Selections from Jon Halliday and Bruce Cumings, Korea: The Unknown War (London: Viking; New York:

Penguin, 1988) [emphasis added - GF]

1. American and South Korean Atrocities in the Korean War

The North Koreans fought a war on all fronts: a conventional war, a guerrilla war and a political war over the people's committees and land reform. In other words, in some sense this was a people's war, and, like the subsequent war in Vietnam, it called forth an appalling American response. Collier's magazine began an article by saying, 'Our Red foe scorns all rules of civilized warfare, hid[ing] behind women's skirts', then quoted the following colloquy between American soldiers: / 88 /

The young pilot drained his cup of coffee and said,'Hell's fire, you can't shoot people when they stand there waving at you. 'Shoot 'em,' he was told firmly. 'They're troops. ''But, hell, they've all got on those white pajama things and they're straggling down the road' . . . 'See any women or children? ''Women? I wouldn't know. The women wear pants, too, don't they? But no kids, no, sir. ''They're troops. Shoot'em."