On this day, 26 July 1950

the No Gun Ri massacre began, when the US military murdered up to 300 South Korean civilians, in one of the biggest mass killings by US ground forces.

A large group of refugees were travelling south after being ordered to leave their villages by US troops, consisting primarily of women, children and the elderly. First they were strafed by US military aircraft, possibly killing around 100, then as they sought refuge under a bridge ground troops attacked for three nights.

One GI, Norman Tinkler, later reported to the Associated Press "We just annihilated them"; another, Hermann Patterson, recalled "It was just wholesale slaughter". One of the survivors, Chung Koo-ho, later recounted her experiences: "People pulled dead bodies around them for protection… Mothers wrapped their children with blankets and hugged them with their backs toward the entrances… My mother died on the second day of shooting."

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Northwest · M

In 2001, the United States Army conducted an investigation and, after previously rejecting survivors' claims, acknowledged the killings, but described the three-day event as "an unfortunate tragedy inherent to war and not a deliberate killing". Then-President Bill Clinton issued a statement of regret, adding the next day that "things happened which were wrong", but survivors’ demands for an apology and compensation were rejected.

South Korea disputed the report. There seems to be plenty of evidence indicating that the 7th Cavalry commanders, responsible for this and other incidents, deliberately ordered it.

The 7th Cavalry was put in charge of exterminating Native Americans. Custer was one of its commanders.

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@Northwest Interesting, was wondering what was said about it at the time. But I fail to see how survivors said they were in fear for their lives if the US army wasn't deliberately doing so. They must have came at them for them wanting to hide. Sounds like gaslighting to me, not that you are but whoever said that was just an unfortunate accident.

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SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@Northwest Yeah it's interesting to know the rest of the story but I don't buy that it was an accident of war. The survivors have no reason to lie. And the 7th Calvary's history is too blatent to ignore

swirlie · 31-35

@SatanBurger
I agree.

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@swirlie I don't think NW is pushing propaganda, in the original comment he also put that the 7th Calvary was used in killing native Americans and that S Korea disputed the reports so I think he's just stating what was said at the time.

I don't buy the American's explanation at the time it happened though like Bill Clinton and the like

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Northwest · M

@SatanBurger I suggest you read-read my comment. This was buried until the AP uncovered it in 1999.

The US is not going to admit guilt. That would mean monetary consequences.

Clinton protested the Mai Lei massacre, back when it happened, but as President he was willing to go as far as allowing the details to be released, but not admitting guilt.

He’s a politician. For example, while he agreed that homosexuality is not abnormal, he did not challenge the Brass, he came up with the “do not ask do not tell” policy.

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

@Northwest I did re-read it and I appreciate the extra context. Also, multiple soldiers gave testimony about being ordered to fire on civilians, and survivors described calculated, prolonged attacks.

The U.S. government has a long history of minimizing or sanitizing its wartime atrocities. Possibly because as you say monetary compensation.

And yes, the 7th Cavalry’s history of brutality goes back to its role in massacring Indigenous people. That's too weird of a pattern for it not to be recognized that the use of the 7th Cavalry and its meaning. I dunno why it's still around if it is. Seems like it was created to be that way not that it was but it seems like it

Northwest · M

@SatanBurger It really doesn't take much effort. Google "7th Cavalry", and here's what you get:

During the Korean War the unit committed the No Gun Ri massacre, in which between 250 and 300 South Korean refugees were killed, mostly women and children.

And it also tells you about the unit's history during the American-India wars.

It's still there, but the current 7th has nothing to do with its bleak history.

I'll accept that the US has a history of minimizing wartime atrocities, but I've yet to see a single government that doesn't do that. I was hoping we've evolved, but we've taken a turn.

Today, it's primarily about financial liability.

Take the Canadian government, it wasn't until recently that Canada started talking about the thousands of indigenous children buried in mass graves in what could be best described as "assimilate or be killed "schools".