In 1950 , both MacArthur and LeMay wanted to use American nukes to decimate the on-coming Red Chinese Army and retreating NK forces . Truman disallowed that and went on to fire MacArthur . For lack of American forceful resolve to WIN the war and crush the enemy ( before they too developed nukes ) brought on the present day situation on the Korean peninsula , established the Communist state of the PRC in China , resulted in the ‘Cultural Revolution ‘in China , resulted in the Chinese takeover of Tibet and sustained challenges to India . Resulted in the VIETNAM WAR ....Is resulting in the slow motion Chinese take over of the entire South China Sea and hegemony throughout SEA , and will probably result in a limited Pacific region ‘world war’ at some point in the future . Truman should have listened to LeMay then . Is it too late now ? Probably . Seize victory when it is first available . Don’t wait . As terrible as the use would have been, in the long run it would have saved lives. In the Old Testament, war was to be fought as conclusive victory, which makes mercy valued and appreciated.