Episode 15 - Hanson on the US Army in the Korean War

Dr. Tom Hanson talks with Dr. Jonathan Abel about the US Army before and during the Korean War.  They begin with a discussion of the draw-down in forces after World War 2, including plans to dispense with entire services in the wake of nuclear capabilities.  They then detail the process of garrison duty in Japan by US forces stationed there after the war and the conditions that prevented them from engaging in proper preparation for large-scale combat.  They interrogate the fate of Task Force Smith and other US forces during the Korean War, especially in its opening months.  They concluded with an analysis of the effects and lessons of the period, including the infamous "No more Task Force Smiths" statement of the 1990s. "History is only a confused heap of facts." - Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield Host: Dr. Jonathan Abel, CGSC DMH Artwork: Daniel O. Neal Music: SSG Noah Taylor, West Point Band