops cover and support. On June 29 , Truman 
ordered General Douglas MacArthur to use special supporting ground 
units in Korea, and authorized the United States Air Force to 
conduct missions on specific military targets in North Korea. He 
also asked to set up a naval blockade off the entire Korean coast.
A reason why the U.S. entered the war is because the United 
Nations, voted and decided that the invasion was a violation of 
international peace. Since the communists continued to fight, 
sixteen United Nations countries sent troops and forty-one 
countries sent military equipment, food or other supplies. The 
United States sent around 9% of the supplies. 
A North Korean division invaded South Korean territory, past 
the 38th Parallel. One of the main commanders involved in the 
Korean War was Major General William Big Bill Dean, commander of 
the U.S. 24th Infantry Division , a combat veteran of World War II 
and former military governor of South Korea. On June 25, 1950 
General Dean was walking out of church and the post duty officer 
came running saying, General, sir, we've just had word that the 
North Koreans have crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded South 
Korea. 
The minute General Dean heard this he notified Lieutenant 
Colonel Charles Brad Smith and had him call in the Task Force. 
This was a group of four hundred infantrymen. Soon after many 
other troops were sent into Korea.
I feel that the Korean War was a tragedy. I disagree with the 
people who said we should enter the war. I feel that the United 
Nations should have threatened the North Koreans rather than the 
United States getting into the fight. Many people died, and the 
U.S. did not even, necessarily, win. North Korea succeeded in 
turning South Korea into a communist nation. On the other hand, 
the U.S. succeeded in preventing the domino effect, further 
stopping the spread of communism. I do, however, think it was 
important to stop communism, so if the United States would have 
tried alternating peace methods and still did not succeed, then 
sending in the troops was acceptable and important.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Alexander, Bevin, Korea... The First War We Ever Lost. 
New York: Hippocrene Books, 1986
2. Edwards, Richard, The Korean War. England: British Ed., 
1988
3. Korean War, World Book Encyclopedia. Volume 10, pp. 
297-307
4. Korean War, Encyclopedia Britannica. Volume 13, pp. 
488-491
5. Lawson, Don, The United States in the Korean War. New 
York: Abelard Schuman, 1964
6. Marshall, S.L.A., The Military History of the Korean 
War. New York: Franklin Watts Inc., 1963
World Book Encyclopedia, page 297
The Korean War, page 64
Korea... The First War We Lost, page 26
Ibid
Military History of the Korean War, page 16
Encyclopedia Britannica, page 488
Korea... The First War We Lost, page 57
The U.S. in the Korean War, page 34 A quote by the leaders 
of Great Britain and the United States
Encyclopedia Britannica, page 488
World Book Encyclopedia, page 298
Korea... The First War We Lost, page 33
World Book Encyclopedia, page 297
The U.S. in the Korean War, page 19
Ibid., page 19
Ibid., page 20