Three Wars of Lieutenant General George E. Stratemeyer His Korean War Diary

"The forgotten war." "The limited war." The Korean War has been called both of these and more. But if it all too quickly dropped from the front pages, it must nevertheless be remembered for what it was: the first major conflict between East and West, an important milestone in the formative years of the Cold War. Its outcome often subtly shaded and colored the thinking of both military and civilian leaders for many years thereafter. Although some people see the Korean War as just a ground war, it was far more than that. It was the first war the United States Air Force fought as a separate service, and a war in which America¿s joint service air power team performed sterling work. Without the air dominance gained by Air Force F-86 Sabres against a numerically larger foe, the ground forces would have been left vulnerable to air attack with disastrous consequences. Without the close support and interdiction efforts of the Air Force B-26s, B-29s, F-51s, F-80s and F-84s, and Navy and Marine F9F Panthers, F4U Corsairs, AD Skyraiders and F7F Tigercats, the tasks of the ground forces would have been made immeasurably more difficult. Without the enormous exertions of the C-46s, C-47s, C-54s, and C-119s, supply, sustainment and evacuation of ground forces would have been virtually impossible. Without the men and planes of Lt. Gen. George E. Stratemeyer¿s Far East Air Forces and their naval and Marine colleagues, the war¿s denouement may have been entirely different. This is a unique document. Throughout the years, although often officially frowned upon, officers and men alike have kept diaries. Some of these diaries, primarily from World War Two, have been published. Few, if any, from the Korean War have seen the light of day. Thus General Stratemeyer¿s diary of the first year of the war provides a unique look at the war from a high level. His diary is rich in the personalities, the operations, the problems and successes, and the behind the scenes maneuverings of the United States¿ military services in the Far East as they waged the war. Much of what he reveals in his diary is still valid today: proper force size and equipment; accurate and timely intelligence; coordination with the other services; a realization of the impact of media coverage on a war. Despite an organization possessing global capabilities well beyond what Stratemeyer could envision in 1950, these remain the concerns of the United States Air Force today, the centerpiece of America¿s joint aerospace team. Reading this work confirms one of the great lessons of twentieth century warfare, a lesson applicable to the conflicts of the twenty-first century as well: appropriate and timely use of aerospace power enables both the thwarting of an aggressor¿s will, and the minimizing of casualties to one¿s own surface forces.Y'Blood, William T. is the author of 'Three Wars of Lieutenant General George E. Stratemeyer His Korean War Diary', published 2005 under ISBN 9781410224736 and ISBN 1410224732.