15 Sep 1950: U.S. Marines land at Inchon

On this day in 1950, United Nations troops led by General Douglas MacArthur landed at Inchon, South Korea, flanking the North Korean forces and turning the tables in the early stages of the Korean War.

The North Korean People’s Army had seen great success in the previous month, pushing United Nations forces to the southeast corner of the peninsula, a boundary known as the Pusan Perimeter.

Code name Operation Chromite, the Inchon landing was an amphibious assault involving 75,000 troops near the 38th parallel, the official dividing line between North and South – far from where the action had been taking place.

Within two weeks, the U.N. had recaptured Seoul, the South Korean capital.

Image: 31st Infantry lands at Inchon via U.S. Army