[elteemike]

And is it just coincidence that reversal of US fortunes in war fighting coincides with our involvement in the UN?

[Kenny Bunk]

IMNVHO, the American military decline began with Truman when his advisors, especially those left over in the State Department from the Roosevelt régime, urged him to limit MacArthur. MacArthur's overall idea of rolling back the communists out of the Korean Peninsula was a good one, but he must always take the blame for seriously underestimating the Chinese and directly causing the greatest defeat in our military history. The Communists were quick to observe that we would no longer finish a war if they inflicted heavy casualties on us.

After the catastrophic retreat, MacArthur lost much support and was replaced. We were forced to completely withdraw from North Korea, which again was a military error because we had a secure defensive base of operations within the Wonsan Perimeter, dominated from the air and by naval support.

We caused the Chinese well over a million casualties before the armistice, but Korea can hardly be called a victory.