Following the invasion of South Korea by North Korea, the United Nations committed troops to the conflict to prevent the collapse of South Korea.
However, the number of US forces in the Far East available to support this effort had been steadily decreasing since the end of World War II, five years earlier.
The closest US division, the 24th Infantry Division of the Eighth United States Army, headquartered in Japan, was understrength, and most of its equipment was antiquated due to defense cutbacks enacted in the first Truman administration.
Nevertheless, the 24th Infantry Division was the first US unit sent into Korea to absorb the initial "shock" of KPA advances and to buy time for the deployment of additional forces, such as the 7th Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade and other Eighth Army supporting units.
Following the invasion of South Korea by North Korea, the United Nations committed troops to the conflict to prevent the collapse of South Korea. However, the number of US forces in the Far East available to support this effort had been steadily decreasing since the end of World War II, five years earlier. The closest US division, the 24th Infantry Division of the Eighth United States Army, headquartered in Japan, was understrength, and most of its equipment was antiquated due to defense cutbacks enacted in the first Truman administration. Nevertheless, the 24th Infantry Division was the first US unit sent into Korea to absorb the initial "shock" of KPA advances and to buy time for the deployment of additional forces, such as the 7th Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade and other Eighth Army supporting units.
Chaplain–Medic massacre