Overview

In the decades since the “forgotten war' in Korea, conventional wisdom has held that the Eighth Army consisted largely of poorly trained, undisciplined troops who fled in terror from the onslaught of the Communist forces. Now, military historian Thomas E. Hanson argues that the generalizations historians and fellow soldiers have used regarding these troops do little justice to the tens of thousands of soldiers who worked to make themselves and their army ready for war. In Hanson's careful study of combat preparedness in the Eighth Army from 1949 to the outbreak of hostilities in 1950, he concedes that the U.S. soldiers sent to Korea suffered gaps in their professional preparation, from missing and broken equipment to unevenly trained leaders at every level of command. But after a year of progressive, focused, and developmental collective training—based largely on the lessons of combat in World War II—these soldiers expected to defeat the Communist enemy. By recognizing the constraints under which the Eighth Army operated, Hanson asserts that scholars and soldiers will be able to discard what Douglas Macarthur called the """"pernicious myth"""" of the Eighth Army's professional, physical, and moral ineffectiveness.

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9781603441674

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Reviews

His readable, well-informed, and thoroughly researched book, a development of his Ohio State University doctoral dissertation, is one of a growing number of detailed, well-documented studies that are expanding our knowledge of the Cold War American military. Hanson provides essential context for anyone who would understand U.S. Army performance in the early months of the Korean War. -- Donald W. Boose, Jr./div>--Donald W. Boose, Jr. Journal of Military History

The book accomplishes the goal and all future works on Korea will have to account for Hanson's conclusions. . . Hanson's conclusions. . . are illuminating and will cause readers to reevaluate their previous knowledge of Korea. . . The author's writing style is straightforward and direct. He questions assumptions and paradigms in a logical, easy-to-follow way. The author is blunt in his assessment and places blame where he sees it. . . a significant and thoughtful analysis. . . Future authors will have to account for the facts Hanson brings to light. . . His conclusions and examples are applicable today. -- LTC Robert Rielly, USA, Retired, Military Review--LTC Robert Rielly, USA, Retired Military Review

Author Information

LT. COL. THOMAS E. HANSON, a former instructor in the Department of History at the United States Military Academy at West Point, has served in and commanded units at Panmunjom in the Korean Demilitarized Zone. He currently commands the 2nd Battalion, 353rd Infantry Regiment of the 162nd Infantry Training Brigade in Fort Polk, Louisiana.

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