indescribable horrors of a nuclear war. We can’t afford to have the UN fail.”
Fowler shrugged, in agreement.
“The UN has just told the North Koreans to get out of South Korea,” Truman went on. “If the UN can’t make that order stick, the whole world’s likely to go up in a nuclear explosion. So the North Koreans are going to have to get out of South Korea. I’ve decided the United States has to do whatever is necessary to see that’s done.”
“By ourselves, if necessary?” Fowler asked.
“I don’t think it will come down to that, but if it does, yes, by ourselves.”
“Mr. President, have you read McCoy’s assessment?” Pickering asked.
“Admiral Hillenkoetter told me about it.”
“McCoy feels that the Army of Occupation of Japan is neither equipped nor trained for combat—that they are facing a superior force.”
“He’s competent to make a judgment like that?”
“I have absolute faith in his judgment, Mr. President,” Pickering said.
“Well, he’s been right so far, hasn’t he?” Truman said. "MacArthur feels he can ‘contain the situation.’ I told him to send a team to Korea to see how bad things really are.”
For a long moment, no one said a word.
“There’re two possibilities,” Truman said. “That once the North Koreans understand we’re taking action—I’ve given MacArthur permission to bomb railheads and bridges, that sort of thing—they’ll back down, as the Russians backed down in Berlin after we ran the airlift.”
“Mr. President, they may have interpreted Acheson’s speech, leaving Korea out of our zone of interest, as meaning we would not react.”
Truman looked at him, and nodded, and then went on.
“The other possibility is that they—and the Russians, who are behind this—will decide it’s the League of Nations and Ethiopia all over again, and keep up their attack. That means the involvement of American ground forces. I think that’s what’s going to happen.”
He looked between Fowler and Pickering.
“After Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt fired the Pearl Harbor brass—Admiral Kimmel and General Short—for what amounted to dereliction of duty. They hadn’t adequately prepared for what happened, and they deserved to be fired. General MacArthur—if we are to believe this young captain of yours, General—has not adequately prepared for what is happening there now. Do I have to explain the problems that would be caused if I relieved MacArthur for dereliction of duty and ordered him home?”
“No, sir, Mr. President,” Fowler said.
“If I have to say so, Dick, I’m not talking about political damage to Harry Truman. I don’t really give a damn about that.”
“Mr. President, I will not make . . . Captain McCoy’s assessment and what happened in Tokyo will not be made available to the press,” Fowler said.
“Or to, for example, Senator Taft?”
Senator Robert Taft (R., Ohio) who had presidential aspirations, was one of Truman’s severest critics.
“I won’t tell Bob, either,” Fowler said. “Or anyone else. At least for the time being.”
“The American people are going to have enough trouble with us going to war in the first place. If we start taking a whipping in the beginning, and it came out MacArthur was warned this was coming and did nothing about it . . .”
“I understand, Mr. President,” Fowler said.
“I’m glad you do,” Truman said. He looked between the two of them again. “Now I’m getting hungry. I had no appetite at all when I walked in here.”
“Mr. President,” Pickering said. “I don’t want McCoy hurt by what he did.”
“I’ll tell you what’s going to happen to Captain McCoy, General,” Truman said. “The Commandant of the Marine Corps has been ordered (a) not to separate him and (b) to have him report as soon as possible to Admiral Hillenkoetter. I declined to tell the Commandant what this is all about, and I’m not going to tell any of the brass, either.”
“I don’t want him hurt, Mr. President,” Pickering repeated. “He’s a captain. When people are looking for scapegoats, captains are expendable.”
“What Captain McCoy needs is a protector in high places—is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes, Mr. President, I guess it is.”
Truman looked at him for a moment, then nodded and smiled.
“I was going to save this for later,” Truman said, “but we’re clearing the decks, right?”
“I don’t think I follow you, Mr. President.”
“How’s your health, General? Could you pass a physical? ”
“Yes, sir, I probably could.”
What the hell is he suggesting? That I go back in the Marines?
“I think what’s about to happen to you, General, is going to happen to a large number of other people in the next few weeks,” Truman said.