[KS] Koreanstudies Digest, Vol 120, Issue 8

Bill Streifer photografr7 at yahoo.com
Tue Jun 11 07:20:19 EDT 2013


Allow me to respond (in no particular order):

1. Was the U.S. Army Air Corps familiar with strategic targets in Korea? Yes. I have pages and pages from 1944 describing an oil refinery (at Wonsan) and the LARGEST chemical complex in the Far East (at Hamhung/Konan), and yet neither was attacked. The U.S. was even aware that Wonsan and Konan was shipping strategic materials to Japan in early 1945. Still, American commanders decided to mine the ports rather than bomb the factories. If anyone would like a copy of U.S. Army descriptions of  North Korean "targets" that were never struck, just ask.

2. The B-29's that flew over Korea, "but never dropped bombs," were reconnaissance flights, mostly in late-1944 and perhaps 1945.

3. At one point, Koreans attempted to prove their loyalty to the U.S. by reminding them that Korea forewarned the U.S. that an attack on Pearl Harbor was about to take place. The warning was apparently ignored, to our regret. I have a copy of a letter from a Korean organization containing the information (a long list) offered to the U.S. during the war. If anyone wants that letter, just ask. It was obtained years ago through a CIA FOIA request.

4. Roosevelt and Rhee may not have struck a deal, but the U.S. acted as if they had.

Bill

__________________________________________
Bill Streifer & Irek Sabitov
The Flight of the Hog Wild
http://www.my-jia.com/The_Flight_of_the_Hog_Wild
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