AN ''UNNECESSARY'' WAR

About the Book

An “Unnecessary” War is a researched readable account of the Korean Conflict, told an Air Force Officer who served  with the 3rd Bomb Wing (Light). (Not until 1986 did the US Congress declare the Korean War to be a real war) The cost in human and material loss in the three war years was huge. Any gain is still difficult to assess. Communism was halted, but a grim totalitarian regime was left in place that is now a nuclear thorn in the side of the planet. The book discusses in some detail, the political and financial (yes-financial) decisions made by UN and US political leaders leading to Chairman Mao’s and Joe Stalin’s approval of Kim Il Sung’s ill-considered crusade to invade the South. (Kim Il Sung was the grandfather of our present pesky North Korean Kim, who seems to blame his self-inflicted ills on America) Most recounts of the Korean War are either biased or too detailed for the non-military reader. This book was written for the rest of us, and contains hopefully unbiased judgmental information not available elsewhere in a single writing.
The book contents are set in chronological order with descriptions of major battles, discussions of conflicts, weaknesses, and interplay of US commanders, particularly the actions, sometimes inexplicable, of Douglas MacArthur. It also contains a summary of casualties and losses, orders of battle of both the US Army and USAF, and descriptions of Communist forces committed at critical times. Discussions of the efforts of other UN members, particularly the British Commonwealth and Turkish forces give an insight to the contribution and sacrifices of our comrades-in-arms. With access to USAF “frag” orders at the time, the air war descriptions here are likely more accurate than in USAF published histories tending to glorify USAF contributions. Post Korean War discussions with National Guard comrades with the 2d Division during the disastrous Chongchon rout, add an eyes-on contribution to the discussion of this engagement.

About the Author

About the Author BS Mathematics/Chemical Engineering, Oregon State College/University 1951 Distinguished Military Graduate, Oregon State 1951 Appointed Lieutenant USAF June 1951 Awarded Graduate Certificate in Meteorology, UCLA (USAF-sponsor) 1952 USAF Meteorologist 1952-1955 Hamilton AFB, California, Kunsan AB, Korea, Hill AFB, Utah Upon honorable discharge from USAF active duty, joined the Guidance Analysis Group, Autonetics Division of North American Aviation. Simulated Autonetics N6A Navigator gyrocompassing performance prior to the Nautilus under-pole voyage, in 1957. Programmed the first successful digital general-purpose real-time control of a shipboard inertial system. (Perhaps the first-ever real-time general-purpose, fully digital control of any complex system.) Programmed guidance and controls for the Hound Dog missile system. This work formed the basis for the later Polaris and Poseidon shipboard and A3J Vigilante navigation programs. Worked on the configuration of the Minuteman I digital flight computer (D-17). Laid out and programmed the first of the Minuteman I flight and ground control programs. Managed Autonetics Inertial Navigation Division Computer systems, Guidance Systems Engineering, and Inertial Instruments and Processes. Served as Director of Calculator Development, Hybrid Businesses, and Microelectronics Engineering, retiring as Chief Engineer of the Semiconductor Division of Rockwell International. Authored various papers dealing with computers, inertial systems and semiconductors. Author, Programming Microprocessors, 1977, Tab Books, Blue Ridge Summit, PA Author, A Comprehensive Summary of Signal Processing Devices, 1987 Rockwell International internal research document. Author, If It Weren’t for People, Management Would be a Science, 1998 Institute of Industrial Engineers Flight Instructor, Commercial Pilot, Instrument-rated, Multi-engine Professional Engineer, Control Systems