Start of the Korean War

In a room filled with 17 anxious men, including President Harry Truman, Secretary of State Dean Acheson, and Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson, the decision to send troops to fight in the Korean War was made in a mere 2 hours and 45 minutes on June 27, 1950. This swift decision would go on to shape the fate of 33,686 American soldiers who would later die in the war. The United States had been providing 70% of the financial aid to South Korea since 1948, but the invasion by North Korea on June 25, 1950, had caught them off guard, leaving 100,000 South Korean soldiers and 65,000 civilians fleeing for their lives. As the situation spiralled out of control, with 90% of the South Korean army's equipment lost in the initial battle, the United Nations Security Council voted 9-0, with one abstention from Yugoslavia, to send in troops to assist South Korea.

The war itself would last for 1,128 days, resulting in the deaths of over 2 million soldiers and civilians, with an estimated 1 million more wounded. The financial cost to the United States alone was staggering, with an estimated $67 billion spent, which is equivalent to over $670 billion today, adjusted for inflation. Meanwhile, 15,000 miles away, General Douglas MacArthur, who would later be placed in charge of the United Nations Command, was enjoying a peaceful dinner at his home in Tokyo, oblivious to the fact that his life was about to change forever. As he would later recall, 'I was awakened by a telephone call from the Pentagon at 2:00 AM, and by 4:00 AM, I was on a plane to Washington, D.C., with a briefcase full of 500 pages of war plans'.

One surprising fact that often goes unmentioned is that the initial invasion by North Korea was so swift that the United Nations had to rely on 3,500 Japanese mine workers, who were conscripted into the South Korean army, to help defend the city of Busan, which was only 25 miles from the front lines. The city, which had a population of 800,000 people at the time, was in chaos, with 200,000 refugees fleeing each day. Amidst the chaos, 24-year-old Corporal Gordon Drysdale of the British Army would later be awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery in single-handedly holding off a North Korean battalion for 36 hours, allowing 1,500 civilians to escape to safety.

As the war raged on, with temperatures plummeting to as low as -20°C in the winter and soaring to 35°C in the summer, 18-year-old Private First Class Leon A. Edelberg would become one of the youngest recipients of the Medal of Honor, for his actions on July 21, 1950, in which he single-handedly killed 12 enemy soldiers and destroyed 2 machine gun nests, despite being wounded twice and having to crawl 200 yards to reach the safety of his unit. The war would also see the introduction of the first jet aircraft, the F-80 Shooting Star, which would go on to fly over 200,000 sorties, and the first widespread use of helicopters for medical evacuations, with over 20,000 wounded soldiers being airlifted to safety.

In the end, it would be the 17 anxious men in that room who made the decision to send troops to fight in the Korean War, a decision that would result in the signing of the Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953, exactly 3 years and 1 month after the war began, with 1,500 pages of negotiations, and the establishment of the Demilitarized Zone, which is 155 miles long and 2.5 miles wide, and has remained one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world to this day. As the last American soldier, 23-year-old Private First Class James V. Menjivar, left Korean soil on October 25, 1954, he couldn't have known that the Korean War would become the forgotten war, overshadowed by the more popular narratives of World War II and Vietnam, a war that would claim the lives of 36,516 American soldiers, but would also pave the way for South Korea to become one of the world's leading economies, with a GDP of over $1.6 trillion today.

As the clock strikes 10:00 PM on a fateful summer evening, the room inside the ITV election studio is electric, with David Dimbleby's voice booming through the airwaves, "The British people have spoken, and the answer is clear: the UK will leave the European Union." The words hang in the air like a challenge, as the news begins to sink in for the jubilant Leave campaign and the stunned Remain supporters.

The journey to this moment began months ago, when Prime Minister David Cameron, in a bid to placate the Eurosceptic wing of his Conservative party, announced a referendum on the UK's EU membership. The campaigns were marked by fierce debates, with the Remain side, led by Cameron, warning of economic doom and the Leave side, fronted by Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, touting the benefits of "taking back control" of the UK's borders and laws. As the campaigns intensified, the polls remained neck and neck, with many voters still undecided.

On the day of the referendum, June 23, 2016, millions of Britons flocked to polling stations, eager to have their say. Over 30 million people cast their ballots, with the Leave campaign ultimately emerging victorious, securing 51.9% of the vote. The result sent shockwaves across the globe, with the value of the pound plummeting and stock markets tumbling. The scene outside Downing Street was one of jubilation, as Leave supporters celebrated their historic victory, while nearby, Remain backers mourned the loss.

One of the most striking aspects of the referendum was the stark divide between different regions of the UK. England and Wales voted overwhelmingly to leave, while Scotland and Northern Ireland backed Remain. This regional split has sparked renewed calls for Scottish independence and raised questions about the future of the UK's unity. As the dust settles, the UK is left to ponder the implications of its decision, with many wondering what the future holds for a nation that has chosen to go it alone.

As the news of the UK's decision to leave the EU spread, reactions poured in from around the world. German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her "regret" over the outcome, while US President Barack Obama urged the UK and EU to ensure an "orderly transition." The EU's top officials, meanwhile, vowed to negotiate a fair divorce deal, but warned that the UK would not be allowed to "cherry-pick" the benefits of membership. As the world struggles to come to terms with this new reality, one thing is clear: the UK's decision to leave the EU will have far-reaching consequences, shaping the course of history for generations to come.

In the end, it is the words of Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, that perhaps best capture the essence of this momentous occasion: "This is a victory for ordinary people, a victory for decent people." As the UK embarks on its journey outside the EU, it remains to be seen whether this decision will ultimately prove to be a triumph for the British people, or a leap into the unknown. The clock ticks on, marking the beginning of a new era for the UK, as the world watches with bated breath to see what the future holds.