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Last time we spoke about the Soviet Victory in Asia. After atomic bombings and Japan's surrender, the Soviets launched a rapid Manchurian invasion, driving toward Harbin, Mukden, Changchun, and Beijing. Shenyang was taken, seeing the capture of the last Emperor of China, Pu Yi. The Soviets continued their advances into Korea with port captures at Gensan and Pyongyang, and occupation of South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, ahead of anticipated American intervention. Stalin pushed for speed to avoid US naval landings, coordinating with Chinese forces and leveraging the Sino-Soviet pact while balancing relations with Chiang Kai-shek. As fronts closed, tens of thousands of Japanese POWs were taken, while harsh wartime reprisals, looting, and mass sexual violence against Japanese, Korean, and Chinese civilians were reported.  This episode is the Surrender of Japan Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  With the Manchurian Campaign over and Japan's surrender confirmed, we've reached the end of the Pacific War and the ushering of a new era. This journey took us 3 years, 8 months, and 27 days and it's been a rollercoaster. We've gone over numerous stories of heroism and horror, victory and defeat, trying to peel back a part of WW2 that often gets overshadowed by the war in Europe. Certainly the China War is almost completely ignored by the west, but fortunately for you all, as I end this series we have just entered the China war over at the Fall and Rise of China Podcast. Unlike this series where, to be blunt, I am hamstrung by the week by week format, over there I can tackle the subject as I see fit, full of personal accounts. I implore you if you want to revisit some of that action in China, jump over to the other podcast, I will be continuing it until the end of the Chinese civil war. One could say it will soon be a bit of a sequel to this one. Of course if you love this format and want more, you can check out the brand new Eastern Front week by week podcast, which really does match the horror of the Pacific war. Lastly if you just love hearing my dumb voice, come check out my podcast which also is in video format on the Pacific War Channel on Youtube, the Echoes of War podcast. Me and my co-host Gaurav tackle history from Ancient to Modern, often with guests and we blend the dialogue with maps, photos and clips. But stating all of that, lets get into it, the surrender of Japan. As we last saw, while the Soviet invasion of Manchuria raged, Emperor Hirohito announced the unconditional surrender of the Japanese Empire on August 15. Public reaction varied, yet most were stunned and bewildered, unable to grasp that Japan had surrendered for the first time in its history. Many wept openly as they listened to the Emperor's solemn message; others directed swift anger at the nation's leaders and the fighting services for failing to avert defeat; and some blamed themselves for falling short in their war effort. Above all, there was a deep sympathy for the Emperor, who had been forced to make such a tragic and painful decision.  In the wake of the Emperor's broadcast, war factories across the country dismissed their workers and shut their doors. Newspapers that had been ordered to pause their usual morning editions appeared in the afternoon, each carrying the Imperial Rescript, an unabridged translation of the Potsdam Declaration, and the notes exchanged with the Allied Powers. In Tokyo, crowds of weeping citizens gathered all afternoon in the vast plaza before the Imperial Palace and at the Meiji and Yasukuni Shrines to bow in reverence and prayer. The shock and grief of the moment, coupled with the dark uncertainty about the future, prevented any widespread sense of relief that the fighting had ended. Bombings and bloodshed were over, but defeat seemed likely to bring only continued hardship and privation. Starvation already gripped the land, and the nation faced the looming breakdown of public discipline and order, acts of violence and oppression by occupying forces, and a heavy burden of reparations. Yet despite the grim outlook, the Emperor's assurance that he would remain to guide the people through the difficult days ahead offered a measure of solace and courage. His appeal for strict compliance with the Imperial will left a lasting impression, and the refrain “Reverent Obedience to the Rescript” became the rallying cry as the nation prepared to endure the consequences of capitulation. Immediately after the Emperor's broadcast, Prime Minister Suzuki's cabinet tendered its collective resignation, yet Hirohito commanded them to remain in office until a new cabinet could be formed. Accordingly, Suzuki delivered another broadcast that evening, urging the nation to unite in absolute loyalty to the throne in this grave national crisis, and stressing that the Emperor's decision to end the war had been taken out of compassion for his subjects and in careful consideration of the circumstances. Thus, the shocked and grief-stricken population understood that this decision represented the Emperor's actual will rather than a ratified act of the Government, assuring that the nation as a whole would obediently accept the Imperial command. Consequently, most Japanese simply went on with their lives as best they could; yet some military officers, such as General Anami, chose suicide over surrender. Another key figure who committed seppuku between August 15 and 16 was Vice-Admiral Onishi Takijiro, the father of the kamikaze. Onishi's suicide note apologized to the roughly 4,000 pilots he had sent to their deaths and urged all surviving young civilians to work toward rebuilding Japan and fostering peace among nations. Additionally, despite being called “the hero of the August 15 incident” for his peacekeeping role in the attempted coup d'état, General Tanaka felt responsible for the damage done to Tokyo and shot himself on August 24. Following the final Imperial conference on 14 August, the Army's “Big Three”, War Minister Anami, Chief of the Army General Staff Umezu, and Inspectorate-General of Military Training General Kenji Doihara, met at the War Ministry together with Field Marshals Hata and Sugiyama, the senior operational commanders of the homeland's Army forces. These five men affixed their seals to a joint resolution pledging that the Army would “conduct itself in accordance with the Imperial decision to the last.” The resolution was endorsed immediately afterward by General Masakazu Kawabe, the overall commander of the Army air forces in the homeland. In accordance with this decision, General Anami and General Umezu separately convened meetings of their senior subordinates during the afternoon of the 14th, informing them of the outcome of the final Imperial conference and directing strict obedience to the Emperor's command. Shortly thereafter, special instructions to the same effect were radioed to all top operational commanders jointly in the names of the War Minister and Chief of Army General Staff. The Army and Navy authorities acted promptly, and their decisive stance proved, for the most part, highly effective. In the Army, where the threat of upheaval was most acute, the final, unequivocal decision of its top leaders to heed the Emperor's will delivered a crippling blow to the smoldering coup plot by the young officers to block the surrender. The conspirators had based their plans on unified action by the Army as a whole; with that unified stance effectively ruled out, most of the principal plotters reluctantly abandoned the coup d'état scheme on the afternoon of 14 August. At the same time, the weakened Imperial Japanese Navy took steps to ensure disciplined compliance with the surrender decision. Only Admiral Ugaki chose to challenge this with his final actions. After listening to Japan's defeat, Admiral Ugaki Kayō's diary recorded that he had not yet received an official cease-fire order, and that, since he alone was to blame for the failure of Japanese aviators to stop the American advance, he would fly one last mission himself to embody the true spirit of bushido. His subordinates protested, and even after Ugaki had climbed into the back seat of a Yokosuka D4Y4 of the 701st Kokutai dive bomber piloted by Lieutenant Tatsuo Nakatsuru, Warrant Officer Akiyoshi Endo, whose place in the kamikaze roster Ugaki had usurped, also climbed into the same space that the admiral had already occupied. Thus, the aircraft containing Ugaki took off with three men piloted by Nakatsuru, with Endo providing reconnaissance, and Ugaki himself, rather than the two crew members that filled the other ten aircraft. Before boarding his aircraft, Ugaki posed for pictures and removed his rank insignia from his dark green uniform, taking only a ceremonial short sword given to him by Admiral Yamamoto. Elements of this last flight most likely followed the Ryukyu flyway southwest to the many small islands north of Okinawa, where U.S. forces were still on alert at the potential end of hostilities. Endo served as radioman during the mission, sending Ugaki's final messages, the last of which at 19:24 reported that the plane had begun its dive onto an American vessel. However, U.S. Navy records do not indicate any successful kamikaze attack on that day, and it is likely that all aircraft on the mission with the exception of three that returned due to engine problems crashed into the ocean, struck down by American anti-aircraft fire. Although there are no precise accounts of an intercept made by Navy or Marine fighters or Pacific Fleet surface units against enemy aircraft in this vicinity at the time of surrender. it is likely the aircraft crashed into the ocean or was shot down by American anti-aircraft fire. In any event, the crew of LST-926 reported finding the still-smoldering remains of a cockpit with three bodies on the beach of Iheyajima Island, with Ugaki's remains allegedly among them. Meanwhile, we have already covered the Truman–Stalin agreement that Japanese forces north of the 38th parallel would surrender to the Soviets while those to the south would surrender to the Americans, along with the subsequent Soviet occupation of Manchuria, North Korea, South Sakhalin, and the Kurile Islands. Yet even before the first atomic bomb was dropped, and well before the Potsdam Conference, General MacArthur and his staff were planning a peaceful occupation of Japan and the Korean Peninsula. The first edition of this plan, designated “Blacklist,” appeared on July 16 and called for a progressive, orderly occupation in strength of an estimated fourteen major areas in Japan and three to six areas in Korea, so that the Allies could exercise unhampered control over the various phases of administration. These operations would employ 22 divisions and 3 regiments, together with air and naval elements, and would utilize all United States forces immediately available in the Pacific. The plan also provided for the maximum use of existing Japanese political and administrative organizations, since these agencies already exerted effective control over the population and could be employed to good advantage by the Allies. The final edition of “Blacklist,” issued on August 8, was divided into three main phases of occupation. The first phase included the Kanto Plain, the Kobe–Osaka–Kyoto areas, the Nagasaki–Sasebo area in Kyushu, the Keijo district in Korea, and the Aomori–Ominato area of northern Honshu. The second phase covered the Shimonoseki–Fukuoka and Nagoya areas, Sapporo in Hokkaido, and Fusan in Korea. The third phase comprised the Hiroshima–Kure area, Kochi in Shikoku, the Okayama, Tsuruga, and Niigata areas, Sendai in northern Honshu, Otomari in Karafuto, and the Gunzan–Zenshu area in Korea. Although the Joint Chiefs of Staff initially favored Admiral Nimitz's “Campus” Plan, which envisioned entry into Japan by Army forces only after an emergency occupation of Tokyo Bay by advanced naval units and the seizure of key positions ashore near each anchorage, MacArthur argued that naval forces were not designed to perform the preliminary occupation of a hostile country whose ground divisions remained intact, and he contended that occupying large land areas was fundamentally an Army mission. He ultimately convinced them that occupation by a weak Allied force might provoke resistance from dissident Japanese elements among the bomb-shattered population and could therefore lead to grave repercussions. The formal directive for the occupation of Japan, Korea, and the China coast was issued by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on August 11. The immediate objectives were to secure the early entry of occupying forces into major strategic areas, to control critical ports, port facilities, and airfields, and to demobilize and disarm enemy troops. First priority went to the prompt occupation of Japan, second to the consolidation of Keijo in Korea, and third to operations on the China coast and in Formosa. MacArthur was to assume responsibility for the forces entering Japan and Korea; General Wedemeyer was assigned operational control of the forces landing on the China coast and was instructed to coordinate his plans with the Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek; and Japanese forces in Southeast Asia were earmarked for surrender to Admiral Mountbatten. With the agreement of the Soviet, Chinese, and British governments, President Truman designated MacArthur as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers on August 15, thereby granting him final authority for the execution of the terms of surrender and occupation. In this capacity, MacArthur promptly notified the Emperor and the Japanese Government that he was authorized to arrange for the cessation of hostilities at the earliest practicable date and directed that the Japanese forces terminate hostilities immediately and that he be notified at once of the effective date and hour of such termination. He further directed that Japan send to Manila on August 17 “a competent representative empowered to receive in the name of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Imperial Government, and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters certain requirements for carrying into effect the terms of surrender.” General MacArthur's stipulations to the Japanese Government included specific instructions regarding the journey of the Japanese representatives to Manila. The emissaries were to leave Sata Misaki, at the southern tip of Kyushu, on the morning of August 17. They were to travel in a Douglas DC-3-type transport plane, painted white and marked with green crosses on the wings and fuselage, and to fly under Allied escort to an airdrome on Lejima in the Ryukyus. From there, the Japanese would be transported to Manila in a United States plane. The code designation chosen for communication between the Japanese plane and US forces was the symbolic word “Bataan.” Implementation challenges arose almost immediately due to disagreements within Imperial General Headquarters and the Foreign Office over the exact nature of the mission. Some officials interpreted the instructions as requiring the delegates to carry full powers to receive and agree to the actual terms of surrender, effectively making them top representatives of the Government and High Command. Others understood the mission to be strictly preparatory, aimed only at working out technical surrender arrangements and procedures. Late in the afternoon of August 16, a message was sent to MacArthur's headquarters seeking clarification and more time to organize the mission. MacArthur replied that signing the surrender terms would not be among the tasks of the Japanese representatives dispatched to Manila, assured the Japanese that their proposed measures were satisfactory, and pledged that every precaution would be taken to ensure the safety of the Emperor's representatives on their mission. Although preparations were made with all possible speed, on August 16 the Japanese notified that this delegation would be somewhat delayed due to the scarcity of time allowed for its formation. At the same time, MacArthur was notified that Hirohito had issued an order commanding the entire armed forces of his nation to halt their fighting immediately. The wide dispersion and the disrupted communications of the Japanese forces, however, made the rapid and complete implementation of such an order exceedingly difficult, so it was expected that the Imperial order would take approximately two to twelve days to reach forces throughout the Pacific and Asiatic areas. On August 17, the Emperor personally backed up these orders with a special Rescript to the armed services, carefully worded to assuage military aversion to surrender. Suzuki was also replaced on this date, with the former commander of the General Defense Army, General Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko, becoming the new Prime Minister with the initial tasks to hastily form a new cabinet capable of effecting the difficult transition to peace swiftly and without incident. The Government and Imperial General Headquarters moved quickly to hasten the preparations, but the appointment of the mission's head was held up pending the installation of the Higashikuni Cabinet. The premier-designate pressed for a rapid formation of the government, and on the afternoon of the 17th the official ceremony of installation took place in the Emperor's presence. Until General Shimomura could be summoned to Tokyo from the North China Area Army, Prince Higashikuni himself assumed the portfolio of War Minister concurrently with the premiership, Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai remaining in the critical post of Navy Minister, and Prince Ayamaro Konoe, by Marquis Kido's recommendation, entered the Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio to act as Higashikuni's closest advisor. The Foreign Minister role went to Mamoru Shigemitsu, who had previously served in the Koiso Cabinet. With the new government installed, Prince Higashikuni broadcast to the nation on the evening of 17 August, declaring that his policies as Premier would conform to the Emperor's wishes as expressed in the Imperial mandate to form a Cabinet. These policies were to control the armed forces, maintain public order, and surmount the national crisis, with scrupulous respect for the Constitution and the Imperial Rescript terminating the war. The cabinet's installation removed one delay, and in the afternoon of the same day a message from General MacArthur's headquarters clarified the mission's nature and purpose. Based on this clarification, it was promptly decided that Lieutenant General Torashiro Kawabe, Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff, should head a delegation of sixteen members, mainly representing the Army and Navy General Staffs. Kawabe was formally appointed by the Emperor on 18 August. By late afternoon that same day, the data required by the Allied Supreme Commander had largely been assembled, and a message was dispatched to Manila informing General MacArthur's headquarters that the mission was prepared to depart the following morning. The itinerary received prompt approval from the Supreme Commander. Indeed, the decision to appoint a member of the Imperial Family who had a respectable career in the armed forces was aimed both at appeasing the population and at reassuring the military. MacArthur appointed General Eichelberger's 8th Army to initiate the occupation unassisted through September 22, at which point General Krueger's 6th Army would join the effort. General Hodge's 24th Corps was assigned to execute Operation Blacklist Forty, the occupation of the Korean Peninsula south of the 38th Parallel. MacArthur's tentative schedule for the occupation outlined an initial advance party of 150 communications experts and engineers under Colonel Charles Tench, which would land at Atsugi Airfield on August 23. Naval forces under Admiral Halsey's 3rd Fleet were to enter Tokyo Bay on August 24, followed by MacArthur's arrival at Atsugi the next day and the start of the main landings of airborne troops and naval and marine forces. The formal surrender instrument was to be signed aboard an American battleship in Tokyo Bay on August 28, with initial troop landings in southern Kyushu planned for August 29–30. By September 4, Hodge's 24th Corps was to land at Inchon and begin the occupation of South Korea. In the meantime, per MacArthur's directions, a sixteen-man Japanese delegation headed by Lieutenant-General Kawabe Torashiro, Vice-Chief of the Army General Staff, left Sata Misaki on the morning of August 19; after landing at Iejima, the delegation transferred to an American transport and arrived at Nichols Field at about 18:00. That night, the representatives held their first conference with MacArthur's staff, led by Lieutenant-General Richard Sutherland. During the two days of conference, American linguists scanned, translated, and photostated the various reports, maps, and charts the Japanese had brought with them. Negotiations also resulted in permission for the Japanese to supervise the disarmament and demobilization of their own armed forces under Allied supervision, and provided for three extra days of preparation before the first occupying unit landed on the Japanese home islands on August 26. At the close of the conference, Kawabe was handed the documents containing the “Requirements of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers,” which concerned the arrival of the first echelons of Allied forces, the formal surrender ceremony, and the reception of the occupation forces. Also given were a draft Imperial Proclamation by which the Emperor would accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and command his subjects to cease hostilities, a copy of General Order No. 1 by which Imperial General Headquarters would direct all military and naval commanders to lay down their arms and surrender their units to designated Allied commanders, and the Instrument of Surrender itself, which would later be signed on board an American battleship in Tokyo Bay. After the Manila Conference ended, the Japanese delegation began its return to Japan at 13:00 on August 20; but due to mechanical problems and a forced landing near Hamamatsu, they did not reach Tokyo until August 21. With the scheduled arrival of the advanced party of the Allied occupation forces only five days away, the Japanese immediately began disarming combat units in the initial-occupation areas and evacuating them from those areas. The basic orders stated that Allied forces would begin occupying the homeland on 26 August and reaffirmed the intention ofImperial General Headquarters "to insure absolute obedience to the Imperial Rescript of 14 August, to prevent the occurrence of trouble with the occupying forces, and thus to demonstrate Japan's sincerity to the world." The Japanese government announced that all phases of the occupation by Allied troops would be peaceful and urged the public not to panic or resort to violence against the occupying forces. While they sought to reassure the population, they faced die-hard anti-surrender elements within the IJN, with ominous signs of trouble both from Kyushu, where many sea and air special-attack units were poised to meet an invasion, and from Atsugi, the main entry point for Allied airborne troops into the Tokyo Bay area. At Kanoya, Ugaki's successor, Vice-Admiral Kusaka Ryonosuke, hastened the separation of units from their weapons and the evacuation of naval personnel. At Atsugi, an even more threatening situation developed in the Navy's 302nd Air Group. Immediately after the announcement of the surrender, extremist elements in the group led by Captain Kozono Yasuna flew over Atsugi and the surrounding area, scattering leaflets urging the continuation of the war on the ground and claiming that the surrender edict was not the Emperor's true will but the machination of "traitors around the Throne." The extremists, numbering 83 junior officers and noncommissioned officers, did not commit hostile acts but refused to obey orders from their superior commanders. On August 19, Prince Takamatsu, the Emperor's brother and a navy captain, telephoned Atsugi and personally appealed to Captain Kozono and his followers to obey the Imperial decision. This intervention did not end the incident; on August 21 the extremists seized a number of aircraft and flew them to Army airfields in Saitama Prefecture in hopes of gaining support from Army air units. They failed in this attempt, and it was not until August 25 that all members of the group had surrendered. As a result of the Atsugi incident, on August 22 the Emperor dispatched Captain Prince Takamatsu Nabuhito and Vice-Admiral Prince Kuni Asaakira to various naval commands on Honshu and Kyushu to reiterate the necessity of strict obedience to the surrender decision. Both princes immediately left Tokyo to carry out this mission, but the situation improved over the next two days, and they were recalled before completing their tours. By this point, a typhoon struck the Kanto region on the night of August 22, causing heavy damage and interrupting communications and transport vital for evacuating troops from the occupation zone. This led to further delays in Japanese preparations for the arrival of occupation forces, and the Americans ultimately agreed to a two-day postponement of the preliminary landings. On August 27 at 10:30, elements of the 3rd Fleet entered Sagami Bay as the first step in the delayed occupation schedule. At 09:00 on August 28, Tench's advanced party landed at Atsugi to complete technical arrangements for the arrival of the main forces. Two days later, the main body of the airborne occupation forces began streaming into Atsugi, while naval and marine forces simultaneously landed at Yokosuka on the south shore of Tokyo Bay. There were no signs of resistance, and the initial occupation proceeded successfully.  Shortly after 1400, a famous C-54  the name “Bataan” in large letters on its nose circled the field and glided in for a landing. General MacArthur stepped from the aircraft, accompanied by General Sutherland and his staff officers. The operation proceeded smoothly. MacArthur paused momentarily to inspect the airfield, then climbed into a waiting automobile for the drive to Yokohama. Thousands of Japanese troops were posted along the fifteen miles of road from Atsugi to Yokohama to guard the route of the Allied motor cavalcade as it proceeded to the temporary SCAP Headquarters in Japan's great seaport city. The Supreme Commander established his headquarters provisionally in the Yokohama Customs House. The headquarters of the American Eighth Army and the Far East Air Force were also established in Yokohama, and representatives of the United States Pacific Fleet were attached to the Supreme Commander's headquarters. The intensive preparation and excitement surrounding the first landings on the Japanese mainland did not interfere with the mission of affording relief and rescue to Allied personnel who were internees or prisoners in Japan. Despite bad weather delaying the occupation operation, units of the Far East Air Forces and planes from the Third Fleet continued their surveillance missions. On 25 August they began dropping relief supplies, food, medicine, and clothing, to Allied soldiers and civilians in prisoner-of-war and internment camps across the main islands. While the advance echelon of the occupation forces was still on Okinawa, “mercy teams” were organized to accompany the first elements of the Eighth Army Headquarters. Immediately after the initial landings, these teams established contact with the Swiss and Swedish Legations, the International Red Cross, the United States Navy, and the Japanese Liaison Office, and rushed to expedite the release and evacuation, where necessary, of thousands of Allied internees.  On September 1, the Reconnaissance Troop of the 11th Airborne Division conducted a subsidiary airlift operation, flying from Atsugi to occupy Kisarazu Airfield; and on the morning of September 2, the 1st Cavalry Division began landing at Yokohama to secure most of the strategic areas along the shores of Tokyo Bay, with Tokyo itself remaining unoccupied. Concurrently, the surrender ceremony took place aboard Halsey's flagship, the battleship Missouri, crowded with representatives of the United Nations that had participated in the Pacific War.  General MacArthur presided over the epoch-making ceremony, and with the following words he inaugurated the proceedings which would ring down the curtain of war in the Pacific “We are gathered here, representatives of the major warring powers, to conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace may be restored. The issues, involving divergent ideals and ideologies, have been determined on the battlefields of the world and hence are not for our discussion or debate. Nor is it for us here to meet, representing as we do a majority of the people of the earth, in a spirit of distrust, malice or hatred. But rather it is for us, both victors and vanquished, to rise to that higher dignity which alone befits the sacred purposes we are about to serve, committing all our peoples unreservedly to faithful compliance with the understandings they are here formally to assume. It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past — a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance and justice. The terms and conditions upon which surrender of the Japanese Imperial Forces is here to be given and accepted are contained in the instrument of surrender now before you…”.  The Supreme Commander then invited the two Japanese plenipotentiaries to sign the duplicate surrender documents : Foreign Minister Shigemitsu, on behalf of the Emperor and the Japanese Government, and General Umezu, for the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters. He then called forward two famous former prisoners of the Japanese to stand behind him while he himself affixed his signature to the formal acceptance of the surrender : Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright, hero of Bataan and Corregidor and Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur E. Percival, who had been forced to yield the British stronghold at Singapore. General MacArthur was followed in turn by Admiral Nimitz, who signed on behalf of the United States. Alongside the recently liberated Generals Wainwright and Percival, who had been captured during the Japanese conquest of the Philippines and Singapore respectively, MacArthur then signed the surrender documents, followed by Admiral Nimitz and representatives of the other United Nations present. The Instrument of Surrender was completely signed within twenty minutes. Shortly afterwards, MacArthur broadcast the announcement of peace to the world, famously saying, “Today the guns are silent.” Immediately following the signing of the surrender articles, the Imperial Proclamation of capitulation was issued, commanding overseas forces to cease hostilities and lay down their arms; however, it would take many days, and in some cases weeks, for the official word of surrender to be carried along Japan's badly disrupted communications channels. Various devices were employed by American commanders to transmit news of final defeat to dispersed and isolated enemy troops, such as plane-strewn leaflets, loudspeaker broadcasts, strategically placed signboards, and prisoner-of-war volunteers. Already, the bypassed Japanese garrison at Mille Atoll had surrendered on August 22; yet the first large-scale surrender of Japanese forces came on August 27, when Lieutenant-General Ishii Yoshio surrendered Morotai and Halmahera to the 93rd Division. On August 30, a British Pacific Fleet force under Rear-Admiral Cecil Harcourt entered Victoria Harbour to begin the liberation of Hong Kong; and the following day, Rear-Admiral Matsubara Masata surrendered Minami-Torishima. In the Marianas, the Japanese commanders on Rota and Pagan Islands relinquished their commands almost simultaneously with the Tokyo Bay ceremony of September 2. Later that day, the same was done by Lieutenant-General Inoue Sadae in the Palaus and by Lieutenant-General Mugikura Shunzaburo and Vice-Admiral Hara Chuichi at Truk in the Carolines. Additionally, as part of Operation Jurist, a British detachment under Vice-Admiral Harold Walker received the surrender of the Japanese garrison on Penang Island. In the Philippines, local commanders in the central Bukidnon Province, Infanta, the Bataan Peninsula, and the Cagayan Valley had already surrendered by September 2. On September 3, General Yamashita and Vice-Admiral Okawachi Denshichi met with General Wainwright, General Percival, and Lieutenant-General Wilhelm Styer, Commanding General of Army Forces of the Western Pacific, to sign the formal surrender of the Japanese forces in the Philippines. With Yamashita's capitulation, subordinate commanders throughout the islands began surrendering in increasing numbers, though some stragglers remained unaware of the capitulation. Concurrently, while Yamashita was yielding his Philippine forces, Lieutenant-General Tachibana Yoshio's 109th Division surrendered in the Bonins on September 3. On September 4, Rear-Admiral Sakaibara Shigematsu and Colonel Chikamori Shigeharu surrendered their garrison on Wake Island, as did the garrison on Aguigan Island in the Marianas. Also on September 4, an advanced party of the 24th Corps landed at Kimpo Airfield near Keijo to prepare the groundwork for the occupation of South Korea; and under Operation Tiderace, Mountbatten's large British and French naval force arrived off Singapore and accepted the surrender of Japanese forces there. On September 5, Rear-Admiral Masuda Nisuke surrendered his garrison on Jaluit Atoll in the Marshalls, as did the garrison of Yap Island. The overall surrender of Japanese forces in the Solomons and Bismarcks and in the Wewak area of New Guinea was finally signed on September 6 by General Imamura Hitoshi and Vice-Admiral Kusaka Jinichi aboard the aircraft carrier Glory off Rabaul, the former center of Japanese power in the South Pacific. Furthermore, Lieutenant-General Nomi Toshio, representing remaining Japanese naval and army forces in the Ryukyus, officially capitulated on September 7 at the headquarters of General Stilwell's 10th Army on Okinawa. The following day, Tokyo was finally occupied by the Americans, and looking south, General Kanda and Vice-Admiral Baron Samejima Tomoshige agreed to travel to General Savige's headquarters at Torokina to sign the surrender of Bougainville. On September 8, Rear-Admiral Kamada Michiaki's 22nd Naval Special Base Force at Samarinda surrendered to General Milford's 7th Australian Division, as did the Japanese garrison on Kosrae Island in the Carolines. On September 9, a wave of surrenders continued: the official capitulation of all Japanese forces in the China Theater occurred at the Central Military Academy in Nanking, with General Okamura surrendering to General He Yingqin, the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China National Revolutionary Army; subsequently, on October 10, 47 divisions from the former Imperial Japanese Army officially surrendered to Chinese military officials and allied representatives at the Forbidden City in Beijing. The broader context of rehabilitation and reconstruction after the protracted war was daunting, with the Nationalists weakened and Chiang Kai-shek's policies contributing to Mao Zedong's strengthened position, shaping the early dynamics of the resumption of the Chinese Civil War. Meanwhile, on September 9, Hodge landed the 7th Division at Inchon to begin the occupation of South Korea. In the throne room of the Governor's Palace at Keijo, soon to be renamed Seoul, the surrender instrument was signed by General Abe Nobuyuki, the Governor-General of Korea; Lieutenant-General Kozuki Yoshio, commander of the 17th Area Army and of the Korean Army; and Vice-Admiral Yamaguchi Gisaburo, commander of the Japanese Naval Forces in Korea. The sequence continued with the 25th Indian Division landing in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan on Malaya to capture Port Dickson, while Lieutenant-General Teshima Fusataro's 2nd Army officially surrendered to General Blamey at Morotai, enabling Australian occupation of much of the eastern Dutch East Indies. On September 10, the Japanese garrisons on the Wotje and Maloelap Atolls in the Marshalls surrendered, and Lieutenant-General Baba Masao surrendered all Japanese forces in North Borneo to General Wootten's 9th Australian Division. After Imamura's surrender, Major-General Kenneth Eather's 11th Australian Division landed at Rabaul to begin occupation, and the garrison on Muschu and Kairiru Islands also capitulated. On September 11, General Adachi finally surrendered his 18th Army in the Wewak area, concluding the bloody New Guinea Campaign, while Major-General Yamamura Hyoe's 71st Independent Mixed Brigade surrendered at Kuching and Lieutenant-General Watanabe Masao's 52nd Independent Mixed Brigade surrendered on Ponape Island in the Carolines. Additionally, the 20th Indian Division, with French troops, arrived at Saigon as part of Operation Masterdom and accepted the surrender of Lieutenant-General Tsuchihashi Yuitsu, who had already met with Viet Minh envoys and agreed to turn power over to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.  When the Japanese surrendered to the Allies on 15 August 1945, the Viet Minh immediately launched the insurrection they had prepared for a long time. Across the countryside, “People's Revolutionary Committees” took over administrative positions, often acting on their own initiative, and in the cities the Japanese stood by as the Vietnamese took control. By the morning of August 19, the Viet Minh had seized Hanoi, rapidly expanding their control over northern Vietnam in the following days. The Nguyen dynasty, with its puppet government led by Tran Trong Kim, collapsed when Emperor Bao Dai abdicated on August 25. By late August, the Viet Minh controlled most of Vietnam. On 2 September, in Hanoi's Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. As the Viet Minh began extending control across the country, the new government's attention turned to the arrival of Allied troops and the French attempt to reassert colonial authority, signaling the onset of a new and contentious phase in Vietnam's struggle.  French Indochina had been left in chaos by the Japanese occupation. On 11 September British and Indian troops of the 20th Indian Division under Major General Douglas Gracey arrived at Saigon as part of Operation Masterdom. After the Japanese surrender, all French prisoners had been gathered on the outskirts of Saigon and Hanoi, and the sentries disappeared on 18 September; six months of captivity cost an additional 1,500 lives. By 22 September 1945, all prisoners were liberated by Gracey's men, armed, and dispatched in combat units toward Saigon to conquer it from the Viet Minh, later joined by the French Far East Expeditionary Corps, established to fight the Japanese arriving a few weeks later. Around the same time, General Lu Han's 200,000 Chinese National Revolutionary Army troops of the 1st Front Army occupied Indochina north of the 16th parallel, with 90,000 arriving by October; the 62nd Army came on 26 September to Nam Dinh and Haiphong, Lang Son and Cao Bang were occupied by the Guangxi 62nd Army Corps, and the Red River region and Lai Cai were occupied by a column from Yunnan. Lu Han occupied the French governor-general's palace after ejecting the French staff under Sainteny. Consequently, while General Lu Han's Chinese troops occupied northern Indochina and allowed the Vietnamese Provisional Government to remain in control there, the British and French forces would have to contest control of Saigon. On September 12, a surrender instrument was signed at the Singapore Municipal Building for all Southern Army forces in Southeast Asia, the Dutch East Indies, and the eastern islands; General Terauchi, then in a hospital in Saigon after a stroke, learned of Burma's fall and had his deputy commander and leader of the 7th Area Army, Lieutenant-General Itagaki Seishiro, surrender on his behalf to Mountbatten, after which a British military administration was formed to govern the island until March 1946. The Japanese Burma Area Army surrendered the same day as Mountbatten's ceremony in Singapore, and Indian forces in Malaya reached Kuala Lumpur to liberate the Malay capital, though the British were slow to reestablish control over all of Malaya, with eastern Pahang remaining beyond reach for three more weeks. On September 13, the Japanese garrisons on Nauru and Ocean Islands surrendered to Brigadier John Stevenson, and three days later Major-General Okada Umekichi and Vice-Admiral Fujita Ruitaro formally signed the instrument of surrender at Hong Kong. In the meantime, following the Allied call for surrender, Japan had decided to grant Indonesian independence to complicate Dutch reoccupation: Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta signed Indonesia's Proclamation of Independence on August 17 and were appointed president and vice-president the next day, with Indonesian youths spreading news across Java via Japanese news and telegraph facilities and Bandung's news broadcast by radio. The Dutch, as the former colonial power, viewed the republicans as collaborators with the Japanese and sought to restore their colonial rule due to lingering political and economic interests in the former Dutch East Indies, a stance that helped trigger a four-year war for Indonesian independence. Fighting also erupted in Sumatra and the Celebes, though the 26th Indian Division managed to land at Padang on October 10. On October 21, Lieutenant-General Tanabe Moritake and Vice-Admiral Hirose Sueto surrendered all Japanese forces on Sumatra, yet British control over the country would dwindle in the ensuing civil conflict. Meanwhile, Formosa (Taiwan) was placed under the control of the Kuomintang-led Republic of China by General Order No. 1 and the Instrument of Surrender; Chiang Kai-shek appointed General Chen Yi as Chief Executive of Taiwan Province and commander of the Taiwan Garrison Command on September 1. After several days of preparation, an advance party moved into Taihoku on October 5, with additional personnel arriving from Shanghai and Chongqing between October 5 and 24, and on October 25 General Ando Rikichi signed the surrender document at Taipei City Hall. But that's the end for this week, and for the Pacific War.  Boy oh boy, its been a long journey hasn't it? Now before letting you orphans go into the wild, I will remind you, while this podcast has come to an end, I still write and narrate Kings and Generals Eastern Front week by week and the Fall and Rise of China Podcasts. Atop all that I have my own video-podcast Echoes of War, that can be found on Youtube or all podcast platforms. I really hope to continue entertaining you guys, so if you venture over to the other podcasts, comment you came from here! I also have some parting gifts to you all, I have decided to release a few Pacific War related exclusive episodes from my Youtuber Membership / patreon at www.patreon.com/pacificwarchannel. At the time I am writing this, over there I have roughly 32 episodes, one is uploaded every month alongside countless other goodies. Thank you all for being part of this long lasting journey. Kings and Generals literally grabbed me out of the blue when I was but a small silly person doing youtube videos using an old camera, I have barely gotten any better at it. I loved making this series, and I look forward to continuing other series going forward! You know where to find me, if you have any requests going forward the best way to reach me is just comment on my Youtube channel or email me, the email address can be found on my youtube channel. This has been Craig of the Pacific War Channel and narrator of the Pacific war week by week podcast, over and out!

Seventy-five years ago, on June 25, 1950, North Korean forces launched a surprise invasion across the 38th parallel into South Korea, setting off a brutal and complex conflict that would last three years, claim millions of lives, and shape the Cold War. The Korean War—often called the “Forgotten War”—began with tanks rolling into Seoul at dawn and ended with a hard-fought armistice that still holds today. To mark this important anniversary, the Veterans Breakfast Club is honored to host a special livestream conversation with Ryan Walkowski, military history researcher and author of the forthcoming Combat in Korea: Eighteen Veterans Remember the War. Joining Ryan will be several Korean War veterans he interviewed for the book—men who fought in the harsh winters and rugged mountains of the Korean Peninsula and who carry vivid memories of that distant, often overlooked war. Walkowski, whose grandfather served in Korea, has traveled the country collecting stories from veterans of all branches. His mission is simple: to make sure these stories are heard and remembered. The result is a remarkable oral history project that captures the grit, sacrifice, and humanity of those who served in Korea between 1950 and 1953. This VBC program will bring those voices to life. You'll hear firsthand accounts of combat, survival, and camaraderie from veterans who were there—at the Pusan Perimeter, Inchon, Chosin Reservoir, and the 38th Parallel. You'll also hear from Walkowski about why he took on this project and how these veterans' stories shed new light on a war that deserves far more attention. As always, we invite viewers to participate, ask questions, and share reflections as we remember the war that began 75 years ago and the veterans who lived it. We're grateful to UPMC for Life  for sponsoring this event!

We welcome two people who have devoted themselves to educating the nation about the long Korean War and those who served and sacrificed for South Korea's freedom. The first is Susan Kee whose “Honoring Korean War Veterans” project has documented the stories of over 500 Korean War veterans and advocated for the families of those still MIA since the war. Joining Susan is Army Korean War veteran Ron Twentey, who served in Korea in 1955-1957. Ron grew up in a small farm community near Frederick, Maryland, and worked on local farms from the age of ten, performing hard labor without modern mechanized equipment. Earning 25 cents an hour, he gained an appreciation for the value of work. A strong childhood memory from 1944 was collecting milkweed pods for the war effort, which were used as a substitute for kapok in life jackets. This initiative made him feel like he was contributing to the war. During high school, Twentey watched the Korean War unfold. He was awarded a scholarship to the University of Maryland for his track and field abilities but was uncertain about his future. Ultimately, he decided to enlist in the U.S. Army for three years, intending to return to school afterward. His military service began with basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, with the 101st Airborne Division. He then attended the Engineer School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, specializing in military drafting. Upon completing his training, Twentey and his entire class of 22 men were assigned to Korea. Departing from Seattle, Washington, on a troop ship, he arrived in Inchon after a 20-day journey. From there, they took an old steam train north toward the DMZ. Unaware of their exact destination, they were dropped off and left alone until a convoy of trucks transported them to a replacement tent compound. That night, local Korean boys raided the camp, stealing Army blankets and supplies—a common occurrence due to poverty and shortages following the war. The next day, Twentey was assigned to Headquarters, 24th Infantry Division, G-3 Combat Operations, south of Munsan-Ni. The division had recently returned from Japan to safeguard the DMZ following the Korean War armistice. The fragile peace was frequently challenged by North Korean infiltrators. Twentey served as an Infantry Operations Specialist and Platoon Sergeant, maintaining records of minefield locations above the Imjin River, overseeing maps in the bunker and mobile war rooms, and tracking U.S. and UN troop movements within the DMZ. His work was classified, reflecting the sensitive nature of operations at the time. Additionally, he was tasked with plotting potential nuclear targets throughout North Korea. Using the “Atomic Annie” cannon as a potential delivery method, his job required pinpointing key targets—a task so secretive that he was ordered to forget about it once completed. Twentey served in Korea for 16 months before returning to the U.S. and becoming an engineering instructor. After leaving the military, he worked as a draftsman, eventually transitioning into marketing and communications. His contributions highlight the intricate and often perilous roles played by soldiers in the Korean War and its aftermath, emphasizing the enduring challenges of peacekeeping in a volatile region.

The Korean peninsula was split into two countries after the Second World War.  The Soviet backed North and the U.S. backed South.  North Korea tried to unify the two by invading South Korea in June 1950.  Initially North Korea had great success.  It pushed South Korea's small military aside and rushed down the peninsula while the United States tried to get forces onto the peninsula.  The North Koreans were finally stopped around the port of Pusan at the very bottom of the Korean peninsula.  While fighting around Pusan was going on, the U.S. commander, General Douglas MacArthur, contemplated his next move.  Instead of using his growing force to reinforce Pusan, MacArthur chose to do something far more risky.  He would conduct an amphibious landing deep in the rear of the North Korean army, cut its logistics, and cause it to collapse.  The place he picked for this landing was the port of Inchon.  Robert D. Heinl, Jr. tells the story in "Victory at High Tide: The Inchon Seoul Campaign."

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 1952 film Retreat, Hell!, which presents a sweeping overview of the legendary First Marine Division’s actions in the Korean War, from training camp, to the Inchon landing, to their battles with Chinese forces in North Korea, and finally to their eventual evacuation. Get ready to join in a rousing chorus of the Marine Corps Hymn with Sean and James as they review this fun flick.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The successful Allied capture of Inchon and Seoul, together with the Eighth Army’s breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, forced the North Korean army to rapidly retreat northward and brought the Allied forces to the 38th Parallel. Now, General MacArthur was faced with a decision…should the Allies dig in and consolidate their gains, daring the North Koreans to attack them? Or should they advance further to the north and take control of all Korea? In this episode, Evan and James discuss MacArthur’s fateful decision to…well, listen, and you will find out! Retreat, Hell! In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 1952 film Retreat, Hell!, which presents a sweeping overview of the legendary First Marine Division’s actions in the Korean War, from training camp, to the Inchon landing, to their battles with Chinese forces in North Korea, and finally to their eventual evacuation. Get ready to join in a rousing chorus of the Marine Corps Hymn with Sean and James as they review this fun flick.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On September 14–15, 1950, a battalion of student volunteer soldiers led by Republic of Korea Army officers staged a small diversionary operation at Jangsari beach in Yeongdeok, on the east coast of Korea. The purpose of this raid was to distract the North Koreans’ attention from the imminent landing at Inchon, as well as to possibly disrupt North Korean supply lines. Join Sean and James as they discuss the 2019 South Korean film The Battle of Jangsari, which is based on the true story of the battle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soon after the North Korean invasion of the South, Allied Supreme Military Commander General Dougas MacArthur began planning a surprise amphibious assault on the key port city of Inchon, which was more than 100 miles behind North Korean lines. This attack was risky for many reasons, but if it succeeded, MacArthur believed, it would force the North Korean army to retreat back into the North and possibly result in the capture of much of the North Korean army. Join Evan and James as they discuss the Inchon landing, a crucial battle of the Korean War.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Marine Corps has seen its time and it is now the opportunity to sunset it and wish it well in memorium. Two historical moments have destroyed the efficacy and primacy of the USMC: missiles and the sad Commandant tenure of GEN David H. Berger who will be remembered as the man who murdered the Corps. The US has not made a contested beach landing since Inchon in 1-19 September 1950 and the era of missiles has made the contested beach landing by maritime connectors and vertical envelopment a murderously expensive undertaking. The non-naval Houthis in Yemen have proven that US and allied naval surface power is a questionable enterprise peripheral to littorals. It is time to lay the wreaths, acknowledge the contributions, stand to for the swansong and decommission the Corps. References: USMC Small Wars Manual FMFM-1 Warfighting LtCol Thaddeus Drake, Jr. The Fantasy of MCDP 1: Is Maneuver Warfare Still Useful? Ronald O'Rourke Navy Medium Landing Ship (LSM) (Previously Light Amphibious Warship [LAW]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress (R46374) Smedley D. Butler War is a Racket Patrick Van Horne Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps' Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life Heather Venable How the Few Became the Proud: Crafting the Marine Corps Mystique, 1874-1918 David J. Ulbrich Preparing for Victory: Thomas Holcomb and the Making of the Modern Marine Corps, 1936-1943 Brett A. Friedman 21st Century Ellis: Operational Art and Strategic Prophecy for the Modern Era Bing West No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the United States Marines The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan My Substack Email at cgpodcast@pm.me   My Substack Email at cgpodcast@pm.me.

On episode 91, Micah and Brian continue their discussion of Brian's trip to Korea and return home via San Francisco.  But first, we hear from Listener Rich who writes to IAmReallyOffended@Yahoo.com. However, it turns out he really isn't offended. Listener Ernie also writes in and talks about the golf course at Pease Air Force Base. Then Listener Lu wants to know our thoughts on JetBlue's decision to stop serving hot food on transatlantic flights.  Micah and Brian then talk about the rest of Brian's trip to Korea and the return flights home. They also discuss another visit to a National Park and a side trip to Jeju Island and how Listener Matt provided some additional activities for the Korean adventure.  There is also a mini review of the three Asiana and Singapore Airlines lounges at Inchon airport. The show closes with some lessons learned and a not so surprising flight / schedule change by United.  The opening and closing music is provided by the Madalitso Youth Choir as they sing their Welcome song and their Good By song, recorded at the lobby of The Royal Livingston Hotel in Zambia. And if you would like to hear them sing live, get in touch with us at Brian@TheJourneyIsTheReward.ORG to learn about the the group trip we are planning in late September or October, 2025. We hope you enjoy the show!

rWotD Episode 2686: Battle of the Pusan Perimeter Welcome to Random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia’s vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Tuesday, 10 September 2024 is Battle of the Pusan Perimeter.The Battle of the Pusan Perimeter (Korean: 부산 교두보 전투), known in Korean as the Battle of the Naktong River Defense Line (Korean: 낙동강 방어선 전투), was a large-scale battle between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 to September 18, 1950. It was one of the first major engagements of the Korean War. An army of 140,000 UN troops, having been pushed south to the brink of defeat, were rallied to make a final stand against the invading Korean People's Army (KPA), 98,000 men strong.UN forces, having been repeatedly defeated by the advancing KPA, were forced back to the "Pusan Perimeter", a 140-mile (230 km) defense line around an area on the southeastern tip of South Korea that included the port of Busan (then spelt Pusan). The UN troops, consisting mostly of forces from the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA), United States, and United Kingdom, mounted a last stand around the perimeter, fighting off repeated KPA attacks for six weeks as they were engaged around the cities of Taegu, Masan, and Pohang and the Naktong River. The massive KPA assaults were unsuccessful in forcing the UN troops back farther from the perimeter, despite two major pushes in August and September.North Korean troops, hampered by supply shortages and massive losses, continually staged attacks on UN forces in an attempt to penetrate the perimeter and collapse the line. The UN forces, however, used the port to amass an overwhelming advantage in troops, equipment, and logistics, and its navy and air forces remained unchallenged by the KPA during the fight. After six weeks, the KPA force collapsed and retreated in defeat after the UN force launched a counterattack at Inchon on September 15, and the UN forces in the perimeter broke out the following day. The battle was the farthest the KPA would advance in the war, as subsequent fighting ground the war into a stalemate.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:23 UTC on Tuesday, 10 September 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Battle of the Pusan Perimeter on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Kimberly.

Det är den 16 april år 2014. Fartyget MV Sewol står redo vid kajen i staden Inchon. Inchon är en av Sydkoreas största städer men över 3 miljoner invånare. Fartyget MV Sewol ska färda 476 passagerar till staden Jeju i Sydkorea - känt för att likna Hawaii. Men fartyget kommer aldrig att komma fram. Källor:The Korea TimesThe Koeran HeraldThe newyorkerKoreabooSafetry4sea

Douglas MacArthur had no military equal, at least in his own mind. The veteran and hero of the victory over Japan believed he could do the same in Korea and with an audacious amphibious landing at Inchon turned the war on its head. The Reds were on the run, victory for the US, British and rest of the United Nations forces seemed inevitable. Could anything stop General MacArthur's final triumph? Narrated by Paul Waggott Written by Robin Scott Elliot Production and Sound Design by Holy Smokes Audio Executive Producers Tony Pastor + Neil Fearn A Goalhanger Podcasts Production Cast; William Roberts as General Douglas MacArthur Lance Fuller as General Stratemayer Julian Alexander as Bulldog Walker Tim Licata Zhang Hongtao Wang Hui Boyoung Jo WK C Thomas Mitchells Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MAO'S CHINA ATTACKS: 1/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story—The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company,by Patrick K. O'Donnell.   https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story/dp/0306818019/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= After nearly four months of continuous and agonizing combat on the battlefields of Korea, such a simple request seemed impossible. For many men of George Company, or “Bloody George” as they were known—one of the Forgotten War's most decorated yet unrecognized companies—it was a wish that would not come true. This is the untold story of “Bloody George,” a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men—a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood—were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house to house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle—modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage. 1950 South Korea

MAO'S CHINA ATTACKS: 2/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story—The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company,by Patrick K. O'Donnell.   https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story/dp/0306818019/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= After nearly four months of continuous and agonizing combat on the battlefields of Korea, such a simple request seemed impossible. For many men of George Company, or “Bloody George” as they were known—one of the Forgotten War's most decorated yet unrecognized companies—it was a wish that would not come true. This is the untold story of “Bloody George,” a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men—a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood—were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house to house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle—modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage. 1950 Refugees flee advancing North Korea Army.

MAO'S CHINA ATTACKS: 3/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story—The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company,by Patrick K. O'Donnell.   https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story/dp/0306818019/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= After nearly four months of continuous and agonizing combat on the battlefields of Korea, such a simple request seemed impossible. For many men of George Company, or “Bloody George” as they were known—one of the Forgotten War's most decorated yet unrecognized companies—it was a wish that would not come true. This is the untold story of “Bloody George,” a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men—a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood—were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house to house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle—modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage. 1951

MAO'S CHINA ATTACKS: 4/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story—The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company,by Patrick K. O'Donnell.   https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story/dp/0306818019/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= After nearly four months of continuous and agonizing combat on the battlefields of Korea, such a simple request seemed impossible. For many men of George Company, or “Bloody George” as they were known—one of the Forgotten War's most decorated yet unrecognized companies—it was a wish that would not come true. This is the untold story of “Bloody George,” a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men—a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood—were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house to house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle—modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage. 1953 Panmujom Armistice

Mike Gallagher, U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 8th congressional district and Chair of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, joins the show to talk about why the Korean War should be front-of-mind for American policymakers and strategists.  ▪️ Times      •    02:06 Introduction      •    04:05 Wolf-warrior diplomacy     •    10:42 A new Cold War     •    13:05 T.R. Fehrenbach     •   22:25 “This stuff matters”      •    25:25 Task Force Smith      •    29:44 Route clearances     •    31:23 Inchon     •   35:06 Truman's failures      •    38:19 Eisenhower brings balance      •    42:24 China has gotten stronger Follow along on Instagram And here is a link to checkout the article Aaron and Mike wrote for Foreign Affairs Why America Forgets and China Remembers the Korean War

Please check out:Jane Austen Culture Night Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/janeaustenculturenightTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janecultpodEmail: janeaustenculturenight@gmail.comAkina's website: https://akinaruthcox.com/home.htmlLaurel's website: http://www.laurelnakai.comAnd if you want to watch Inchon, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqpsPjLTzWo&tSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/falling-out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a very culty movie night! This is a crossover episode with Falling Out with Elgen Strait, a podcast about leaving the Moonies and other cults, as told by the kids who grew up within them. In this episode we watch the movie Inchon! Which was a 1981 movie about the Korean War that was funded and produced by the Unification Church, the cult we all grew up in. It was a strange experience watching the film, but it was such a joy to record this episode together! We hope you enjoy, and we promise to get back to Jane Austen content soon. Links: Fallingoutpod.com Falling Out on Instagram Falling Out on Twitter Get in touch! We have a twitter!  We have a TikTok!  Email us: Janeaustenculturenight@gmail.com Hosted by Laurel Nakai and Akina Cox Music and Production by Laurel Nakai Artwork by Akina Cox Sound from Inchon (1981)

I do mean “unconventional”. Wait until you hear Evan Robert Brown Walker's story and adventures. Like many guests I have had the opportunity to get to know on Unstoppable Mindset, Evan grew up in a single-parent home and didn't get to know his father until much later. Evan went to school and then to college like many of us, but then he decided to do something a bit different with his life. Mr. Walker graduated from college with a degree in English and writing. He then decided to move totally alone to South Korea where he taught English for two years. He will tell us of his adventures in Korea and even give some sensible advice to others who may be planning to move or travel abroad. Near the end of his time in South Korea, Evan sprained his ankle and discovered that, in fact, he had an extra bone in his foot. He dealt with that once he returned to the United States, but still, what a suddenly new fact to face in one's life. You will get to hear about Evan's job stories after returning from South Korea including how he became a subject matter expert on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He now works full-time in this field. What an inspirational and adventurous episode this is. I hope you enjoy hearing Evan's story and that his words will inspire you as much as they did me. About the Guest: Evan Robert Brown Walker is on a mission to empower others, including those within underrepresented communities, to thrive. He currently works as a Global Diversity & Inclusion Manager at Lumen Technologies, with 2 years of experience in a formal diversity role, and numerous years leading and operationalizing Employee Resource Groups. His expertise and passion led him to earn a Diversity & Inclusion Certificate from eCornell in 2020. Since 2021 he has been both a member of the Thurgood Marshall Partner in Diversity Cohort and was recently promoted from advisory board to the Board of Directors for OutFront LGBTQ+ Theater in Atlanta, GA. He is a graduate of High Point University with English major and Business-Marketing minor, and still considers teaching English in South Korea after college one of his greatest accomplishments yet. Links for Evan: www.linkedin.com/in/evan-robert-brown-walker EPIK (English Program In Korea) TransitionsAbroad.com | Purposeful Travel, Study, Work, and Living Abroad Teach Abroad Programs | Teach English Abroad | CIEE https://www.ciee.org/users/evanw https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-robert-brown-walker (My LinkedIn) http://www.epik.go.kr/index.do (English Program in Korea) https://www.cnn.com/2013/04/10/world/asia/north-korea-threats-timeline/index.html North Korean Missile Crisis of 2013 https://www.transitionsabroad.com/ Transitions Abroad https://www.ciee.org/ Council on International Education Exchange About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes Michael Hingson 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson 01:21 Hi there, wherever you happen to be welcome once again to unstoppable mindset. We're inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Unexpected is always fun. But we also talk about inclusion first, because it's the only way to make sure that we deal with everyone. The problem with diversity is it has tended to leave out disabilities some may disagree. But when you hear people discuss diversity, they don't discuss disabilities. Whether we discuss disabilities today are not is another story. But we will definitely be hitting the unexpected. Our guest today is Evan Robert Brown Walker, we're going to call him Evan because he said I could. And Evan is an interesting individual. Evan feels that he's on a mission to empower others, especially in unrep, or underrepresented communities. And he wants to help them thrive, which is as good as it gets. So that gets us to the unexpected, because it deals with all sorts of stuff. But Evan, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here. Evan Walker 02:22 You so much, Michael, I'm so happy to be here. And really looking forward to the discussion. Michael Hingson 02:29 Let's go ahead and start by talking a little bit about maybe you growing up and all that where you came from, and sort of all those things that helped shape you where you are. Evan Walker 02:39 Well, I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, I was raised by a single mother, who has been there with me every step of the way. And I of course I'm an only child. So I had a little miniature schnauzer growing up who I considered my brother, I have friends and you know, close people as well. But my mom and my miniature schnauzer and sparkle are miniatures nouns are really my immediate family. And then my dad, I got to know, sort of towards the tail end of my high school career, that's when I really got to know started to get to know him. He's based in High Point North Carolina, I ended up making a decision to go to High Point University. And so he and I became closer, develop the relationship that still lasts today. So that's a little bit about my background. Michael Hingson 03:43 So that's pretty cool. So you made the decision to reach out to him, which is something that has to be a little bit of a brave step by any standard. Evan Walker 03:54 Absolutely, absolutely. Any standard reaching out to a parent you don't know or may not know as well as you think you do. Reaching out to them is always scary. And for me, it was a turning point. One of many turning points in my life that led me to where I am today, but also helped me become a stronger person and just understand more of my family and his roots and where he came from. It was a great, great experience. Michael Hingson 04:27 So you have a relationship with him today, which is which is a good thing. And so you you are fortunate that you have now gotten to know both of your parents. You went to high point and what did you major in there? Evan Walker 04:42 I majored in English writing and I minored in business marketing. Michael Hingson 04:51 Hmm. And when you graduated, what did you do with all that? Well, Evan Walker 04:56 inside, everyone should know that five point is the furniture Capital of the World. There's other furniture capitals, I think, and China and Las Vegas, but my point is still consider the furniture capital of the world. So that's a pretty interesting, interesting fact. Today, I, after I graduated, I decided I wanted to move into something to do with my major. Many of us who graduated from college, need ourselves a stray from what we were going to school for, which is pretty prominent. Not a problem at all. But at the time, I really wanted to do something tangibly connected to English. So I looked at working for a publishing house. I also read a book at the time, I was really into books around oil and gas, fossil fuels, how they make the world turn and work, in addition to the comparison with climate change, and I wanted to work for this gentleman that my father knew at the time, who was an executive at an oil company. Neither of those opportunities panned out my third backup plan. My third option was, why don't I think about living abroad traveling abroad? I'm not quite sure what prompted me, other than it was still the great recession. So the Great Recession of Oh 708, which was catastrophic to many people. And even if it wasn't catastrophic, everyone felt that time in some way. So I knew I didn't want to challenge myself, or struggle finding a job. But I also Evan Walker 06:56 reminisce peripherally from people who in college, I went abroad for study abroad to gap years after high school, and I kind of wished that I had that opportunity. So it was a mishmash between desiring to live abroad, having that job security, but also just challenging myself. Michael Hingson 07:22 And so what did you decide to do with that? So you thought about doing something abroad? And what did you do? I made the decision, Evan Walker 07:34 shortly, I think shortly before graduation, to move to Korea. But the decision that I had to make before I even made that decision was, if I do move to Korea, then I have to choose between teaching English being a professional. Being in the army, or military, I was not going into the military. That was just not something I wanted to do at that time. And I was not a professional who was proficient in the Korean language. So teaching English as I guess, as a native guests, English speaker, teacher was truly my my core option. And the two choices as a guest English teacher, were teaching at a private school, or public school, teaching in a private school, namely, is very different in Korea. They're called Hogwarts, private schools in Korea, where oftentimes you're paid more than what you are in a public school. But benefits are sometimes non existent, sometimes less, or just not as not as broad and much, much longer hours. Those Michael Hingson 08:54 that why is that, Evan Walker 08:56 you know, I really don't know, I know that the education system there is considered to be one of the top in the world. And I would say, in my opinion, just me having lived there that a lot of parents and grandparents want their kids to do the best in school. So these Hawk ones are considered with the long hours of the teaching and the long hours for the students ways for them to accelerate getting their kids into the top schools and universities in the country. Michael Hingson 09:35 So you had a choice of, or at least the potential option of teaching in a private setting or in a more public setting, which did you end up doing? Evan Walker 09:46 I went public only because I wanted to make sure that I had enough benefits as far as health care. The pay was very good. Not as good as a hogwash to private school. But I really wanted to make sure I had those benefits that I had that structure and the benefits offered from a public school. I mean, free room and board. It doesn't get better than that. Free Lunch, you know, so I really just loved the idea of not having to pay for an apartment, getting free lunch. And so I went with Publix. Michael Hingson 10:31 So were in South Korea did you teach? Evan Walker 10:40 So, Korea? In South Korea, I taught in what's called what's referred to there as the inland Island. I'm probably pronouncing this wrong. But the the name of the the city was young young. And the province or the state of Young Young was n was called Young saying Buck dough, which was the the eastern part of the country. Sol Sol sets the Capitol. On the western side, I was on the eastern side. Yeah, my Michael Hingson 11:21 visit to Korea was to Seoul and two places within an hour of it. I went to speak there in 2007. Right, and I had an opportunity to be there and and also see the Korean guy dog schools, which were school, which was started by the President and others of Samsung. And so that was, it was fascinating. I never got to meet him. But we did get to visit the school and do some speaking around Seoul. So that was fun. But I never did get to tour the whole country, which I would have loved to have done. It was a wonderful country. And the people were were extremely friendly to me at least and and to my dog. Evan Walker 12:06 Yes, it's, it's a country that is just like you said, just gorgeous. The country of morning, lands on Morning Calm. It's also a country of opposites in many ways. So really, really hot, summer, sweltering hot, really, really cold winter, Siberian winds. And you know, even even some social norms and things like that. So. Michael Hingson 12:37 So what was it like for you teaching over there? That was a major step out for you to go to a different culture a different place entirely, completely away from your comfort zone? Or what had been your comfort zone? And all that you knew? Via you did it? Evan Walker 12:58 Yeah. Honestly, living there, there are definitely some challenges, I would say, moving there. And all the pieces of the puzzle that you have to put together before you even on the plane. That's a part of that's a part of the two. So thinking about what am I going to do as far as money I need to open a bank account in a country that I don't speak the language, learning a language, sure, but it really needs to think about that. registering with the State Department, getting immunizations and so finally, you get on that plane. And for me, I look back Evan Walker 13:41 subdivider Mom, she wasn't there. And it really hit me like wow, you know, you are on your own. And when I sat down on the plane, it was just pure excitement. It was like, total change of emotions. But when I got there, and I experienced just the kindness of the people, you know, a neighbor who became a friend, he was working at the Korean military base in this rural town, which the town was a rural farming community that farms their major product was spicy peppers. He was living near me and helped me moved from my second my first school to my second school several hours away. He took me to dinners when I wasn't feeling well. And so you know, those kinds of moments and those people the way they care and even this routine me. Oh, Evan Walker 14:47 when you're lost in the city of Seoul. Oh, let me let me help you. Let me help you find what you're looking for. You look lost. It's just so out. opposite from the way we interact in America. And you know, that collective family oriented culture, never eating alone. It really did leave a very good impression on me and made me cherish moment moments when, you know, maybe I was feeling most vulnerable, not knowing the language, not having a large support network of expatriates or foreigners in a small town. That was certainly a, an anchor for me. Hmm. Michael Hingson 15:39 But you did it? Did you learn much of the language? In the time you were there? Evan Walker 15:43 Yeah. So I would say now, I, I know literally choke off, which means a little there, I would go to the grocery store, I would know how, what past means what, you know, just survival turned it around. And so those those terms I knew I knew instinctively and instantly, Teacher Song saying them because titles in Korea mean a great deal more than they do in America. And roles and jobs, like teachers probably mean as much as doctors mean here. So you'll have students running around stranger saying, oh, Song saying noon. It's a form of respect to them. So I would say, you know, now, I've probably lost most of that. I've not kept it up. But even what I didn't know, because Korean is a tonal language. Oftentimes, I wasn't even pronouncing it in the right. So there were constant miscommunications. Oftentimes, yes means no. So they will agree. Because that's a country of collective society of service. What can we do for you, you know, what is the service? How can we how, but at the same time, it was still very, you know, constant miscommunications, based on where I was living and the language. Michael Hingson 17:22 Why ultimately, did you decide to move to Korea to teach what motivated you really to do that? I mean, so you decided to do it, but as you reflect back on it, what, what caused you to decide to do that that's a big step, most people would say, Evan Walker 17:41 it is, it is a big step. I honestly think now looking back, I wanted to experience the world. I also wanted to prove to myself, yeah, I can step outside of having my mom really support me having my dad stepping out of the shadows and saying to myself, for my own self worth, I appreciate me, and to just experience something that no one else had experienced. That I know. Up until that point, no one I knew had lived in Asia. I let alone South Korea. So it was looking back I think a test to myself Michael Hingson 18:31 was a self imposed test. Evan Walker 18:34 self imposed test. Michael Hingson 18:36 So you mentioned that you move from one school to another several hours away. Why Why did you move from one school to another? What kind of prompted that? Evan Walker 18:48 So I Well, the move was for contract. So in Korea, you really learn about flexibility, adaptability, as the best English teacher, you learn at a moment's notice, there's going to be a war drill, or there's going to be, you know, a holiday tomorrow or your contract is still going to end on the same date. But we'd like to extend it or we'd like to shorten it. What do you think about that? There's a lot of impromptu questions all the time. One because of language barrier, two, because three in school systems for the guest English teachers operate on a need to know basis. So you need to know they will tell you what usually is pretty, pretty quick, pretty last minute. I decided with that in mind to renew my contract. This felt like the story was not done for me there and I needed to move to a place that was a little bit more sort of politan I was hoping a bigger city. And that's what I ended up moving to. The English program in Korea was actually the program that I was hired through. And I was hired before that, through the Council on Air National Education Exchange, called CI II. That is basically a recruiter for the English program in Korea, which is a government program in Korea that hires guests, English teachers, and so I knew someone about an hour away, he was the Regional Coordinator for the English program in Korea, he had sent an email to all the teachers in Gung sein buchtel, that we have a role. It's in the Exxon. It's the Boys High School. We'd like to take up this role, let me know. And so it wasn't far for me. But it was closer to school, which was great. And I just wanted to stay and experience in New York City be close to her soul, and continue my learning of the code. Michael Hingson 21:17 So you took it and there you were, how much larger was the second town or the more cosmopolitan area for you? Evan Walker 21:24 I don't know how much larger it was definitely I population. But it was definitely quite large. And not. There was there was a skyline. And I will also say that that city yet John was close to the mask dancing city. So Korean mass dancing is a tradition in their culture. And that city is called on dog. So yeah, Chun and on Dong, were probably about 2030 minutes apart on Dong was an even bigger city. So it was still yet started was still a farming community. But it had enough of an infrastructure socially for me to make the decision with about seven other expatriates. And a few more shops. For me to for me to enjoy. I would say yet, Shawn was about two and a half to three hours from Seoul. Yong Yong was five. So it was a great move in that way that I could still, you know, I could still make that jump in a quicker Michael Hingson 22:45 so when I was there, I never really got to, as I say, do a lot of touring around it to be to be real cute. So did you ever find a cost go in South Korea? That is so Evan Walker 22:57 funny that you asked. I don't recall that. But you know, there's a very similar chain called Home Plus believe that's the name of the chain. And it's basically like a Costco, you've got a lot of a lot of goods in bulk. And so many weekends from yet Shawn, I would take from us to on dog where the Home Plus was, and just buy tons and tons of food and things like that. There was one instance where before I was in yen chart, I actually took the bus with all the names of the buses, all the routes all the time, everything's in Korea. So I took the bus. It was my first winter in Korea. I had some coats, but nothing I needed for sub zero temperatures Fahrenheit. So I took the bus I thought to odd Dong from Yong Yong, which was about two hours or so. What I didn't know was I actually took the bus to Daegu, which was a while longer. And so when I got off the bus and I was realized I was not in on dawn. I was like, well, where's the Home Plus, might as well make the best of it. So I just, you know, went shopping it some coats and hats and things like that. thermal underwear. Michael Hingson 24:37 You found a home plus, Evan Walker 24:39 I found a home vise you've got to be able to adapt, you're gonna miss stuff. Living abroad living in a foreign country. So those kinds of lessons where you can be flexible is really, really important. Michael Hingson 24:57 What would you advise the How to someone, if, if they're thinking of going to a foreign country or living in a foreign country, or even just going as part of a holiday or whatever, what would you advise people? Evan Walker 25:14 What I would advise people living in a foreign country, I would say, there are pivotal moments while you're there. But then there's a pivotal moment of making that decision to even go there, and live there. And I would say, for me, when I made the decision to get on that plane, it wasn't necessarily a no return. But it was a change. And, for me, it's a, it's a point at which he experienced and this changed my life. It started a new one. And so with that froms challenges with all kinds of, you know, items and things in in those challenges such as language barriers, cultural, confusion, cultural and competency, which my job today is developing, and helping to empower and make people knowledgeable of cultural competency. But there's a lot of different roads that you have to pass, once you make that decision, living abroad, living abroad as well. However long you live abroad, you have to remember and know, which I would say was not something that I was made aware of emphatically is that you will have to adjust, you will have reverse culture shock. Now, I would say certain countries, you probably have more than others. For me, being in a western culture being raised moving to an Eastern East Asia, Eastern country, the culture shock was quite great. Especially thinking about when you don't have access to or aren't listening to just think about music, of the current music that you listen to that. Oftentimes, unless you're on YouTube, or your or latest app, you may miss out on that. You also may miss out on trends, and sometimes news and just feel like you're out of place, you come back. So that's really important. I would say just going abroad, period. Register with the State Department in case of an emergency. And just be open minded. Know that you have a bias no matter where you're from, what your background is, when I first got out of the airport in Seoul or Inchon and I looked around at the cars, I just the first thing I noticed was every car is black, white, or gray. I was like, Oh, that was the second point when I realized the gravity of my decision, because it is a collectivist country. Everyone is thinking about each other. There's not a lot of variations and colors and things like such a small, such a small, visually. Interesting fact, but also long standing in terms of the ramifications of that decision. Michael Hingson 28:40 Do you regret having spent two years over there? Or were you? Do you feel that it was a valuable experience? What's your reaction thinking back on it now? Yeah, Evan Walker 28:53 I absolutely think it was a valuable experience. I do not regret it one bit. If I could do it over again, I would probably do some things differently. But every conversation I have meeting someone new, it usually comes up. When I'm interviewing for jobs, like the job I'm in now. It's always a point of pride and our point of experience, something no one can ever take away from you. And I love that. So I I know the way I was challenged in many ways. I had some of the best times in my life, meeting different people from around the world in Seoul coming out, which was not necessarily the best time living there so far from home, but coming out as a gay black man over Skype to my family on my mom's side who was who was very, very welcoming and you know, very proud of you for doing so. And my dad was too, later on. Michael Hingson 30:02 But I was thinking that by that time, we had a lot more ability to communicate. So at least you had some opportunities to talk to people back here in the states that you wouldn't have had 10 or 15 years before. Evan Walker 30:19 Yeah, yeah. And, yeah, yeah, I actually, I will, because I went through a recruiter, the CIA II organization, which I think is now an NGO. They offered me the opportunity to blog about my experiences there. So I was joined by a number of bloggers, guests, English teachers, or I posted about this and that. And I was able to your point to email that blog to family and friends, they could keep up with me. There was one particular time, the summer of No, the spring of 2013, where I was getting a lot of emails because of the North Korean missile crisis. Today, it's looked at as a pivotal point in time or a point in time where really, they had ramped up from February to May, so many different threats to South Korea and to America, which they still do today. They're very frustrated, usually, with our annual military drills. In the spring. That year, it was so bad that they actually scrapped 1953 armistice, they told foreigners, you should probably leave because there's going to be a war. It's going to be violent. It was crazy. It got so bad that my mom and I started talking about escape plans or as breakout a violent war. How are you going to get home? So? Yeah, I would say definitely, you know, there were there were those times when I was especially grateful for the modern communication. Michael Hingson 32:12 So you were over in South Korea for two years? And then you decided that that was enough for what? What was your motivation for them deciding to come back? Evan Walker 32:24 My motivation deciding to come back was, I thought that was enough. I had need what I thought, which is definitely the case, in my eyes, lifelong friends. I had pushed myself to the limit, even from a climate, cultural norms, food perspective, housing perspective. And I wanted to start my professional career back home. Ultimately, I didn't want to I didn't want to push that back any longer. Some people I still know. They're teaching all over the world backpacking thing in Korea, and that works for that. But for me, after two years, I was grateful for the experience. So many great times, challenging times. But I was ready to, Michael Hingson 33:20 to come back. So. So you, you came back? And what were you thinking about doing with your life once you came back? Evan Walker 33:31 So I came back, I honestly didn't know I wanted to process what I just done. And I also went through, I think, three months of reverse culture shock, what I envisioned as the American culture that I left, what I envisioned as the culture of my community, the LGBTQ plus community, the culture of Atlanta, all of those things, as an expatriate living 1000s of miles away, in some way or another, were not what I envisioned them to be, which is just not good or bad. It's just what happens. So I had the privilege, living over there having free room and board to save a lot of money. So I didn't need to work. The first three or so months, that I was, and then I was lucky enough in the spring. So I got back in August. And I got a job in March of following year through British insurance company called Hiscox insurance, and I'm grateful to this day that they hired me what a great, great career there for five years, but you That's really what I did was reflect. I had definitely some, I don't want to say challenges. But it really was a challenge in many ways. Because my, my concern at that point was my health I had come back after spraining my ankle earlier in the year back when I was in Korea. And when I was in Korea, and I went to a doctor. The first time due to language barriers, there was no need for me to wrap my ankle that I had wrapped. Although it was a sprained ankles, of course, I needed to wrap it, then when I went to get I think it was an MRI or an x ray, they actually told me that your foot as an extra bone. And so you probably just surgery to get the bone out. So by the time I got home, you know, again, just reminiscing the good times the challenging times. And then also thinking at some point, I'm gonna have to probably get this out. So again, I was grateful to get the job several months past, but I think anyone coming back from living abroad should really, if they can take that time to just adjust. Michael Hingson 36:29 Because it isn't you have an extra phone in your book. Did you have an extra bone in your foot? If I could talk I'd be in great shape. Evan Walker 36:35 I certainly did. I asserted that I had an accessory bone down there, yeah, and the foot on on the side of my ankle. And so I ended up having surgery. Later that year, after I was fired, it was a reconstructive surgery, the first of its kind that my doctor had done. The reattach the tendon, took the bone out and gave me an arch. So I likely will have to have the same things on my other foot. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Michael Hingson 37:12 So at least they diagnosed it over there. And exactly. That was an interesting experience. I bet you didn't expect. Evan Walker 37:23 Totally unexpected, but that's what comes with doing things that are unconventional. And when you take risk knows, you know, you can't foresee everything that happens, take calculated risks. I also had, you know, a finger, little system, my finger that I had to get taken out. Right before I came home, you know, there's just things like that, coming from a Western country, any country, you live somewhere else did a climate food, you learn things more about your body and your health that you weren't aware of. And you have to be prepared that if there's a language barrier or any other barrier, you may not have the same access to what it is that you need to prepare or recover from any issues with your health. Michael Hingson 38:25 You decided not to do the surgery in Korea, obviously and you came back here to do that. Evan Walker 38:31 Yeah, and Korean has Korea is very good. You know, hospitals, let's be clear, especially in Seoul. I just wanted to be home with family knowing I was coming home the following year. So it really just actually I think that was the same year I came home. Michael Hingson 38:51 So what was the job the insurance company gave you. Evan Walker 38:55 I was an underwriting assistant, which before I really read fiction, I thought it was related to Randy. So I'm like Oh, I'm back in I'm back doing something connected to my major. And it was actually a really interesting job processing job processing along the lines of commercial insurance. So cybersecurity technology errors and omissions really interesting job interesting people learns a lot. Definitely a bit of my time I work till midnight one time I was I was a workhorse at point and I work hard now and I you know work smart, collaborate all of those things but I really try just be in the present and Alan's and integrate my work and life in a way we're not going to burn myself out. As you as a lot have early in earlier in career people tend to disregard coming out just want to prove ourselves and things like that. Let me just work till my wit's end. But no, I don't do that anymore. But it was a great company still have great friends from there are my mentors from the pride resource group. Oh, keep in touch. Michael Hingson 40:27 So when you as an underwriter, you're here doing that work? What is it? You do? So you were talking about everything from dealing with intellectual property and cybersecurity and so on? What do you do? Or what did you Evan Walker 40:41 so as an I was really the underwriting assistant for the underwriters. So they were, look up the risk of, you know, what's the risk of, you know, Michael, Michael Hanson's company having a data breach. So this is what we'll cover, if you have a data breach, this is the amount that will pay. And so as an underwriting assistant, I would then kind of put those words together for them, but more often than not, provide them with a quote to send to you, or rather your broker, your insurance broker, and, you know, this kind of processing, getting those quotes out, getting those declines out, and canceling policies, when when that says, stay out? Michael Hingson 41:38 Well, it clearly can be part of a fascinating process. And I recognize the value in the need of insurance and the whole concept of risk management. And I speak about risk management from another side, which is basically more on the emergency preparedness side. You're in a room, you're listening to me speak. Do you know where the emergency exits are not the door that you came in, but the emergency exits? And the whole concept of risk management from that standpoint, which also, very possibly could affect your insurance? How well do you make sure that people who come to your facility, know what to do in an emergency and how to well you teach people might very well affect what you have to pay in the way of insurance so that you prove that you're being as careful as you can be? Evan Walker 42:36 You know, Michael, you're absolutely right. You're absolutely right. The importance cannot be understated. And even terrorism, kidnap ransom, shooter, all of all of those, all of those, but I do remember from reading your book, and just looking at YouTube videos and research, that you had all of the plans from, as a survivor of 911, working in a tower, one of the towers, you had those plans in Braille, that you had, basically, were an expert as to how to evacuate before it has to be that happens. occurred. Michael Hingson 43:26 I still remember, I still remember speaking at one organization meeting risk managers in Missouri, I think we were at Branson, but it was a meeting of risk management people from the Midwest. And after speaking, one of the people said, you know, we've never thought about the fact that as as a company, and that was a power company, they were one of the utilities, we have generation generating stations, and we don't teach our people really how to get out that is if there's a fire down in the station, how are people going to be able to get out because they can't see due to the smoke and so on. And we actually work together to develop a mechanism by which there people were able to escape without being able to see the exits because of the smoke. So they took that sort of thing very seriously. And it is and people really need to prepare more than they do. But they put some things in place. It was really cool to hear about it later, which is just really wonderful. So you worked at the insurance company for five years, and that's that's a good long time for for some people but you weren't there for five years. So what what made you leave and where did you go? Evan Walker 44:49 Honestly, I really just wanted to lean in more to that interest that I had found and passion related to ours. City inclusion, belonging and really being able to sink my teeth into a full time diversity, inclusion and belonging role. I was working in my last job as a training coordinator there. So I had some exposure to training courses focused on women in leadership and unconscious bias. But I wanted to do more I had started, what we call it at the time, LG, our LGBT work with whom someone I now call a friend, an executive bear, but also several other employees who are based in London. And so we created this global, what I call now at my current company, employee resource group, erg. And it was very successful. I mean, senior leadership was totally engaged, the visible visibility was global. It was on the top of everyone's minds, and honestly, bias, but I think that it gave other networks, the visibility that they needed, as well. And it put a spotlight on all the efforts that were going on related to vision and diversity. So much so that they asked me to speak to the company, out the networks. Michael Hingson 46:27 What led you to develop the passion? Did you just start to think about it, and it kind of grew or what? I Evan Walker 46:36 still to this day, I'm not quite sure. You know, it's funny because my dad consulted for many years with Christ on crisis management, public relations, and inclusion and diversity. And I never thought that I would be doing the same thing as him. But in many ways, I am following in his footsteps, which was totally unintended. I think that when I was raising my hand during focus groups, for employee networks for initiatives related to inclusion, and diversity, I just was curious and wanted to help in any way. It just kind of rounds me. Michael Hingson 47:25 So you left the company, the insurance company? And did you and your friends start your own company? Or did you go to work for someone else or what Evan Walker 47:36 I so I got a job. About a month later, I was hired by InterContinental Hotels.This was actually the year of 2020. And it was in March. So shortly before I started that job, which was a full time diversity and inclusion role, especially sprawl. I had enrolled in a Cornell online course, certificate in diversity and inclusion. So that was a self self taught course, like we had instructors, but everything was on your own time, rather. So there was no rush for me, but I had it in the event, longer to find a job than I expected. Well, even though I found the job, and I got a job rather quickly. COVID hit, of course. And so just starting there, I was like, Oh, it was a contract, permanent position. And at the time, there were a number of other people who were permanent, I believe, who might have been let go as well. But so many companies were just scrambling as to what to do. Everyone was sent home. And so I just use that time in between jobs to complete that course, which was a very rigorous course about engagement, your own engagement, when you weren't engaged. What did you do? Why do you feel that that was the case? And how do you make others feel engaged included? So that took me about eight months to complete by the end of it, I moved on to another company, I had extended an offer. That company was a great, great role. Great, great company. But after about two years with that company, I decided you know what? I would like to change and I feel like there's a new environment, a new path where I can experience being a diversity and inclusion manager I had left after IHG and starting at this company eight months later, or in the fall, I was a consultant for diversity and inclusion, helping people partnering with an accessibility subject matter expert, others from different parts of the world. And it was a great, great experience for me. But every company is on their own maturity scale. As far as diversity, inclusion, equity, all of these things, I wanted to experience a company that was on a different part of the scale. And so that's what led me to where I am now. Michael Hingson 50:41 So where are you now? Evan Walker 50:43 Now I am at Newman Technologies. I'm one of our global diversity and inclusion, inclusion and belonging managers, we actually are a telecommunications company, transforming as a technology company traded on the New York Stock Exchange. And just a great great company, curious, being present a lot of great values, and just putting our money where our mouth is, and our commitment as well. So I am just elated to be able to do what I do in this capacity, moving a mile a minute, but also seeing the change and being the change you want to see. That is what lumen is and I'm so happy to be along for the ride. So what is it you do? So, as a global as a Global Inclusion, belonging and diversity manager at Newman, I manage are starting to manage our communication in our partnership with the International organizations at lumen. So we have our APAC, India, EMEA. All of those organizations have what we call employee resource groups. And so the thread of that, or the holder of the thread of all of our employee resource groups, comes back to me. So I helped to oversee our disability, and abilities ERG, we have 11, employee resource groups help to see our black professionals ERG, we have a number of emojis that really help create more engagement, more of a safe space, but also just to help anyone feel included. And so that's a part of my role. But there's so many others, and I really just love it. Michael Hingson 52:50 How much influence do you have in getting the company when you discover something that maybe isn't right, from an inclusion standpoint, with one group or another? How much influence do you have in being able to change mindsets and change policy? Evan Walker 53:12 So actually, it's funny that you say that my boss is the chief diversity officer. So she brought all of us in to be curious, of new ideas, different diverse perspectives. And so with that, everything that I think about ideas, I'm not necessarily implementing all of them. Many of the ideas I have or perspectives or feedback related to I'm just gonna say policy, that does go back up to the C suite, just because my boss is the chief diverse diversity officer. So I often in leading taskforce related to changes in policies, how to get more employees engaged at all levels of the organization. And it all is exposed to senior leadership one way or another. So I would say it's pretty close. Pretty well, let me Michael Hingson 54:19 let me rephrase the question slightly. So maybe I should say how much does the chief diversity officer and the department have in the way of influence but let me give you an example. Let's say for example, someone and I will use disabilities here. Let's say a blind person comes along and says, I'm interested in being a part of your company or they get hired and they say, I need a screen reader software to be able to, to read what's on my computer screen because I can't read it otherwise. Or I go to these meetings and people are always handing out documentation at the beginning of the meetings, and then people read it and they discuss it, but nobody provides Is that in a form that I can use, much less provided in advance so that I really have access to it and can become familiar with it before the meeting, which really is the way we ought to handle documentation in general. But so someone comes to you and says, I got this problem. What? And I've gone to my boss, I tell you, and my boss has said, well, that's just the way it is, we're not going to do anything about it. That's clearly discriminatory and non inclusive. How do you deal with that? Evan Walker 55:36 Absolutely. So I would say, my boss would definitely be involved. So if that employee came in email, me or my boss, it would definitely get raised to the leadership level, depending on what the what the request is. In that scenario, I would say, that's absolutely discriminatory. And we do accommodate. We are inclusive of everyone, regardless of nationality, disability, ability, race, ethnicity, religion, all of those all of those inventions. And so it would be a dress, it would be listened to, and we make the accommodation or change needed, do we? Yeah, I'll leave it at that. Michael Hingson 56:27 Yeah. It's, it's an interesting conundrum. Because it all comes down to what people consider priorities and the cost of doing business. So for example, something that a number of us face regularly is we go into meetings, documentation is handed out papers. And they're referred to constantly during the meeting, but nobody makes them available for me to be able to access them. The other part about it is, which really is I think, the more interesting aspect of it, is that all too often we hand out documentation at meetings for people to read and the excuses. Well, we got to wait till the last minute to get the most current data. And the answer is do you really, rather than saying, we're going to provide the documentation in advance, so you should come prepared to discuss it. So at the meeting, you really discuss not spend half of your meeting or a good portion of your meeting, just preparing by reading it. And if you then do it in advance, it's a lot easier to make the documentation or the information accessible in a form that's usable. But getting people to change that mindset is really hard. But really, it ought to be part of the cost of doing business to make sure that true inclusion takes place. And it is so often a difficult thing to get people to change their mindset to do that, which is what prompted the question. Evan Walker 57:53 You're right. Yeah, the mindset change is is difficult, I think at any company specific, typically,around arounds. This this topic in a time of transformation, a time in society where the economy is very uncertain. The times that we're living in, and if you don't have those infrastructure, those systems in place already to support the mindset shift. That makes it even more difficult. I think the way lumen has been committed to inclusion for many, many years, has helped where we are moving forward in our journey. We also have a new CEO, who is from Microsoft spin all over the news and LinkedIn, and she's just wonderful. So she's also very committed to inclusion and diversity. And I think we're on a great, a great trajectory, a great path. But it's not easy for anyone to change those minds. Yeah. But you do have to meet people where they are. So Michael Hingson 59:10 you know, you absolutely do and it is a process. It's a learning process. It's a growing process on all sides. Well, I will tell you, this has been absolutely fun. And we've been doing this for about an hour now. Can you believe it? And so I think what we'll do is we will go ahead and stop but I want to get you back on in the future because I'd love to hear how your your journey and your adventure goes. And hear more about the experiences that you have at lumen and whatever you do, because your whole adventure now dealing with inclusion and diversity and so on is a worthwhile one to continue to discuss. Thank you Evan Walker 59:55 so much, Michael. This has been fun for me as well. I've really ever You're told this story at length, except for into family and friends. So it's been nice. Getting some of these these points out and also going down memory lane, I appreciate you taking me down that too. Michael Hingson 1:00:15 Well, thank you for for doing it and being willing to go down memory lane. And I want to thank you for listening. And I hope that you enjoyed this. Heaven has done a great job of giving us a lot of insights and a lot of useful information. I hope you found it interesting and that you enjoyed the podcast episode today, please give us a five star rating wherever you are. And wherever you're listening to this with whatever system, we would appreciate it. If you'd like to reach out, Evan, if people want to reach out to you, is there a way they can do that? Evan Walker 1:00:50 Yeah, people can just reach out to me on LinkedIn. So Evan, Robert Brown Walker, my name, just type that in on LinkedIn, you're welcome to connect with me send me a message. Also you have questions about actually going abroad and living abroad. There are a number of resources. Michael, I'm going to share those with you. Please, you know, we can we can share as far as links like the Council on International Education Exchange, and their website called transition transition abroad. For research. Michael Hingson 1:01:25 The blog articles that you wrote when you were in Korea, are they available to the public anywhere? That would be a fun series of links are linked to those blogs to Evan Walker 1:01:35 know. Yeah, I It's funny, I was looking, I want to say two or three years ago, and they totally redid their site. I will check with one of their directors. But those blogs I think have since since gone. Yeah. Michael Hingson 1:01:52 Gone to the big recycle bin in the sky. They Evan Walker 1:01:56 recycle then. Yeah, they've been replaced. There's now new bloggers? Well, it's Michael Hingson 1:02:01 fair to Well, again, we appreciate it. And for all of you reach out to Evan, he would love to hear from you, obviously and I would like to hear your comments as well. So feel free to email me at Michaelhi at accessibe A C C E S S I B E.com or visit our podcast page at WWW dot Michael hingson H i n g s o n.com/podcast. We'd love to hear from you. And of course those ratings are greatly appreciated. Love to get your thoughts. And if you have people in mind or think of people who you think we ought to have an unstoppable mindset and Evan you as well. Whether it's other people at Lumen or elsewhere, we'd love to hear from you and always are looking for podcast guests who can come on and tell stories. So we'd appreciate you letting us know about those people as well and giving us introductions. Evan Walker 1:02:56 Absolutely. Michael Hingson 1:02:58 Well, thank you one last time for being here. We really appreciate you doing this. And I expect to have you back on and we can hear about more adventures. Evan Walker 1:03:08 Oh, thank you, Michael. Pleasure, meeting you as well. And thank you again for the opportunity. Look forward to next time. Michael Hingson 1:03:20 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com. accessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Last time we spoke about the Gapsin Coup. Li Hongzhang snipped the bud of war before it could bloom after the Imo uprising and the Daewongun stole back power in Korea. The Daewongun was spanked and sent into exile yet again, but now Korea had become greatly factionalized. The progressives and conservatives were fighting bitterly to set Korea on a Japanese or Chinese path to modernization. This led radicals like Kim Ok-kyun to perform the Gapsin coup which was terribly planned and failed spectacularly. Japan and China were yet again tossed into a conflict in Korea, but China firmly won the day for she had more forces to bear. Japan licked her wounds and went home, learning a bitter lesson. That lesson was: next time bring more friends to the party.   #48 This episode is the Assasination of Kim Ok-kyun & the Donghak Rebellion   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War.   Now despite the Gapsin coup, Japan and China still tried to cooperate against the west. But Japan was learning much from the outside world, particularly by the actions of imperialistic nations. Britain had begun large scale operations in Shanghai, developing the international settlement there. King Leopold of belgium established the Congo Free state of 1862, and likewise France and Britain were also establishing colonies all over Africa. The Dutch held Java, but then they invaded Aceh in Sumatra in 1873 and other parts of Indonesia after that. The Russians were taking large swathes of land including Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, parts of the Sakhalin, even territory close to Korea in the region of Priamur. Once the ports of Wonsan and Inchon were opened up, Japanese manufactured goods began to pour in. By 1893 91 percent of imports into Korea would be from Japan while 8 percent would be from China. While China tried to keep Japan out, the Meiji restoration had created an industrial powerhouse that made goods, and China had not managed this herself. Of Korea, 49 percent went to China and 50 percent went to Japan. In the eyes of Koreans, even though she was not formally a colony of Japan, the way the Japanese were behaving looked imperialistic.  Now in 1886 the Beiyang Fleet was responsible for protecting China's northern coastline and she would make a fateful call to Nagasaki. The purpose of this call was to show off her 4 new modern battleships she had purchased from Germany, the Dingyuan, Zhenyuan, Jiyuan and Weiyuan. These ships were far larger than anything Japan had at the time, a large reason because Japan was following the Jeune Ecole naval strategy. This strategy was developed by France basically to combat the British royal navy. It emphasized using small rapid assault craft, cruisers and destroyers to thwart the might of capital ships like battleships. For my fellow world of warship players, the idea was simple, instead of slamming money into large battleships to fight other large battleships, the French began to experiment more with the capability of torpedo technology. With faster, smaller ships, the French thought they could be used more like raiders, to attack the enemy and cripple them. The Jeune ecole doctrine also sought to use strongly armed fast ships, thus its kind of a glass cannon situation. Anyways the implicit message from China was to show Japan how foolish they would be to go to war with her. On August 13th, 500 Chinese sailors took a shore leave in Nagasaki and they went to the local red-light district. As you can imagine, one thing led to another and some altercations began with the locals. The locals claimed the Chinese sailors got drunk and starting causing havoc, regardless the Chinese sailors began fighting some Japanese cops apparently using swords they bought at some stores. One source I found says over 80 people died during this which is pretty nuts. The next day a conference was held by the governor of Nagasaki, Kusaka Yoshio and the Qing consulate Xuan Cai which led to an agreement the Beiyang navy would prohibit their men from going ashore for a day. Then on August 15th at 1pm, 300 Chinese sailors went ashore, some wielding clubs apparently and they attacked 3 police officers killing one. A rickshaw saw the conflict and tried to punch a CHinese sailor, and this all snowballed into a riot. More cops showed up, more fighting, and this led to the deaths of 2 more cops, 3 sailors and more than 50 wounded. It was a real shit show, and the Qing decided not to apologize for the ordeal. In fact the Qing made demands to the Japanese government that from then on Japanese cops would not prohibit Chinese from wielding swords and forced the Japanese to make a large sum of reparation payments.  Now aside from the drunken debauchery, which in the grand scheme of things was not much of a deal, the real deal was the Japanese reaction to the Beiyang fleet. When the Japanese saw the Dingyuan, they basically went 100% in on the Jeune D'ecole doctrine to counter it. They IJN immediately decided to construct 3 large cruisers with firepower identical to the Dingyuan, basically this meant they were making battleship killers. While Japan was aggressively modernizing and pouring a ton of money into their navy by the late 1880s, in China the reconstruction of the summer palace was taking enormous sums of funding. The marble boat pavilion, as I mentioned, was taking funds intended for the Beiyang fleet thanks to empress dowager Cixi and thus no major investments would be made for the Qing navy in the last 1880's and early 1890s. To give more of an idea, 1/10th of the salaries of for civil officials and military officers in Japan was being deducted to add additional funding for the construction of naval ships and purchase of arms, Japan was not messing around. Now something that often goes more unnoticed is Japan's early efforts at gaining intelligence on China. Despite the Sino-Japanese relations falling apart because of the Korea situation, trade between China and Japan was growing in the 1880s. Japanese businessmen expected trade with China to only increase and in preparation for the expansion they began collecting information of Chinese market opportunities. But for those who know a bit about Meiji era Japan, the Zaibatsu driven system meant private business went hand in hand with the government of Japan and this led the Japanese government to ask the businessmen to look at other things in China. What sort of things, military installations, military dockyards, everything military. In 1879 Katsura Taro took a trip to China with 10 Japanese observers to survey Chinese military facilities. He would publish a book describing Chinese military bases, weapons and organization in 1881 and that book would be revised in 1882 and 1889. By the time of 1894, the Japanese military had access to detailed information about China's geography, her economy, her railways, roads, ports, installations, the whole shebang, thanks to Japanese journalists and businessmen. Of course amongst all of these were full blown Japanese spies, but for the most part China did not do enough due diligence to hide its military capabilities. Rather ironically, the Japanese businessmen who opposed military actions and just wanted to help develop China contributed a lot of information that would hurt China. On the other side of the coin, chinese reports about Japan were a complete 180. China's consul general in Nagasaki wrote reports on the ships coming and going within Nagasaki harbor. Alongside him, the Chinese ambassador to Tokyo, Li Shuchang who served from 1881-1884 and 1887-1890 sent some warnings about developments in Korea. Other than those two, Japan attracted virtually no interest from Beijing. Just before the war would break out in 1894, the Chinese ambassador to Tokyo Wang Fengcao, reported to Beijing that the Japanese were so obsessed with internal politics they were unlikely to be active externally. I think its interesting to point out, while Japan was indeed building up its IJA/IJN, she never stopped pointing that gun at Russia. China and Japan right up to the conflict we will be talking about had its tensions, its conflicts, its escalations, but they never gave up the chance at cooperation against the west. Take a legendary figure like Yamagata Aritomo, who led the development of the IJA and was the head of the Japanese privy council. In 1893 he publicly stated Japan should cooperate with China against their main enemies, Russia, France and Britain. Despite all the tensions in Korea, vast amounts of Japanese and Chinese scholars who studied the causes of the first sino-japanese war, came to agree it would not have occurred if not for two key events. The first one is a assassination and the second is a rebellion. In early 1894, Kim Ok-kyun was invited to visit Li Hongzhang in Shanghai. After living nearly a decade in fear of assassination, he accepted the invitation, perhaps believing this was his only chance to reclaim normality in his life. Well unbeknownst to him another Korean acquaintance of his named Hong Jong-u had actually gone to Japan in 1893 trying to hunt him down and he found out about the voyage. A source claims Hong Jong-u was working for King Gojong and went to Japan befriending him, while trying to lure him back over to Shanghai. Regardless Hong Jong-u got aboard and murdered Kim Ok-gyun by shooting him on March the 27th. Hong Jong-u was arrested by British authorities in Shanghai for his crime, but in accordance with their treaty obligations they surrendered the assassin over to Qing authorities for trial. The Qing instead freed him, whereupon he became quite the celebrity for his actions. Hong Jong-u would return to Korea and would be appointed to a high office position, giving credence to the theory he was working for King Gojong the entire time. When Kim Ok-kyun's body arrived to Korea it was shrouded in some cloth bearing the inscription “Ok-kyun, arch rebel and heretic”. On april 14th, King Gojong ordered the body decapitated, so the head could be displayed in Seoul while 8 other body parts would be sent to each of Korea's 8 provinces to be showcased likewise. His severed body parts were showcased in various cities in Korea to display what happens to those who commit treason. Kim Ok'kyun's father was hanged and his brother, wife and daughter were all imprisoned. Under Korean practice at this time it was common practice for the family of the guilty to be punished as well, that's some hardcore stuff there folks. The wife and daughter would become slaves to the governmental offices, a standard punishment for the female household members of rebels. It was during this time one of Kim Ok-kyun's traveling companions, a Chinese linguist for the legation in Tokyo claimed to reporters that Kim Ok-kyun had come to Shanghai by invitation from Lord Li Jingfang, the former minister at Tokyo and adopted son of Li Hongzhang.    The Japanese public was outraged. Japanese newspapers interpreted all of this to mean Viceroy Li Hongzhang had planned the whole thing. It was also alleged Li Hongzhang had sent a congratulatory telegram to the Korean government for the assassination. Many others pointed towards King Gojong since the assassin claimed to be under direct orders from the king. Kim Ok-kyun had been a guest in Japan and the Qing authorities had seemingly done nothing to protect him and made no attempt to bring the assassin to justice. The Qing had likewise handed over the corpse, knowing full well what the Koreans would do to it, as was their custom for treason. From the Japanese point of view, the Qing had gone out of their way to insult the Japanese in every possible manner. From the Chinese point of view, Kim Ok-kyun had committed high treason and deserved his fate.  Fukuzawa Yukichi led a funeral ceremony held in Tokyo at Aoyama Cemetery for Kim Ok-kyun. He had taught the man, and spoke in his honor reflecting Japan's respect for his efforts to modernize Korea. The Japanese press began to fill with public calls for a strong national response. The Chinese reaction during this time period reflected their deep-seated prejudices concerning the Japanese. Even with official communications, the Qing routinely referred to the Japanese as ‘Woren” which is a racist term meaning Japanese Dwarf basically. Wo is the word for dwarf, and the link to the Japanese was a racial term emerged during the times the Japanese were pirating the waters around China's coast, the “wokou”. By the way do not use this word today to refer to Japanese haha. During the upcoming war a Qing official expressed these types of racial attitudes, that this quote for example "It took them 48,000 years before they made contact with China, while in 3,600 years they still have not accepted our celestial calendar...illegitimately assuming the reign title of Meiji (Enlightened Rule), they in reality abandon themselves all the more to debauchery and indolence. Falsely calling their new administration a 'reformation' they only defile themselves so much the more." One Captain William M Lang, a British officer who helped train the Beiyang Squadron of the Qing fleet from 1881 to 1890 had noted this about the Chinese and Japanese. "treated Japan with the utmost contempt, and Japan, for her part, has the same feeling towards China." One German military advisor in China said “The Chinese looked upon Japan as a traitor towards Asia”. Thus before the war broke out, the Chinese for the most part considered the Japanese to be another inferior neighboring people, below the status of a tributary since Japan had severed that link to China. The more tense the situation got between the two nations saw the Chinese viewing the Japanese with more contempt. They would ridicule the Japanese for the communal bathing habits, the attire of their women and the way they imitated western culture. The Japanese as you might guess resented this a lot.  In 1891 Alexander III issued a special imperial rescript announcing Russia's intention to build a trans-siberian railway. From the Japanese point of view, this amounted to a foreign policy manifesto equivalent to the monroe doctrine of the united states. Just as America had kicked out all other powers from the Americas, so to it seemed Russia would do the same with the Asian mainland. For the great Meiji leadership of Japan, it looked like Russia would seize control over Korea and thwart Japan's dreams of empire and the ever coveted status of a great power that came with it. Once the trans-siberian railway was announced the Japanese knew they had roughly a decade to resolve the Korea situation before the balance of power would be irrevocably changed and the door would be shut upon them. Yet as bad as the situation was for Japan it was even worse for China. The trans-siberian railway would allow the Russians to deploy troops along the Chinese border in areas that would prove difficult for the Chinese to do the same as they did not have a major railway. On top of this Japan was pursuing an increasingly aggressive foreign policy focused on the Korean peninsula. Qing strategists had long considered Korea a essential buffer for their defenses. With the Russians pushing from the west and the Japanese from the east, Li Hongzhang was hard pressed to take a more aggressive stance in Korea. Now as I said, two major reasons were attributed to the outbreak of the first sino-japanese war, the first being the assassination of Kim Ok-kyun, the second is known as the Tonghak rebellion. I can't go to far into the rabbit hole, but the Tonghak movement began around 1860 as a sort of religion, emphasizing salvation and providing rituals to achieve this. It was much akin to the Taiping Rebellion, a sect that was deeply upset with a corrupt government. It was formed by a poor member of the Yangban class whose father had been a local village scholar and it was largely created to give hope to the poor class. It had some roman catholicism and western learning associated with it, again very much like the Taiping. The peasantry class of Korea found this sect very appealing and the Tonghak influence was particularly strong in Cholla province, the breadbasket of Korea. Members of the sect were angry that corrupt Joseon officials in Seoul were imposing high taxes on them. The leaders of the sect were all poor peasants who, because of their inability to pay their taxes, had either lost their land or were about to lose their land. Their leader was Choe Jeu who described the founding of the Tonghak religion as such  “By 1860, I heard rumours that the people of the West worship God, and caring not for wealth, conquer the world, building temples and spreading their faith. I was wondering whether I, too, could do such a thing. On an April day, my mind was unnerved and my body trembled... Suddenly a voice could be heard. I rose and asked who he was. "Do not fear nor be scared! The people of the world call me Hanulnim. How do you not know me?" Said Hanul. I asked the reason he had appeared to me. "...I made you in this world so that you could teach my holy word to the people. Do not doubt my word!" Hanulnim replied. "Do you seek to teach the people with Christianity?" I asked again. "No. I have a magical talisman... use this talisman and save the people from disease, and use this book to teach the people to venerate me!" The Joseon Dynasty quickly banned the religion and executed its leader in 1864 for “tricking and lying to the foolish people”.  Regardless the tonghak spread across Gyeongsang province by the 1870's under new leadership. However in the 1870's the rice agriculture in Korea had become increasingly commercialized as Japanese merchants bought more and more of it to ship back to Japan. Korea was not producing enough to meet the needs of its own population as a result. Japanese merchants would begin to lend money to local Korean peasants and when the peasants could not repay the funds, the rice merchants confiscated their land. This obviously was seen as dishonest and exploitative, as it was and the Tonghak gradually became very anti-Japanese. The Tonghaks performed a series of lesser rebellions against excessive taxation. There were revolts in 1885, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892 and 1893. By the 1890's the Donhak's began a petition to overturn the 1863 execution of Choe Jeu, to stop the ban on them, to expel all western missionaries and merchants and to kill corrupt officials, a tall order. So yeah King Gojong did not want to give in to such reasonable petitions and told them “go to your home, If you do, I may grant your plea”. A lot of the Tonghak wanted to march on Seoul, and they began threatening westerners and Japanese. Soon a group of over 80,000 Donghak believers led by a southern leader named Jeon Bongjun began marching with flags stating “expel westerners and Japanese”. Now this is a really confusing a large scale event, one of if not the biggest rebellion in Korean history. One thing to focus on though is that a particularly oppressive county magistrate named Jo Byeonggap in Northern Cholla, seemed to have provided the “straw that broke the camel's back”. The magistrate had forced young men to work on a water reservoir and then charged them and their families for use of the water. He overly taxed, fined peasants for dubious crimes including infidelity, lack of harmony, adultery and needless talents, no idea how that last one works out. He also sent spoiled rice sacks to Seoul while keeping unspoiled sacks from himself. Basically this guy was an embezzling scumbag, by today's standards we would refer to him as a member of the US congress.  By march 22nd tens of thousands of Tonghak rebels destroyed the new reservoir, burnt down the governmental offices and some storage facilities in northern Cholla. They then occupied Taein by April 1st, and a few days later Buan. The local Joseon government sent commander Yi Yeonghyo with 700 soldiers and 600 merchants to quell the rebellion only to be lured into an ambush at the Hwangto pass. Many of the troops were killed, some deserted and the Tonghak rebellion spread further north. King Gojong panicked, because news spread the rebels were being joined not only by countryside peasants but by many of his soldiers! Worried that the Joseon military would not be able to quell the rebellion King Gojong called upon his Qing allies to send reinforcements.  Now there are two narratives that come into play. The first involved the Qing responding quickly, on June the 7th following the Tianjin treaty's requirements that if one country sent troops to Korea the other had to be notified, they informed Japan they were sending 2000 troops to Inchon. The Japanese leaders, having bitterly remembered what occurred the last time they sent a smaller force into Korea did not make the same mistake this time. Within just hours of receiving the notification they dispatched 8000 troops to Korea and notified China of this. The other narrative has it that on june 2nd the Japanese cabinet decided to deploy troops to Korea should China do so. On june the 3rd, King Gojong under advice of Empress Min and Yuan Shikai requested the Qing aid. In doing so he gave Japan the rationale to deploy their own troops. On June 5th the first Imperial headquarters was established and the next day the ministeries of the IJA and IJN instructed the Japanese press to not print any information concerning warlike operations. China notified Japan on june th of their deployments, and within hours the Japanese sent their notifications for the same. There is evidence many Japanese leaders accused China of not sending the notification thus breaching the treaty of Tianjin, but it seems highly likely they did send the notification. Regardless what is a fact is that Japan had already been pre planning its deployment during the end of May, thus it all seemed a likely rationale to start a conflict. This conflict would change the balance of power in asia, and begin a feud between two nations that still burns strongly to this very day. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The endless conflicts between China, Japan and little Korea had finally sprung a large scale war, one that would change the balance of power in the east forever. Little brother was going to fight big brother.  

This week we're off to Korea with 1981's Inchon, with a production infinitely more interesting than the film. Also on this episode: the return of an old friend, a number of opportunities for Kyle to speak about Casino Royale and a discussion of some of the omissions from 2002. Music by Bruce Charles --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/watchingworst/support

Last time we spoke about the modernization efforts of Big Brother and Little Brother, aka China and Japan. Both nations went about the process of modernization in vastly different ways. Japan began its Meiji restoration, an incredible hyper modernization process done  to thwart colonization by western powers. Yet China was hampered by hardline conservatives like Empress Dowager Cixi who sought instead  to restore the Qing Dynasty's symbolic grandeur over technological innovations such as railways. China's greatest leaders like Zuo Zongtang, Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang did all they could to usher in some form of modernization.  Li Hongzhang emerged as the champion of modernization efforts for China, but he kept butting heads with stubborn conservatives wishing instead to reclaim the Qing's former symbolic glory.. It would not only be the conservatives in China he would have to face, for the Empire of the Rising Sun was growing, and forcing China into the shade. #37 This episode is China & Japan & the Hermit Kingdom    Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In the early 1860's, before Emperor Meiji took to the throne, the Japanese sought to establish diplomatic relations with China. The Japanese regarded China as an enormous nation that could provide markets for their merchants, but more importantly, China could cooperate with Japan in the face of Western challenges. Who better to help thwart off the west, than Big Brother? In October of 1870, the Japanese official Date Munenari went to Tianjin to meet Li Hongzhang to see if they could open formal diplomatic relations. Li Hongzhang believed in the value of establishing relations with Japan and the importance for China to modernize and self-strengthen. Li Hongzhang admired Japan for preventing westerners from invading their nation and limiting the activities of westerners within her borders. The meeting was a cordial one, both sides saw common interest in working together to resist the west. In 1871 on September 13th, Li Hongzhang and Date Munenari signed the Friendship and Trade Treaty, the first diplomatic document between China and Japan in modern history. Li Hongzhang agreed that the two nations would not launch aggression against another and that if either nation were involved in a conflict with an outside power the other would come to their assistance. It sounded a lot like Pan-Asia unity was atleast on its way, but before the treaty could be ratified the Japanese tried to eliminate the clause to provide assistance and added a new clause, that Japan would be given most favored nation, thus giving Japan the same rights that the western nations had forced upon China, yes it was an unequal treaty clause. As you can imagine Li Hongzhang was greatly annoyed by this and delayed the ratification to try and get the Japanese to back down. By May of 1873 the Japanese yielded, accepting the mutual assistance clause and abandoned the most favored nation clause. Leaders of China and Japan than expressed that their nations shared common culture and were a common race “Tongwen, Tongzu - Dobun, Doshu” and thus they shared an interest in working together to respond to the threat of the west. When this treaty was signed, the Iwakura mission had not yet returned to Japan, but Emperor Meiji had assigned Japans foreign minister, Soejima Taneoimi to go to China to learn about her position on the issue of the Ryukyus and Taiwan. Japan had interests in them and knew this would lead to conflict with the Qing. Soejima was an expert on the Chinese classics and skilled at Chinese poetry. Thus when he went over and the Chinese hosts began to make it clear Japan was in a supplicant relationship with China because she held the Chinese emperor, Soejima used his knowledge to wedge Japan into a special position. He came to Tianjin and met with Li Hongzhang. Famously when they met, Li Hongzhang was in traditional clothing, while Soejima was in western attire and Li criticized him for this. Soejima then went to Beijing and waited several days trying to get an audience with high level Qing officials. The Qing were greatly angered by Japanese attempt to get most favored nation status in the treaty. Thus they were really trying to hammer in that Japan was the supplicant to China. Soejima was upset at the condescension with which he was treated. He quoted the Duke of Zhou stating to the Qing “If you treat [foreigners] as barbarians, they will be just that, but if you treat them as true gentlemen, they will indeed become true gentlemen.” Soejima was the first Japanese person in modern times to meet the Qing emperor. Prince Gong greeted him and told Soejima he would not have to kowtow before the emperor. The kowtow issue had actually been resolved because Western diplomats had made too many problems of it, by proxy Japan would not have to either. The Qing made an effort to show respect to Soejima by seeing him before other foreign diplomats and allowed him to bow just 3 times. Soejima was wine and dined by Li Hongzhang in Tianjin later, it was extremely cordial and there was goodwill between the men. Soejima's experience in China had him returning to Japan confident that China would not stop Japan from expanding her trading activities in the Ryukyus and China. Japan then prepared a legation staff to China and established a formal diplomatic office in Beijing with Mori Arinori as the ambassador. Li Hongzhang advocated that Beijing should establish a legation in Japan, arguing that if China had had a legation there they could have prevented Japan from attacking Taiwan in 1874. China's legation staff would arrive in Tokyo in december of 1877, again slow to the mark. Li Hongzhang was cautious about Japanese intentions now and in 1876 met with Mori Arinori. They shared concerns over Russian advances and Li Hongzhang suggested to Mori Arinori that their nations should cooperate on matters in Korea.  Japan was focusing efforts to strengthen its northern island against possible Russian threats. They viewed Sakhalin, Manchuria and Korea to be regions of national security concern. While Japan worried about Russia encroaching on Hokkaido from the sea, China worried about Russia encroaching on its northeast region. Although the trans-siberian railway only began construction in 1891 their efforts to settle people across Siberia in preparation for its construction began much earlier. The Qing had not allowed non Manchu people to reside in their homeland of Manchuria since conquering the Ming dynasty centuries before. To strengthen resistance against Russia, in 1878 the Qing changed their immigration policy to allow and even encourage non-Manchu to come to Manchuria. Within a few years many migrants came from various parts of China to settle in Manchuria. Japan likewise was sending settlers to develop Hokkaido, but unlike Japan, the Qing had no real development plans to modernize manchuria.  Soon after Hokkaido began being developed the Japanese next move was to gain control over the Ryukyu islands south of Japan's 4 main islands. This would be the first real tension between Japan and China. From 1862 to the mid 1870s Japan had concentrated on defense and thus things revolved around her 4 main islands. After the mid 1870s however, Japan gained in strength and began to expand their defensive perimeter. The Ryukyu, in Chinese “the Liuqui Kingdom” was led by indigenous peoples who oversaw the small islands stretching between Kyushu and Taiwan. The Ryukyu kingdom tried to fight for its independence by showing good will to both China and Japan and this brought Qing and Tokugawa presence. The Ryukyu kingdom maintained Chinese and Japanese emissaries who came regularly, but never at the same time. The Ryukyu kingdom paid tribute to China and traded with her, thus was influenced heavily by her. However culturally the Ryukyu were closer to Japan and Satsuma domain in particular had a large influence on her.  From 1871 to 1874, Japan used a shipwreck incident involving some Ryukyu fisherman off the coast of Taiwan to strengthen her rights to govern the Ryukyu islands. In 1871 Ryukyu fisherman in 4 small boats got stuck in a typhoon sinking 1, shipwrecking 2 and 1 remained afloat. The survivors made their way ashore on Taiwan where 44 of them were killed by Taiwanese aboriginals. 12 fisherman survived and escaped aboard their last boat back to the Ryukyus. At this time Taiwan was under the control of Fujian province and the Japanese government demanded China compensate the fisherman. This inherently was also the Japanese government claiming the Ryukyu islands to belong to them. For two years the issue went unresolved and in 1874 Japan launched a punitive expedition led by Saigo Tsugumichi, the brother to the famous last Samurai Saigo Takamori. If you are interested in the story of Saigo by the way over at the Pacific War channel I have an episode dedicated to the Satsuma Rebellion, what inspired the film the Last Samurai, though that movie is sort of a mix between the Boshin War and the Satsuma rebellion, still good movie just not historically accurate. Well the Qing officials explained to the Japanese that the Taiwanese were not technically under Qing control and that the Ryukyu islands were actually under Qing jurisdiction. The Japanese expeditionary forces remained on Taiwan, intentionally to intimidate China.  Soejima and the official Okubo Toshimichi went to China to discuss the issue and under pressure the Qing officials agreed to pay compensation to Japan for the Ryukyu sailors, but later stated they were unaware the payment would also provide Japan with support for her claim over the Ryukyu islands. Li Hongzhang was livid over this betrayal and stated that while the Europeans were at least honest in their negotiations, the Japanese were duplicitous. By the mid 1870's the Japanese and Chinese militaries both increased their presence in the Ryukyus. Then in 1879 during the process of abolishing the old feudal domains to replace them with prefectures, Japan officially recognized the Ryukyu islands as the prefecture we know today as Okinawa. Japan followed this up by ordering Okinawa to stop sending tribute to China. Now Li Hongzhang had supported relations with Japan, even with their incursions in Taiwan in 1874 and their swindle of treaty deals, but in 1880 China refused Japan's official proposal concerning the Ryukyus. China however did not follow this up militarily. The problems between China and Japan would only worsen and it would be Korea stuck in the middle. Japan's interests in Korea were both for security and economic. Of all the territories near Japan, Korea was the most significant strategic area. She was in the vortex of Russia, China and Japan. Korea had also been the crux of two military clashes between Japan and China in 661-663 and 1592-1598. Alongside that Korea had been the staging area for the failed Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274-1281. The German military adviser to Japan, Major Jacob Meckle stated that Korea was “a dagger thrust at the heart of Japan” and this had a profound effect on Japanese strategists. Japan was concerned other nations, like Russia, would use Korea as a base from which to attack Japan. Yet if Japan could establish a military presence on the peninsula, well that would prevent this from ever occurring.  Historically Japan had dealt with Korea, better called the Joseon dynasty through the Tsushima islands and Pusan island. Both Korea and Japan took up isolationist policies and much like Nagisaki acted as Japan's open port for so long, Korea kept Pusan as its open port. During the Sakoku period, Japan gave the Tsushima domain the responsibility of dealing with Korea. There had always been limited trade between the two nations, but things certainly changed after Japan kicked off its Meiji restoration. Japan had looked to nations like Britain as an example of how to build a strong economy. This led Japanese officials to seek a relationship like Britain had when it came to economic activity. To manufacture products, sell it to its colonies and build up its own economy. Their idea for this was to import soybeans and wheat from Korea and sell Korea industrial products. Initially Japan's only major export was raw silk, so they decided to try exporting silk textiles. In late 1869 a Japanese representative from Tsushima was sent to Pusan to announce Japan was to have a new emperor, standard stuff. What was not standard however was in the letter sent to the Koreans the term for the Japanese emperor used the Ko character rather than Taikun. The Ko character was used to refer to the Qing emperor, implying the Joseon Dynasty's emperor was inferior. By using the Ko character for the Japanese emperor, Japan was trying to establish the same relationship. And so the Korean officials refused to receive the new representative and his mission as a result. The Koreans wanted to remain in the sinocentric world as tributaries to the Qing. This fiasco led to the legendary Seikanron debates, in which Saigo Takamori argued Japan should perform a punitive expedition against Korea, again if you want to hear more about that hilarious tale check out my Satsuma Rebellion episode on the Pacific War channel. Long story short, the Japanese leadership knew they were not yet strong enough to embark on such a venture so they blocked Saigo's motion. Now Japan did not simply give up on the Korean situation, they kept trying to send envoys to force Korea to recognize the equality between Japan and China. In the meantime in 1875, the steam gunboat Un'yo under the command of Inoue Yoshika was dispatched to survey the Korean coastal water. On the morning of September the 20th, Inoue put ashore a party on the island of Ganghwa to request water and provisions and here came a major conflict. Ganghwa had quite recently been the place of two major conflicts, a French expedition against Korea occurred in 1871 and an American expedition the same year. Thus the men manning the fortifications at Ganghwa were trigger happy with fresh memories of what foreign ships could do to them. When the Japanese came ashore, the Korean shore batteries fired upon the Un'yo.  The Japanese as you might imagine were really pissed off and they quickly dispatched 32 men, 10 marines, 19 sailors and 3 officers to attack Yeongjong fort. The men landed near the eastern gate of the fortress and immediately white coated Joseon defenders began firing their antiquated matchlocks and some arrows down upon the Japanese. A Japanese sailor was wounded by a matchlock ball and another was hit in the groin by an arrow. The Japanese pressed their attack climbing over a wall to open the gates as their marines rushed into the fort. The Un'yo fired its 6.3 in and 5.5 in deck guns to support the assault. The Koreans tried to flee through their western gate only to run into 6 Japanese sailors who ambushed them. Kawamura Kwanshu, a Japanese officer present had this to say "they clambered down the steep bank on the south-eastern side, and in hopes of escaping to the opposite island … they stripped off their clothes and plunged into the sea. Unfortunately, the tide was high and too deep to wade across. Many of them hesitated and  we fired on them without mercy ― 24 Koreans were killed on the rocks and many more drowned trying to swim to safety. Only six or seven were seen making it safely ashore on the distant island.” The commander of the fort, Yi Min-dok managed to escape as the Japanese plundered the fort which Kawamura tells us " We took 36 bronze cannons and a drum nearly 6 feet in diameter. In addition to this there were four drums three feet in diameter. Their trumpets were very like toy trumpets used by children in Japan. Their bows also were very like the Japanese. Their arrows were exactly like those in Japan. The swords were numerous, but they must have been bought in Japan. The guns were all matchlocks. Among the booty was a French book on gunnery translated into Chinese." Many Koreans were captured and they were forced to carry the plunder to the Un'yo as the Rising Sun flag was raised over the fort. The Japanese held the island awaiting a challenge from Korea, but none came. The next day the Un'yo returned to Japan leaving Yeongjong in ruins. The entire ordeal turned into an implicit threat to Korea, if they refused to recognize Japan's claim and open up relations Japan would use its military might.  Within Japan, the Korea incidents had gone hand in hand with the Satsuma rebellion of 1877 to push the Japanese public to support military action in Korea. The Meiji leadership were under pressure, but they hoped to avoid conflict by resolving such problems through diplomacy. Li Hongzhang perceived that if Japan were to invade Korea, this might provoke Russia to respond and thus China also wanted to resolve such issues through diplomacy. The Qing dynasty officially held suzerainty over the Joseon Dynasty, thus they held the right to approve Korea's foreign policy decisions but not to interfere with her domestic affairs. For centuries China held this right, but did not exercise it. Then in 1875, Mori Arinori was sent to Beijing seeking Qing support to open trade between Japan and Korea. Mori Arinori met with the Qing office for general management of affairs concerning the various countries, what a mouthful, known as the Zongli Yamen. The Zongli Yamen officials stated while Korea was a Chinese dependency, China still could not interfere with her domestic affairs and thus could not demand she open up trade with Japan. So the next year Mori Arinori met with Li Hongzhang over the issue and both men sought a peaceful agreement. Mori Arinori advocated for Korea to be treated under international law as a sovereign state. Now Ito Hirobumi the rising political leader of Japan during this time believed progress could not be made opening Korea up by working with the Qing. He urged his colleagues that Japan should work with Korea directly instead. Korea at this time was going through some major changes as well. The young Emperor Gojong turned 21 years old in 1873 and replaced his father Yi Ha-eung who was the Heungseon Daewongun, basically a regent ruling the dynasty. His father was a conservative with a very simple foreign policy it went like this according to the American Historian Bruce Cummings “no treaties, no trade, no catholics, no west and no Japan”. Yes the Daewongun liked his isolationist policy and he was not wrong about doing so. By keeping Korea as bottled up as possible he was able to keep the western powers arguably out for quite some time. However the problem with this was while keeping the west out you were also hindering chances at modernization and an industrial revolution. Korea was known as the Hermit Kingdom and while she tried her best to keep the world out, the world eventually would come crashing in.  When Gojong came into power in 1873, unlike his father he was much more willing to consider opening up and working with the Japanese. Now alongside Gojong was his wife, the famous Empress Myeongseong, also called Empress Min. She was born to the Yeoheung Min Clan in 1851. They were a noble clan who historically held high positions in the Joseon dynasty. She lost her father at age 7 and was raised by her mother and other Min relatives. When Gojong turned 15, his father sought a wife for him. He wanted someone with no close relatives so she could not harbor much political ambitions, but came from a noble lineage. He rejected many, until he found the orphaned Min who was beautiful and of ordinary level of education. She was married to Gojong and after Daewongun realized the empress had political ambitions. Daewongun had this to say of her “she was a woman of great determination and poise”, despite this he paid little mind to her and things moved on. Empress Min would quickly ruffle feathers so to speak. She showed herself to be very assertive and ambitious. She did not toss lavish parties for the nobles nor participated in the normal extravagant lifestyle, you know wine and dining, tea parties with the princes and princesses all that jazz you see in the Crown. No instead she spent a lot of her time self educating, reading books reserved for men. She studied history, science, politics, the works.  By the age of 20 she began trying to play an active role in politics in spite of the Daewongun and other officials trying to stop her. She then bore child prematurely who died 4 days after birth. This prompted the Daewongun to state publicly that she was unable to bear a healthy male child, which became quite a public scandal. Queen Min even suspected her father in law had slipped her ginseng to cause her pregnancy issues. Daewongun proceeded to push his son to conceive a child through a concubine called Yi Gwi-in and she soon gave birth to Prince Wanhwa. Daewongun quickly tossed the title of crown prince upon the child and it looked like the jig was up for Empress Min. However Empress Min secretly began to form a powerful faction against the Daewongun. The faction included high officials, scholars, members of the Min Clan and they made a move to remove the Daewongun from power. Empress Min's adoptive older brother, Min Seung-Ho along with the Joseon court scholar Choe Ik-Hyeon formally impeached the Daewongun arguing that Gojong, then age 22 should rule in his own right. The royal council agreed to this and Daewongun was forced to retire. The second he was out of the picture, Empress Min banished Yi Gwi-in and her child to a village outside the capital and stripped them of royal titles. The child also died on january 12th of 1880. Now Empress Min had control over the Joseon court and quickly appointed trusted family members in high court positions to assert her dominant role as Queen consort. So yeah she was a firebrand of a woman, a very interesting character, I do apologize my knowledge of Korean history is limited, but I do recommend if you are into Korean tv series there are quite a few on her like Empress Myeongseong from 2001. Now just a few months after the Un'yo incident, Japan sent an emissary to Korea to push a treaty. It was the exact same type of situation Japan faced when Commodore Matthew Perry's blackships, gunboat diplomacy. King Gojong signed what became known as the Ganghwa Treaty: this opened up 3 Korean ports to Japan, one at Pusan right away, one Wonsan in 1880 and another at Inchon and 1883. The treaty was an unequal treaty, very much in the same light as the ones forced upon Japan by western nations. The treaty had ended the Joseon dynasties tributary status under the Qing dynasty now she was an independent state. The Chinese were now suspecting Japan sought a presence on the peninsula and Li Hongzhang openly expressed fears that Japan might develop territorial ambitions on the mainland. The Chinese and Japanese continued talks about cooperation against the West, especially Russia, but they were also now quite wary of another. Now Korea was not idle during all of this and her officials sought a way to secure her. King Gojong sent a mission to Japan headed by Kim Hong-jip. Kim Hong-jip was presented a plan by a Chinese diplomat named Huang Zunxian there called “a strategy for Korea”. It warned that if Korea was threatened by an empire like Russia, Korea should maintain friendly relations with Japan, China and seek an alliance with the United States to counterweight Russia. Kim reported this to King Gojong who was impressed with the plan. Then in 1880 following the Chinese advice King Gojong established diplomatic ties with the US. Negotiations began between all the nations in Tianjin and the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and navigation was signed by Korea and the US. However during the negotiations, issues rose up. The Chinese insisted that Korea was not independent and still a dependency of China. America firmly opposed such a thing, stating the new treaty should build upon the Treaty of Ganghwa which stipulated Korea as an independent state. A compromise was made between China and the US stipulating that Korea held a special status as a tributary state of China. Now as of 1879, China had given Li Hongzhang responsibility for relations with Korea. Li Hongzhang urged Korean officials to adopt China's self-strengthening program to do the same for their nation in response to foreign threats. Korea after all had just opened herself to the world and now would pursue modernization under a doctrine known as tongdo sogi “eastern wars and western machines”. To modernize Korea would incorporate western technology while trying to preserve her culture, it was much alike to the Meiji restoration. In 1881 Korea established the T'ongni kimu amun “office for extraordinary affairs” modeled on the Qing administrative structures. That same year a mission was sent to Japan to see their modernized factories, military, and education system. Korea then hired a Japanese military attache, Lt Horimoto Reizo to help create a modern army for Korea. This led to the Pyolgigun “special skills force”, where around 100 men of Korea's aristocracy were given Japanese military training.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Trouble was brewing between the Qing dynasty and the Empire of the Rising Sun. It seemed the Hermit Kingdom of Korea was a continuous source of conflict for the two empires, and perhaps might drag them into a war that would change the balance of power in Asia forever

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. 1950 @Batchelorshow 1/4: Unfinished Christmas tragedy: 1/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story -- The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company Kindle Edition by  Patrick K. O'Donnell  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story-ebook/dp/B004BKJB9Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669241951&sr=1-1 After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house-to-house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle-modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. 1950 @Batchelorshow 2/4: Unfinished Christmas tragedy: 2/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story -- The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company Kindle Edition by  Patrick K. O'Donnell  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story-ebook/dp/B004BKJB9Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669241951&sr=1-1 After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house-to-house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle-modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. 1950 @Batchelorshow 3/4: Unfinished Christmas tragedy: 3/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story -- The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company Kindle Edition by  Patrick K. O'Donnell  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story-ebook/dp/B004BKJB9Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669241951&sr=1-1 After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house-to-house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle-modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. Korea War Memorial @Batchelorshow 4/4: Unfinished Christmas tragedy: 4/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story -- The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company Kindle Edition by  Patrick K. O'Donnell  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story-ebook/dp/B004BKJB9Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669241951&sr=1-1 After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house-to-house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle-modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 1/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story -- The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company Kindle Edition by  Patrick K. O'Donnell  (Author)  https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story-ebook/dp/B004BKJB9Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669241951&sr=1-1 This is the untold story of "Bloody George," a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men-a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood-were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house-to-house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle-modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 2/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story -- The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company Kindle Edition by  Patrick K. O'Donnell  (Author)  https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story-ebook/dp/B004BKJB9Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669241951&sr=1-1 This is the untold story of "Bloody George," a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men-a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood-were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house-to-house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle-modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. 1951 Chinese photo attacking an M46 Patton @Batchelorshow 3/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story -- The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company Kindle Edition by  Patrick K. O'Donnell  (Author)  https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story-ebook/dp/B004BKJB9Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669241951&sr=1-1 This is the untold story of "Bloody George," a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men-a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood-were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house-to-house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle-modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. 1950 @Batchelorshow 4/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story -- The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company Kindle Edition by  Patrick K. O'Donnell  (Author)  https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story-ebook/dp/B004BKJB9Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669241951&sr=1-1 This is the untold story of "Bloody George," a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men-a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood-were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house-to-house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle-modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 1/4: North Korea is a rogue nuclear weapon armed state: 1/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story—The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company,by Patrick K. O'Donnell.    https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story/dp/0306818019/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= After nearly four months of continuous and agonizing combat on the battlefields of Korea, such a simple request seemed impossible. For many men of George Company, or “Bloody George” as they were known—one of the Forgotten War's most decorated yet unrecognized companies—it was a wish that would not come true. This is the untold story of “Bloody George,” a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men—a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood—were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house to house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle—modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage. Thoroughly researched and vividly told, Give Me Tomorrow is fitting testament to the heroic deeds of George Company. They will never again be forgotten.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 2/4: North Korea is a rogue nuclear weapon armed state: 2/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story—The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company,by Patrick K. O'Donnell.    https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story/dp/0306818019/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= After nearly four months of continuous and agonizing combat on the battlefields of Korea, such a simple request seemed impossible. For many men of George Company, or “Bloody George” as they were known—one of the Forgotten War's most decorated yet unrecognized companies—it was a wish that would not come true. This is the untold story of “Bloody George,” a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men—a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood—were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house to house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle—modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage. Thoroughly researched and vividly told, Give Me Tomorrow is fitting testament to the heroic deeds of George Company. They will never again be forgotten.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 3/4: North Korea is a rogue nuclear weapon armed state: 3/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story—The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company,by Patrick K. O'Donnell.    https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story/dp/0306818019/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= After nearly four months of continuous and agonizing combat on the battlefields of Korea, such a simple request seemed impossible. For many men of George Company, or “Bloody George” as they were known—one of the Forgotten War's most decorated yet unrecognized companies—it was a wish that would not come true. This is the untold story of “Bloody George,” a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men—a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood—were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house to house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle—modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage. Thoroughly researched and vividly told, Give Me Tomorrow is fitting testament to the heroic deeds of George Company. They will never again be forgotten.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 4/4: North Korea is a rogue nuclear weapon armed state: 4/4: Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story—The Epic Stand of the Marines of George Company,by Patrick K. O'Donnell.    https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Tomorrow-Greatest-Story/dp/0306818019/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= After nearly four months of continuous and agonizing combat on the battlefields of Korea, such a simple request seemed impossible. For many men of George Company, or “Bloody George” as they were known—one of the Forgotten War's most decorated yet unrecognized companies—it was a wish that would not come true. This is the untold story of “Bloody George,” a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men—a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood—were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles. After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house to house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle—modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage. Thoroughly researched and vividly told, Give Me Tomorrow is fitting testament to the heroic deeds of George Company. They will never again be forgotten.

Ralph Gastelum grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and never experienced much of a winter before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. His first real winter would be spent in Korea in some of the most bitterly cold temperatures that American forces have ever experienced - at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea.In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Sgt. Gastelum, takes us along as he recalls the Inchon Landing. He also explains what urban combat was like in those early days and along the front lines in more rural areas. And he tells us how he survived at the Chosin Reservoir by playing dead as the Chinese attacked and how he later discovered which of his fellow Marines saved his life there.Finally, Gastelum talks about his return trip to Korea decades later and what impressed him most.

It is no secret that Douglas MacArthur's relationship with the US Navy and the USMC was complicated in WWII – but what about during the Korean War? The Korean War was a very different war – but just as in WWII, the USN and the USMC would play a major role in MacArthur's operations. In this latest episode, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams discuss some of those operations and the relationship between MacArthur and the USN and USMC. 

The Marine Corps grew to 485,000 Marines during the Second World War.  This was twenty-five times larger than it was in 1939.  This greatly expanded Corps attacked and captured Japanese held islands across the Central Pacific from 1942 until the war ended in 1945.  Each island landing brought the United States closer to invading the Japanese home islands.  One Marine that participated in the Pacific campaign was Eugene B. Sledge.  He was a mortarman with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines.  “With the Old Breed” tells Sledge's story of fighting through the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa.

I vårt mest debatterande avsnitt hittills så grälar vi om huruvida Douglas MacArthur var överskattad eller rakt av Conrad m/1941; en helt kritisk fråga för mänsklighetens fortlevnad som nu äntligen avgörs. I ena ringhörnan står Per som inleder med att ta heder och ära av Dogge genom att helt enkelt beskriva hans tidiga karriär, megalomana karaktär och "insatser" för att hålla Filippinerna 1941–1942. I andra ringhörnan står tråk-Mattis som typ håller med Per (ni hör, episk debatt mellan extrema ståndpunkter utlovas), men vill moderera bilden en smula genom att ta upp Hollandia- och Inchon-landningarna; operationer som varit omöjliga utan amerikanska resurser i ryggen, men ändå var rätt väl utförda.Dessutom: byfight i México, MacArthurs lakejer, MacArthurs skenande självbild, japanska sjömän med ett "färgstarkt" förflutet, MacArthurs mamma och mycket mer! Stötta oss på Patreon!Support till showen http://supporter.acast.com/krigshistoriepodden. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode we don Hawaiian shirts, sip coconut drinks, and review the 1953 movie from Here to Eternity. This movie was widely recommended to audiences who didn't enjoy the 2001 movie Pearl Harbor and features an iconic beach scene. From Here to Eternity was based on a novel written by James Jones in 1951. This movie stars Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster, and Montgomery Clift and was directed by Fred Zinneman. Today we honor Ralph A. Gastelum, for his service in the US Marine Corps during the Korean war. He participated in the Inchon landing, fought in the battle of Seoul, and battled during the spring offensive of 1951. We salute you and that you for your service. If you or someone you love have served in the armed forces of any nation, then we would like to honor them on this humble podcast! Just Tweet @NARwaronfilm Not A Robot's War on Film. We discuss all manner of War movies, their historical accuracy, how life is depicted on the screen, the movie itself, all while having some fun. Soldier up and come join us in Not A Robot's War On Film ! Hosted by a US Veteran! NARWarOnFilm@gmail.com NotARobotPodcasts.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/narwaronfilm/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/narwaronfilm/support

Welcome to the Eastern Front with Update 10 and if you're a commander, welcome to resource overload. Digishadow and Inchon answer four questions after a week of update 10: 1) What is the biggest change to the metagame 2) What is the biggest change at the individual player level (positive or negative) 3) The change you may not notice, but should 4) The change that left us most confused. Prior to this we discuss the newly issued and long awaited New Player Guide with Mosca. Get a behind the scene's look at the art and process of making the guide. We also dive into the DLC conversation and provide an update on competitive HLL.

HLL will leave Early Access on July 27th, 2021. Where does the game stand after the last 2 years in this period of development? To answer this Digishadow and Inchon (with assistance from the live chat) break down the first EA Road Map and their 15 goals, along with 5 of our own. Some topics receive some high marks, others... well not so much. The tier list ranking is available for you to make your own and share! Also we discuss our feedback from PTE#3 which tested new SMDM and Stalingrad. JohnnyGunner is back with a side by side lethality comparison of an M1 Garand vs a Carbine round. And back by popular demand, hero and zero segment.

From 1950 to 1953 America went to war in what has often been called "The Forgotten War" in Korea. It was one of the first real tests of the Cold War between the United States and the Communist World and it happened due to an oversight. When Secretary of State Dean Acheson forgot to include the Korean Peninsula in his a speech about American Policy in Asia, and who we would and would not protect in the region. It led to an enormous miscalculation from Kin IIl Sung and the powers that be in the Communist World.  They tried to take over South Korea.  They waged an aggressive campaign that pushed the United Nations troops back to a small corner of South Korea to the port of Pusan. It was then that General Douglas MacArthur came up with a strategy that is arguably the boldest move ever in the history of Warfare. He "hit' em where they ain't" an ran an amphibious assault on the Port of Inchon 150 miles behind enemy lines and then routed them back to the Yalu River on the Chinese border. In this first episode we look at all his success before the Chinese entered the war and set the stage for the clash with President Truman about who really is in charge of foreign policy during war time, the General in the field or the President of the United States. 

Never Play Alone brings you our podcast, Never Podcast Alone. Here we'll be talking about the things we love, from video games to technology and anything else NPA's Community loves! Today's episode will be about Hell Let Loose. Where it's at as a game, how we love to play it, the recent events/tournaments, and what we'd love to see in the future. We're joined by NPA's Airaparent and Cheeze, as well as WTH's Heidegger and HLLTC's Inchon!Support the show (https://patreon.com/NPAgg)

Modern Korea was shaped as much by its disasters as its achievements. The 21st century started with fires and serial killers as disasters went from a macro to a human level. (1999) Sealand Youth Training Centre - 23 killed(1999) Inchon bar fire - 65 killed(2003) Daegu subway fire - 192 killed(2003-2004) Yu Yeong-cheol - 20 killed(2008) Fire in refrigeration distribution warehouse under construction - 40/57 killed(2008) Namdaemun fire(2008) Nonhyeon-dong massacre - 6 killed(2014) Sewol Ferry - 304 killed(2016) Gangnam bathroom murder(2017) Jecheon fire - electrical fire in a gym “Noble Fitness and Spa” - 29 killedJoin our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulSend us a message (Instagram, Facebook, email) and we might read it on air.Music by SoraksanTop tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiJamie StaleyShaaron CullenDevon HiphnerMinseok LeeLaura CaseySupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=22510065)

Update 9 has seeped into our very bones and it's got us asking a crucial question: Did Hell Let Loose keep its kickstarter promises? The research team has broken down the major highlights of the original pitch from the developers during their successful kickstarter campaign and we interview two early financial backers to talk about the wins and losses throughout HLL's life. Is it fair to say that what was promised in the beginning isn't exactly what's been delivered? Is that for better, or for worse? To help us break it all down are two of the longest serving veterans of the game and kickstarter backers, Grim13Geist (GrimGeist) and Dbl0Douche. They bring us their unfiltered observations rooted in over +5000 hours of in-game time. We have news, too, update 9 corrections and global competitive battles, including an official Dreamhack event for HLL. Want to carry more of these conversations on with Inchon, Digishadow, or Dbl0Douche, ensure you follow their twitch channel and chat with them live.

Pour your whisky and scotch for this Episode as Inchon and Digi are joined by a dapper, Scottish pal of ours, Sheepzez from [PBS]. You may remember Skeepzez from prolific streams like, “Hey, is that guy wearing a tie and vest while he plays?” and “Does he really play Hell Let Loose standing up?” because this show we analyze HLL's new road map and the wide-ranging Q&A with the developers that recently came out. But we ask the question... was this a road map to redemption or ruin? Also, the winter seasonal progresses with only 2 European Teams remaining undefeated after the elite 8 battled each other and next week will determine the final 4. In addition to Sheepzez, Frank from [PBS] will be joining the show as we talk about that clan's 15 year anniversary. [PBS] is one of HLL's biggest clans and we're excited to chat with Frank about how exactly you achieve long-term success in cultivating a gaming community over the long-term. Finally our “Zero of the Show” is a must-see for anybody that loves the Band of Brothers series or maintaining historic sites

First off, apologies about the awful audio you're going to hear from Inchon's microphone in this episode. The issue was caught way too late and will be fixed for next time. This show, Digi and Inchon get into everything from the nitty-gritty about smoke use all the way up to the meta at its highest level. This Christmas special also features an interview with the two founders of the Hell Let Loose Training Camp, Abinus and GOD-sSs-END. They're responsible for one of the many communities within the game and know Hell Let Loose inside and out. We also ask the devs for what we'd like under our Hell Let Loose Christmas trees this year, talk about the latest news, and give our take on some of the fixes that have been implemented since Update 8.

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. This is the final selection from our listener-selected series we started earlier this year. Not to play favorites, but this is one of our favorite episodes about a favorite subject: Mr. Toshiro Mifune! Conor and Dan are honored to be joined by Moeko Fujii (www.moekofujii.com, a NYC-based writer who provided this amazing essay for The Criterion Channel's “Mifune At 100” Series. Together, we discuss five lesser-known Mifune pictures: Wedding Ring (1950), Hell In The Pacific (1968), Red Sun (1971), The Challenge (1982), and Shadow Of The Wolf (1992). We dig into Mifune's start, what makes Mifune one of (if not the) greatest to ever do it, his complicated relationship with legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, and that part of that one movie where he turns into a hawk! There's the incredibly revealing interview director John Boorman gave about the making of Hell In The Pacific, and also a rare interview Mifune gave in the early ‘80s, in which he discussed the making of The Challenge and the infamous war picture Inchon. And, of course, we mention how George Lucas offered him a role in Star Wars. Please be sure to give Moeko Fujii's work a look, including a great piece on Setsuko Hara, which we reference in the episode. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!