KOREAN WAR PICTURES
0. KOREAN WAR PICTURES - Story Preface
1. KOREA DIVIDED
2. RESULTS OF THE SPLIT
3. WHY WAR?
4. AMERICA INTERVENES
5. CHINA INTERVENES
6. DEATH AT CHOSIN RESERVOIR
7. STALEMATE
8. HEARTBREAK RIDGE
9. KOREAN WAR PICTURES
10. HOSTILITIES TODAY
11. NUCLEAR WEAPONS
12. KIM IL SUNG
A DMZ (de-militarized zone) exists between North and South Korea, depicted in this photograph. In the foreground, we see three Republic of Korea soldiers standing guard at Panmunjom (in the DMZ). Photo by Globaljuggler, online courtesy Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0 By the time North and South Korea returned to the bargaining table, both sides (and their respective allies) had sustained many casualties and had spent huge amounts of money fighting to an impasse. Rare photographs from the U.S. National Archives, presented here in chronological order, provide some evidence of the fierce fighting and its consequences. American men from the 24th Infantry Regiment move up to the firing line on July 18, 1950.
Trying to disrupt North Korea's supply lines, U.S. Air Force B-29s dropped ten tons of bombs on two railroad bridges forty miles north of Pyongyang. (July 27, 1950)
Although America had no bases in Korea at the start of the conflict, and very few available medical services, quick air evacuation helped to save lives and boost morale. (July 28, 1950)
Thousands of American troops arrive in Korea on 6 August 1950, as part of the UN effort to assist South Korea.
On 28 August 1950, a grief-stricken American infantryman mourns the loss of his buddy while a nearby medic fills out the paperwork.
In September, 1950, U.S. Marines engaged in combat in Seoul while a machine-gun crew fires at fleeing targets in the captured city of Waegwan.
A woman searches through the rubble of Seoul on November 1, 1950.
Young children (a homeless brother and sister) try to find food and keep warm in the wreckage of Seoul's railroad yards. (November 17, 1950) While trains were used to transport American soldiers and their equipment during the Korean War, U.S. and other U.N. forces targeted trains in North Korea. Here, U.S. forces attack rail cars south of Wonsan, North Korea, an east-coast port city. (1950)
Korean refuges, on their way south, trudge through the snow and ice outside Kangning on January 8, 1951.
In January of 1951, B-29s of the U.S. Far East Air Forces participated in round-the-clock attacks on strategic Chinese military targets in North Korea.
Paratroopers, packed into a C-119 "Flying Boxcar," routinely flew to "drop zones" as they began actual or practice airborne assaults.
The UN weapon North Koreans feared the most, according to prisoner interrogation, was the napalm fire bomb. In August of 1951, two napalm bombs just released from shackles underneath the wing of an F-51 "Mustang," are on their way to an industrial target.
Sometimes the targets were enemy supply points, like this view—near Hanchon, North Korea—where thatched huts also went up in flames on May 10, 1951.
One F-80 "Shooting Star" banks sharply as it lines up a June, 1951 target while another prepares to drop 150 gallons of napalm (75 gallons in each bomb) over a separate target.
Commandoes of the 41st Royal British Marines plant demolition charges along the tracks of enemy supply lines. (April 10, 1951)
A Korean girl, with her brother on her back, tries to make her way to safety on June 9, 1951.
Torrential rains interfered with, but did not stop, UN bombing missions. A high-velocity rocket, sent to its target by an F-9F "Pantherjet," in August of 1951.
Peace talks at Kaesong, Korea, did not end the conflict in 1951.
U.S. Air Force B-26 "Night Intruders" carried out daily bombing runs, even in bad weather, in an effort to disrupt enemy supply lines.
Supply warehouses and dock facilities - in the North Korean east-coast port of Wonsan - are destroyed by para-demolition bombs dropped from B-26 Invaders, circa 1951.
Korean women and children search the rubble of Seoul for anything that can be used, or burned, as fuel. (November 1, 1950)
Despite assurances they would specially mark structures that housed UN prisoners of war, North Korean officials failed to do so for buildings situated near Chiktong. The circled areas reveal unidentified men waving at a low-flying, unarmed American reconnaissance plane. (March, 1952)
On May 8, 1952 an F-80 drops another napalm bomb.
President Truman, already reluctant to commit American forces to fight with the United Nations when South Korea first asked for American help, was beside himself by the spring of 1952. His diary entry for May 18 reveals a President distraught over promises made (then broken) by his Communist opposition. He was also extremely concerned with the way UN prisoners of war were being treated.
F-86 "Sabre" jets of the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing flew over Korea's mountainous terrain in October of 1952.
C-124 cargo planes, capable of carrying 135 patients, transported critically wounded UN personnel to Tokyo. (October, 1952)
In the spring of 1953, the UN and North Korea agreed to repatriate Prisoners of War. "Freedom Village" welcomed back UN POWs at Munsan-ni.
On 21 September 1953, a North Korean pilot flew a MiG 15 to a US Air Force base at Kimpo, near Seoul. He had defected.
The inevitable tragedy of war - death and life-changing injuries - also characterized the Korean Conflict. Executed prisoners-of-war, homeless children, victims of massacres and war atrocities (this is a PDF link) were all part of what some scholars call "the forgotten war."
What took place in Korea, however, was not forgotten by those who were there. Clint Eastwood, a Korean-War veteran, has even made a film - "Gran Torino" - about one soldier named Walt Kowalski.
See Alignments to State and Common Core standards for this story online at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/AcademicAlignment/KOREAN-WAR-PICTURES-Korean-War See Learning Tasks for this story online at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/AcademicActivities/KOREAN-WAR-PICTURES-Korean-War Media Stream
Korean War - 24th Infantry Regiment Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-24th-Infantry-Regiment
Bombing Run in Korea Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Bombing-Run-in-Korea
Korean War - Air Evacuation of Wounded Men Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Air-Evacuation-of-Wounded-Men-
American Troops Arrive in Korea as Part of UN Mission Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/American-Troops-Arrive-in-Korea-as-Part-of-UN-Mission
Korean War - Mourning the Loss of a Buddy Photo, by Sfc. Al Chang, U.S. Army. U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Mourning-the-Loss-of-a-Buddy
Korean War - Searching the Rubble Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Searching-the-Rubble Korean War - Children Searching for Food Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Children-Searching-for-Food
Korean Refugees During the Korean War Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-Refugees-During-the-Korean-War
B-29s on a Mission Over Korea Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/B-29s-on-a-Mission-Over-Korea
Attacking Chinese Forces During the Korean War Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Attacking-Chinese-Forces-During-the-Korean-War
Paratroopers In-Flight During the Korean War Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Paratroopers-In-Flight-During-the-Korean-War
Drop Zone - Korean War Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Drop-Zone-Korean-War
Airborne Assult - Korean War Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Airborne-Assult-Korean-War Korean Girl Looking for Safety Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-Girl-Looking-for-Safety
B-26 Night Intruders - Bad Weather Missions Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/B-26-Night-Intruders-Bad-Weather-Missions
Korean War - C-124 Cargo Plane Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-C-124-Cargo-Plane
Korean War - Dropping Napalm Bombs Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Dropping-Napalm-Bombs
Korean War Aerial Attack - F-80 Shooting Star Photo, U.S. National Archives. Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Aerial-Attack-F-80-Shooting-Star F-80 - Dropping a Napalm Bomb Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/F-80-Dropping-a-Napalm-Bomb
Korean War - F-86 Sabre Jets Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-F-86-Sabre-Jets
Gate to Freedom at Munsan-ni Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Gate-to-Freedom-at-Munsan-ni
Korean War - High-Velocity Rocket Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-High-Velocity-Rocket
Kaesong, Korea Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Kaesong-Korea
Mig-15 - North Korean Fighter Jet Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Mig-15-North-Korean-Fighter-Jet Korean War - Napalm Bombing Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Napalm-Bombing
Korean War - F-80 Napalm Bombs Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-F-80-Napalm-Bombs
Napalm Bomb Attack in Korea - May, 1951 After North Korean forces invaded South Korea, in 1950, the United Nations passed a resolution to help the South during Korea's civil war. The UN forces and weapons came from various countries, including the United States. In this Associated-Press photo, we see the impact of a napalm-bomb strike: Thatched huts go up in flames after B-26 bombers unload napalm bombs on an enemy supply collection point near Hanchon in North Korea on May 10, 1951. Click on the image for a full-page view. Image, described above, online via various sources. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Napalm-Bomb-Attack-in-Korea-May-1951
Korean War - Napalm Fire Bomb Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Napalm-Fire-Bomb
Peace Talks at Kaesong Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Peace-Talks-at-Kaesong
Korean War - Planting Demolition Charges Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Planting-Demolition-Charges Korean War - Torrential Rains Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Torrential-Rains-
Korean War - American Recon Plane Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-American-Recon-Plane
Korean War - Attacking North Korean Trains Photo from the U.S. Army Military History Institute. Online, courtesy U.S. Army. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Attacking-North-Korean-Trains
Korean War - Marines in Seoul U.S. Naval Historical Center image NH 96378. Photo online, courtesy ibiblio.org website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Marines-in-Seoul
Korean War - Machine Gun Crews in Waegwan Signal Corps Photo #FEC-50-9336 (Chang).
Photo online, courtesy U.S. Army Center of Military History.
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Machine-Gun-Crews-in-Waegwan
Korean War - Destruction from Para-demolition Bombs Photo, U.S. National Archives.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Destruction-from-Para-demolition-Bombs
Korean War - Searching for Heating Fuel Photo - NARA File 111-SC-351697.
Image online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Searching-for-Heating-Fuel Korean War - Executed POW Photo from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration - ARC identifier 531361. Image online, courtesy NARA. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Executed-POW
Korean War - Impact on Children Photo, by Pfc. Ronald L. Hancock (U.S.Army), taken 16 September 1950. Image (NARA File # 111-SC-348594) online, courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Korean-War-Impact-on-Children
Victims of Hill 303 Massacre Photo from The Korean War Atrocities Report - included as Appendix IX - maintained at the U.S. Library of Congress. The report was issued in 1954. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Victims-of-Hill-303-Massacre