July 27, 1953

Over 36,000 American soldiers were killed in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

On July 27, 1953, the United States, the People’s Republic of China and North Korea signed an armistice, effectively ending the Korean War. The conflict saw the death of 36,516 American soldiers and over 2 million North and South Korean civilians. Even with so much death, the war is sometimes referred to as the “forgotten war,” because it is so often overshadowed by other 20^th century conflicts.

Simply summarizing, the war began in 1951 when North Korean communist revolutionaries invaded the South, and the United States honored the newly installed Truman Doctrine and intervened with the aid of soldiers from the United Nations. The conflict was the first large-scale war to see United Nations interference. By late 1950, the North Korean offensive was repelled and it all bogged down to trench warfare. After an UN invasion of North Korea failed, the Chinese entered the fray and attempted an invasion of South Korea. Eventually, this invasion was also repelled and both sides entered into a stalemate at the 38^th parallel. The signing of the armistice on July 27, 1953 ended all fears that the hostilities would erupt a worldwide nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union, who supplied the Chinese and North Koreans materially.

Immediately following the armistice a 2.5 mile wide area, known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), was established as buffer between the North and South Koreans. This area is still in operation today and has proven to be the venue for enduring tension for the past fifty years. The two nations are still threatening war with each other to this day, and over the last year, the strain has escalated with the sinking of a South Korean warship presumably by a North Korean torpedo. In terms of lasting ramifications, the Korean War should be anything but forgotten.

Here is a sample from a documentary about the Korean War. This sample discusses the end of the conflict:

Fletch has changed The House in many ways.

It was on October 8, 1943, that the world of comedy received a gift from the heavens. Chevy Chase was born. From Saturday Night Live to Fletch to Christmas Vacation, Chevy is a Blue House favorite. Scooter and Man-Man still find it necessary to gallivant around town with the infamous Fletch theme playing out loud. Every December, our television can be witnessed playing the familiar lines of Christmas Vacation (“Can’t see the line can you, Russ?”).

While we are aware that many out there may not regard this as a serious entry into our illustrious history column, yet, we believe that The Blue House would not be at the forefront of comedic genius if it were not for Chevy’s omnipresent influence. Granted, things have not been the same since the early nineties, but that is of no concern. Chevy is still gold and always will be. Fletch alone is worth a memorial in Washington, D.C. It should be planted right next to Lincoln. Abe freed the slaves, and Fletch reminded us that “it’s all ball bearings these days”. No matter what, Chevy Chase’s influence on The Blue House cannot be underestimated.

Previous Weeks:

August 31 – September 6, 2009

Brad Robinson threw the first legal forward pass in history.

Indulging in the spirit of college football that is so abundant this week, let us have a segment of college football history. On September 5, 1906, Brad Robinson of St. Louis University completed the first legal forward pass in collegiate football history. The pass went twenty yards for a touchdown, and the crowd was completely stunned. St. Louis went on to win that day over Carroll College, 22-0. The touchdown was not, however, the first pass attempted by Robinson, for an earlier try fell harmlessly incomplete.

The year before the historic pass, college football underwent some major rule changes. That year, the Chicago Tribune reported that the previous season had resulted in over 150 deaths, and President Theodore Roosevelt personally intervened to transform to game. Oddly enough, exactly one year to the day before the Robinson pass, Roosevelt forged the Treaty of Portsmouth which officially ended the Russo-Japanese War. The treaty won Roosevelt the Nobel Peace Prize.

Today, however, the forward pass dominates the game of football. In fact, most offenses are now based around it, and the quarterback has become the most recognizable person on the field. Be it Peyton Manning or Tim Tebow, the quarterback rules. So if you find yourself at the game or parked in front of the television this weekend, think of Brad Robinson and the forward pass. Without it, the game would be far less entertaining.

August 16 – 22, 2009

Hawaii is the 50th and most beautiful state.

On August 21, 1959, Hawaiʻi became the fiftieth state admitted to the United States. Therefore, the nation gained its first island state and one of its most revered vacation destinations. Granted, as a citizen living in the contiguous states, it seems difficult to stamp Hawaiʻi with a traditional American identity. Granted also, one would argue, “What is a traditional American identity?” Hawaiʻi, however, offers such a different perspective on the American experience, it may be the most intriguing state in the entire Union. Native Hawaiians want to be recognized as Americans but desire to keep their traditional identity as well. Hawaiʻi is a prime study ground for Americans’ dual identities.

This piece, although completely misguided and confused, serves the perfect venue to give a shout-out to The Blue House Lives’s favorite native Hawaiian, Kat Peebles. We love you, Kat, and we would be more than happy to take any amount of time out of our busy day to sit at the pineapple table with you. We hope you have a glorious Admission Day.

If the previous paragraph sounded condescending to any of our readers, we apologize. Kat is truly one of our dearest friends, and she is the adopted sister of one of our staffers, Jeff L. Horner. He stated regarding Kat, “Honestly, her and her husband are two of the most amazing people I have ever known. Everyone should be so lucky to know them.” He does, however, have a playful relationship with her Hawaiian heritage, and this relationship intends no contemptuous feelings whatsoever.

In fact, this week is the perfect week to honor Hawaiʻi. So sit back and put on some Israel Kamakawiwo’ole and dream of those distant Hawaiian shores. It truly is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

August 9 – August 15, 2009

The "Spirit of '76" spread throughout the colonies.

This week, on August 10, in 1776, London learned of the American Declaration of Independence. Within the span of a few months, from the publication of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense on January 10 to the early autumn, the “spirit of ‘76” had swept the thirteen colonies. The Declaration of Independence stands as one of the major American gifts to the world. It is perhaps the most eloquent representation of the rights of a people and their responsibility to government. It is well-known that Thomas Jefferson of Virginia was the chief architect of the document, but the various members of the Second Continental Congress was solely responsible for its approval and approbation. The document has withstood that test of time and been adapted to myriad purposes better than any other political document in history. From Jefferson’s initial submission of it in the summer of ’76 to Ho Chi Minh’s reading of it to declare Communist Vietnam’s independence, the single piece of parchment is regarded as a solid statement of political commitment for good or for bad.

Now, as we stand at another epoch in history, with the dying sentiment of the Iraq War and the rise of Barack Obama to the nation’s highest seat, we should all look back at the singular document. In the simplest terms possible, it beautifully denounces tyranny and lays out the foundation of American political thought. Granted, Jefferson borrowed heavily from Enlightenment ideas on human rights and government, yet it is his statement that best accentuates those ideas in working form. The Declaration, along with The Constitution, is one of our most sacred documents. We should revere it as we revere our American identity. Its statement on liberty and human responsibility can never be pontificated enough.

August 2 – August 8, 2009

Here is a display of humankind's destructive power.

This week, on August 6, 1945, the city of Hiroshima, Japan was demolished by the first atomic bomb detonated in combat. The American bomb, known as Little Boy, leveled most of the city and killed upwards of 100,000 people. Everyone is familiar with the stories surrounding the event, and John Hershey’s epic book, simply called Hiroshima, depicts the horror and devastation all too realistically.

Decades since, the bombing has ignited controversy concerning the justification of such an act. I’m sure you are sitting there staring at this screen with your little beady eyes thinking the same thing. “Was it justified?” you ask. And I’ll tell you: Yes, it was. It was World War II, and there were people dying, lots of people, hundreds of thousands. All really is fair in war, or so they say. My view is that if something as irrational as war must take place, the rules are out the window. Does this mean that we should nuke Afghanistan back to the Bronze Age? No. It would not do any good. Afghanistan is a different type of war.

There have, however, been more liberal studies of World War II lately where scholars question the fighting intent of the Japanese. Everyone has heard that Japan would fight until the last man and arm its citizens with sharpened bamboo sticks. John Crossland has published a book titled The Faraway War a few years ago that questions whether this view was merely Allied propaganda. Propaganda or not, the Japanese were prepared to defend their homeland. It cannot be disputed that there would have been thousands more casualties caused by an invasion. Yet, the big factor that justifies the bomb, is that the principle of uncertainty. It is unknown how the war would have turned out if the bomb was not dropped. Would the United States prevail? Probably, yet there are always unknown factors that can spring up to throw a plan into disarray. The bomb was more of a sure thing.

Nonetheless, the bombing was a major turning point in the history of humankind. It marked the moment we discovered our ability to kill each other may be limitless. Is that a testament to human ingenuity or the most frightening facet of our existence? I believe that it is both.

July 26 – August 1, 2009

Baghdad was once considered the greatest city in the world.

On July 30, 762, what eventually became the Arabic metropolis of Baghdad was founded by Al-Mansur. The city would eventually become the center of learning in not just the Middle East but the entire world. It was noted for its large collection of knowledge in its libraries, which drew the attention from all scholars throughout the Middle East.

Now, the United States is engaged in a constant war within the city, although the effort has begun to move the troops out. Throughout the conflict, Americans have learned the difficultly of instilling a republican attitude of government on a people who never had Enlightenment era philosophers spreading republican ideas. Yet, the war has also brought knowledge of the Middle East and its historical significance to an American public indifferent to the rest of the world, especially somewhere as distant as Iraq. In the end, the war will probably prove to not be the failure that everyone makes it to be. Instilling republican virtue takes time, and Iraq is in the very early stages. It took the West longer to adopt republican government than most Westerners will admit. In the United States, we are still learning how to make it work through sporadic amendments. The idea will take root in Iraq likely among enlightened youth. We must now simple give that youth time to grow and spread ideas to their posterity, and so on. Eventually, we won’t be that separate from the Iraqis. Soon, we won’t be that separate from anyone.

July 19 – July 25, 2009

"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon. This acheivement is no doubt the crowning scientific achievement of the twentieth century. Yet, since the early 1970s, man has yet to travel back to our lunar neighbor. This failure is perhaps the greatest disappointment of the twentieth century. Granted, Moon voyages are very expensive, and government resources are always tight. However, it is the belief of this writer that man was placed in this universe to explore, and exploration proves to be man’s most base instinct. Governments merely provide the framework for man to exist peacefully. Peace enables him to launch out and explore the universe through rational thought and experience. This week, everyone should look up at the moon and cherish the images that Armstrong and Aldrin gave the planet, but everyone should also visualize the future. Should it be an earthbound future or one that appeals to man’s base instinct of exploration?

Note: This article uses the abstract meaning of ‘man’. It is not intended to discredit any of the achievements of women or men, for that matter. ‘Man’ simply refers to the human race collectively. In other words: The Blue House Lives loves women, although the House itself despises the concept of feminine persuasion and any joy pertaining thus.

Correction: The photo above is not from Apollo 11. Although, this may not be a correction as the article never mentions where the photo is from, but for integrity’s sake, the photo above is from a later Apollo mission. The Lunar Rover was not used on Apollo 11.