WEBVTT - Operation Paul Bunyan 0:00:01.480 --> 0:00:07.720 Welcome to stuff you should know, a production of iHeartRadio. 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:14.040 Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh and there's 0:00:14.200 --> 0:00:17.080 Chuck and it's just us and that's okay because we 0:00:17.239 --> 0:00:20.680 can support one another and ourselves. We're grown men and 0:00:20.720 --> 0:00:24.599 we feel good about things, especially us, well not especially, 0:00:24.680 --> 0:00:26.799 but equally with us. And this is TI. 0:00:28.040 --> 0:00:30.200 I mean, you told me, you sent me a text 0:00:30.440 --> 0:00:32.800 very early that said put on your big boy pants today. 0:00:33.280 --> 0:00:34.959 Yeah, because Jerry's not showing up. 0:00:35.479 --> 0:00:37.360 Yeah, So I got them out my breeches. 0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:39.879 Yeah. Are they green jeans? 0:00:41.040 --> 0:00:43.479 Oh? I've got on green cords? 0:00:44.080 --> 0:00:47.519 No, I do? 0:00:47.280 --> 0:00:47.600 We do? 0:00:49.280 --> 0:00:51.960 These are kind of my favorites. Actually, these forest green 0:00:52.040 --> 0:00:53.479 chords great for this time of year. 0:00:53.840 --> 0:00:57.720 I don't remember those. I remember some like brownish topey, 0:00:58.200 --> 0:01:00.400 kind of shiny tope ones. Am I making up? 0:01:01.120 --> 0:01:05.600 No? I have chords of many colors, much like Joseph. 0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:07.840 Are they the thick whales or the thin whales? 0:01:09.080 --> 0:01:09.559 The thins? 0:01:09.560 --> 0:01:12.520 I don't get into the thick stuff anymore. That was nineties, Chuck. 0:01:12.520 --> 0:01:14.880 Probably, Yeah, but I'll bet they're going to make a comeback. 0:01:15.319 --> 0:01:15.760 I bet you. 0:01:16.880 --> 0:01:19.399 Okay, I think we should start talking about this because 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:25.160 we probably have some non regular listeners who have military backgrounds, 0:01:25.160 --> 0:01:27.399 who are like, what the hell is this? Who want 0:01:27.400 --> 0:01:29.959 to hear about Operation Paul Bunyan, which is the point 0:01:30.000 --> 0:01:32.560 of all this. And I'm guessing just from the title, 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:35.480 there's probably a lot of people in the military who 0:01:35.520 --> 0:01:37.400 know what we're talking about. Already. It seems to be 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:44.200 a fairly widespread, widely known incident that took place in 0:01:44.520 --> 0:01:47.880 nineteen seventy six. We're just going to call it an 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:53.840 incident at the DMV DMZ that was totally unintentional, an 0:01:53.840 --> 0:01:56.920 incident at the DMZ. That's where we're going to start 0:01:56.920 --> 0:02:00.800 out calling it. Well, eventually, maybe refine that over time, 0:02:00.840 --> 0:02:03.040 but we should probably talk about what the DMZ is 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:04.160 in the first place. Right. 0:02:04.720 --> 0:02:06.520 Yeah, And by the way, I'm looking real quick, because 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:08.360 I could have sworn this probably came from someone, but 0:02:08.440 --> 0:02:10.200 I usually make a note and I'm not seeing that. 0:02:10.840 --> 0:02:13.320 But I am seeing that pop Tarts came from Nelson Reynolds. 0:02:13.360 --> 0:02:14.919 So sorry for that, Nelson. 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:16.400 Sorry Nelson, ah ha. 0:02:18.200 --> 0:02:20.960 But yeah, the DMZ, I guess we should set up 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:24.280 just sort of the deal between North Korea and South 0:02:24.360 --> 0:02:28.120 Korea and the United States post World War Two was 0:02:28.160 --> 0:02:30.720 the Soviets and the Americans got together and said, all right, 0:02:31.960 --> 0:02:35.320 Korea and Korea obviously got involved and said, we're going 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:39.480 to be two nations. Let's confuse everybody and call the 0:02:39.520 --> 0:02:43.800 communists North Korea inside the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:46.800 and called the democratic South Korean side just the Republic 0:02:46.840 --> 0:02:50.000 of Korea. And if you've ever heard of the thirty 0:02:50.040 --> 0:02:53.960 eighth parallel, that's the famous dividing line between these two. 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:56.560 Yeah. And North Korea and South Korea got divided after 0:02:56.600 --> 0:02:58.720 World War Two because there was a power vacuum and 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:01.799 the Communists were fighting in the North and they were 0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:06.760 fighting that US friendly South Koreans, and the North Koreans 0:03:06.760 --> 0:03:09.160 were like, this can't sting it. We want the whole peninsula, 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:11.960 and they invaded and the Korean War broke out, like 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:15.240 you said, and it lasted for three years. I always 0:03:15.280 --> 0:03:17.079 thought it was Americans who were fighting in Korea, but 0:03:17.120 --> 0:03:19.480 it turns out there were plenty of American troops, mostly 0:03:19.560 --> 0:03:22.480 American troops, but they were part of a UN command 0:03:23.200 --> 0:03:27.160 that was actually fighting the North along with the South Koreans. Yeah. 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:31.160 I think it's like ninety percent American forces. And you 0:03:31.160 --> 0:03:33.440 said it lasted three years. I think the Korean War 0:03:33.520 --> 0:03:36.840 is one of those that technically never ended true officially, 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:38.880 because I mean that's kind of one of those nitpicky 0:03:38.880 --> 0:03:42.080 trivia questions. That's a good one that you know, there 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:44.720 was never an official treaty ending the war. They came 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:49.000 to a truce or an armistice because of a stalemate 0:03:49.040 --> 0:03:52.000 basically after three years. But I think you know on 0:03:52.120 --> 0:03:54.400 the books, the Korean War never technically ended. 0:03:54.480 --> 0:03:58.640 Yeah, that's that's my understanding too. Well. Good point. So 0:03:58.960 --> 0:04:01.400 one of the big things about this armistice agreement was 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:04.000 that it was like, okay, you guys, we need some 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:08.040 separation here, and they literally separated North Korea from South Korea. 0:04:08.440 --> 0:04:10.680 Like you said, the dividing line runs roughly along the 0:04:10.720 --> 0:04:14.280 thirty eighth parallel, But on either side of that border 0:04:14.440 --> 0:04:17.080 of North and South Korea there's a buffer zone, the 0:04:17.160 --> 0:04:21.159 demilitarized Zone the DMZ I was referring to before. I 0:04:21.160 --> 0:04:25.080 think it's two point four miles wide total one point 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:28.240 two miles on either side, and that is like effectively 0:04:28.320 --> 0:04:31.200 the de facto border between North and South. No one's 0:04:31.200 --> 0:04:34.800 supposed to come into that no man's zone, no man's land, 0:04:35.279 --> 0:04:40.760 the DMZ. But inside the DMZ. There's a little tiny 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:44.359 village called the panmu JOm and I know of that 0:04:44.400 --> 0:04:45.239 from Billy Joel. 0:04:45.800 --> 0:04:47.840 Yeah, I knew he was going to come up. 0:04:47.920 --> 0:04:50.160 That was it. And then some of the other Korean 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:52.919 town names that came up, like Kaesong and all this. 0:04:53.000 --> 0:04:54.400 I'm like, how do I know these? How are they 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:57.119 so unfamiliar? And then I realized watching mash with my dad, 0:04:57.720 --> 0:05:03.320 Oh yeah, And it's this little tiny militarized spot inside 0:05:03.320 --> 0:05:06.839 the demilitarized zone, and it's it's where North Korea and 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:11.560 South Korea actually come together physically, can come together in 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:15.200 this what's called the JSA, the Joint Security Area. 0:05:16.000 --> 0:05:18.400 Yeah, so if they over the years have to meet 0:05:18.440 --> 0:05:21.839 to negotiate anything, that's where they meet. That's where the 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:26.280 governments go. There's a very famous bridge there separating the two, 0:05:26.360 --> 0:05:28.720 the Bridge of No Return. It's very dramatic if you 0:05:28.760 --> 0:05:31.280 look at pictures of it. Yeah, it's literally like, you know, 0:05:31.360 --> 0:05:33.120 on one side is one thing, on the other side 0:05:33.120 --> 0:05:35.640 as the other. And that's where they do prisoner exchanges 0:05:35.640 --> 0:05:40.599 and stuff like that. And these days, you know, it's well, 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:43.520 largely because of this incident, I think it's not the 0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:44.680 same as it was back then. 0:05:44.920 --> 0:05:46.600 No, it's very separate. 0:05:46.680 --> 0:05:50.640 Back then, the Joint Security Area was you know, there 0:05:50.640 --> 0:05:53.800 were it was jointly patrolled, like you know, North Koreans 0:05:53.800 --> 0:05:57.800 and South Korean soldiers and American soldiers were patrolling the 0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:01.320 area at the same time that face to face contact. 0:06:02.520 --> 0:06:05.400 They would try to intimidate one another. They would you know, 0:06:05.480 --> 0:06:08.400 curse at one another, maybe spit at one another. The 0:06:08.440 --> 0:06:11.360 Americans would play hopscotch on the bridge. The North Koreans 0:06:11.360 --> 0:06:14.120 would you know, drive a truck really fast toward them 0:06:14.120 --> 0:06:16.800 and slam on the brakes. They would sneak up and 0:06:16.839 --> 0:06:20.920 bang on their checkpoint barracks at night and stuff like that. 0:06:21.000 --> 0:06:24.640 It was crazy to think that these kind of shenanigans 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:28.479 were going on without any further you know, sort of 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:32.200 war breaking out. They all kind of seemingly took it 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:32.760 in stride. 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:36.680 Well that's what their orders were. The UN Command troops 0:06:36.680 --> 0:06:41.000 and the Americans in particular, had specific orders to like, 0:06:41.080 --> 0:06:43.400 if you had to defend yourself physically because you were 0:06:43.400 --> 0:06:46.400 getting beat up, okay, but you did not shoot. You 0:06:46.440 --> 0:06:48.640 had to be shot at to draw your side arm, 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:53.640 and that was the most powerful weapon that anyone patrolling 0:06:53.680 --> 0:06:58.440 the Joint security area had They were often outfitted with 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:02.560 axe handles, maybe baton's, and that was about it. So 0:07:02.680 --> 0:07:05.760 the Americans had strict orders not to take the bait, 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:09.400 and North Korean troops had essentially strict orders to provoke 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:12.320 the Americans into attacking so that they could start a 0:07:12.360 --> 0:07:15.560 war again and it would be the American's fault exactly. 0:07:16.000 --> 0:07:19.120 And this came largely from the guy in charge. I mean, 0:07:19.160 --> 0:07:21.280 you know, it came from on high, I'm sure, but 0:07:21.360 --> 0:07:25.440 it was filtered down through Captain Arthur Bonifas. He was 0:07:25.480 --> 0:07:29.880 a Vietnam vet. He was the JSA company commander. He 0:07:29.960 --> 0:07:32.080 was thirty three years old. He was a big dude. 0:07:32.080 --> 0:07:35.680 He was six' three, apparently super, popular like a father 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:40.200 figure as far as his command. Went and the camp 0:07:40.240 --> 0:07:43.880 there at JSA's Name Camp boniface after, him so you 0:07:43.920 --> 0:07:47.280 may see where this is. Headed but, he you, know 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:52.400 he believed in standing your ground but not taking the. 0:07:52.440 --> 0:07:54.480 Bait like you, said like he wanted big guys down. 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:59.040 There he wanted to kind of, intimidate but the orders 0:07:59.080 --> 0:08:01.680 were always to back off if it came to. Blows 0:08:01.680 --> 0:08:03.840 and sometimes it would like you, know you could get 0:08:03.880 --> 0:08:06.560 beat up or something and it would not escalate, further 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:07.680 which is just crazy to think. 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:12.160 About it is it's hard to. Imagine you said that 0:08:13.080 --> 0:08:17.440 bonifass was into intimidating without you, know doing, it like 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:23.000 just being physically. Intimidating, yeah if you were assigned to PATROL. 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:28.240 Jsa this is a really really high stakes area still is. 0:08:28.280 --> 0:08:32.199 Today Bill clinton toured it in the nineties and went 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:34.800 as far as out under The bridge Of No, return 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:39.280 and he said later that That Pamu jam is the 0:08:39.320 --> 0:08:42.439 scariest place on. Earth that's a president saying that he's 0:08:42.480 --> 0:08:45.280 probably been to some scary places and at least knows about. 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:47.560 Them so that really says quite a. Bit so if 0:08:47.600 --> 0:08:50.200 you're assigned to this, area it's a big. Deal and 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:52.720 so you had to be over six feet, tall but 0:08:52.920 --> 0:08:56.600 you also had to be laid back by nature and 0:08:57.120 --> 0:09:00.000 rather cool, headed like even when, provoked like they really 0:09:00.200 --> 0:09:02.280 tested the people who were a signed. 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:05.120 There, yeah they'd walk up and they'd slap you and 0:09:05.120 --> 0:09:05.520 see what you. 0:09:05.559 --> 0:09:08.480 Did they would apparently while they were interviewing you that 0:09:08.559 --> 0:09:10.600 you'd have no. Idea they'd just start shouting at you 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:12.480 out of the out of nowhere to see how you. 0:09:12.559 --> 0:09:15.880 Responded were they Really, Yeah, Oh. Wow, yeah there's a 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:19.280 really that's a great chance to shout. Out there's an 0:09:19.480 --> 0:09:23.560 atavist article Called axes Of evil written By Josh dean 0:09:24.200 --> 0:09:27.280 and it's it's a really great detailed look at this 0:09:27.360 --> 0:09:29.760 whole thing that we're talking about. Today that would be. 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:35.640 Axe yes in this, case right, yep very clever, hmm a. 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:38.000 Bit of a uh what do you call? 0:09:38.040 --> 0:09:40.520 It it's we're recording, early SO i can't think of 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:43.880 the word the. Foreshadowing, yeah maybe that's a play on 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:47.920 words a. Pun foreshadowing is probably Yet. OKAY i think 0:09:47.920 --> 0:09:49.599 people are probably concerned BECAUSE i couldn't think of. 0:09:49.640 --> 0:09:52.440 FORESHADOWING i couldn't think of chemistry the other day and 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:53.840 intro of me crazy. 0:09:53.559 --> 0:09:57.360 Oh, Man, yeah aging is real, yeah and a, privilege 0:09:57.400 --> 0:10:01.640 as they, Say uh so before this incident they were 0:10:01.640 --> 0:10:03.920 about to talk about, there there was one example we 0:10:03.920 --> 0:10:07.920 should mention When North korean troops were kind of must 0:10:07.960 --> 0:10:11.720 in the hair of a soldier Named William henderson and he. 0:10:11.960 --> 0:10:12.680 Did not take it. 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:17.040 WELL i guess he was into his hair or. Something 0:10:17.600 --> 0:10:21.040 he got, mad took a swing and got A i 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:23.200 guess a throat chop or, something and got a busted. 0:10:23.280 --> 0:10:26.679 Larynx and such That boniface wrote his wife and, said 0:10:26.960 --> 0:10:28.839 our mission here is to take the verbal abuse to 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:31.440 kicking the, shoving but to not let it go any. 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:33.920 Further Major henderson lost his cool and blew. It it's 0:10:33.960 --> 0:10:35.760 a natural, reaction but he should have known. 0:10:35.800 --> 0:10:37.800 Better, yeah and it was a big. Deal SO i 0:10:37.840 --> 0:10:40.600 also saw That henderson was provoked by a journalist who 0:10:40.640 --> 0:10:44.080 spat at. Him When henderson stood, up the journalists hit, 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:46.840 him and then Finally henderson hit him, back and all 0:10:46.880 --> 0:10:48.920 of a sudden a bunch Of North korean troops jumped on. 0:10:49.000 --> 0:10:51.200 Him but the fact that he took the bait was 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:53.319 a big deal because he was a. Major that means 0:10:53.360 --> 0:10:56.000 you're a big deal at a camp, already like you're 0:10:56.040 --> 0:11:00.480 fairly high. Up so him fighting back Was, yeah that 0:11:00.600 --> 0:11:01.240 was a big. Deal. 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:05.160 Uh maybe an early early ish break here seems like 0:11:05.200 --> 0:11:05.920 a good dividing. 0:11:05.960 --> 0:11:06.520 LINE i think we. 0:11:06.559 --> 0:11:08.360 Should, well we'll take a break and we'll come back 0:11:08.360 --> 0:11:30.440 and talk about the tree that started the whole, thing all, Right. 0:11:33.120 --> 0:11:35.760 All, Right josh didn't pick up on my bad pun 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:39.000 of the dividing. Line oh what was? It AND i, 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:41.439 said it's a dividing, line like you, know the thirty eighth. 0:11:41.480 --> 0:11:44.760 Parallel it just is so natural that it's. BAD i 0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:47.280 totally missed. It it's also early for me. 0:11:47.360 --> 0:11:49.160 TOO i couldn't tell by the. 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:51.200 Way that short stuff that you sent that we're going 0:11:51.280 --> 0:11:52.800 to record later had a bunch of puns in, it 0:11:52.840 --> 0:11:54.319 AND i didn't know if that was intentional or. 0:11:54.360 --> 0:11:58.200 NOT i can think of, one and it was. Intentional 0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:01.200 there were a. Couple, okay you got to point them. 0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:05.000 Out, yeah, boy what a little tease of a whole different. 0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:09.000 Episode you're such a. Tease so all, right now we 0:12:09.040 --> 0:12:12.520 get to The Paul. Bunyan what instigated The Paul bunyan 0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:16.920 incident or? Operation which was this tree that you Mentioned 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:19.960 that was a. Tree it was a poplar tree near 0:12:20.000 --> 0:12:22.719 The bridge Of No. Return and the thing you need 0:12:22.760 --> 0:12:24.480 to know about this, tree, well there's a few, things 0:12:24.480 --> 0:12:27.240 but one is that it blocked the view of the 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:32.360 line of sight between these two un command. Checkpoints and 0:12:32.520 --> 0:12:34.560 that was a big deal because you needed an open 0:12:34.640 --> 0:12:37.440 line of site between these checkpoints because you, know there 0:12:37.480 --> 0:12:41.520 were incidents of like kidnapping and stuff like that and other, 0:12:41.559 --> 0:12:43.520 shenanigans and you just you had to have that line 0:12:43.559 --> 0:12:43.880 of sight. 0:12:44.000 --> 0:12:46.880 OPEN. Yep so they said the unc was, like we 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:47.640 got to get rid of this. 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:50.480 Tree so they sent a couple of Unarmed South korean 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:53.320 workers down there to just sort of figure out the 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:56.200 best way to remove. It and the first sort of 0:12:56.240 --> 0:12:59.640 reaction was The North korean guards chased them. Away so 0:12:59.840 --> 0:13:02.200 that was sort of the line in the sand was 0:13:02.240 --> 0:13:03.680 get out of, here get away from that. 0:13:03.720 --> 0:13:04.080 Tree. 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:07.240 Yeah apparently they tried again a couple days later and 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:11.560 got rained, out and then finally On august, eighteenth they were, like, 0:13:11.600 --> 0:13:14.480 okay we're just gonna go ahead and do. This those 0:13:14.520 --> 0:13:17.800 first guys got chased, off so we're gonna essentially assign 0:13:17.840 --> 0:13:20.400 a few men to escort. THEM i think a fifteen 0:13:20.480 --> 0:13:24.360 man team went over On august, eighteenth led By Captain, 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:30.000 bonifas and they started pruning the, tree just to. Prune 0:13:30.000 --> 0:13:32.679 at this, point, yeah they're just pruning it. Back they 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:35.520 just want to make sure that even during summer they 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:38.560 can See checkpoint, three the loneliest outpost in the, world, 0:13:38.600 --> 0:13:40.679 because like you, said it's very dangerous to man. That 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:44.720 so they're just pruning it, right and very, quickly The 0:13:44.760 --> 0:13:47.520 North koreans came over The bridge Of No return because, 0:13:47.559 --> 0:13:52.800 remember mind bogglingly The Joint Security area was, open like 0:13:52.880 --> 0:13:55.800 the border didn't exist in The Joint security, area So 0:13:55.880 --> 0:13:58.960 North koreans AND Un command could just go wherever they. 0:13:58.960 --> 0:14:02.000 Want so The North koreans show up at this, site 0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:04.960 at the poplar tree while it's being, pruned and they're 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:09.040 led By Lieutenant. Pacchoule he was known As Lieutenant bulldog 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:13.240 by THE Un command troops because he was very, confrontational 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:17.400 had provoked confrontation in the past plenty of, times and 0:14:17.440 --> 0:14:19.560 so he showed. Up so you just immediately knew that 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:21.600 this could go south pretty. Quickly. 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:26.000 Yeah and apparently he, said you, know they wanted to 0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:30.160 keep that tree pristine Because Kim il sung personally planted 0:14:30.200 --> 0:14:33.720 it and nourished it and it's growing under his. Supervision so, 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:37.280 apparently or at least they said it was a special 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:38.880 tree and to stand. 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:42.440 Down, yes Because Kim il sung was the he was 0:14:42.440 --> 0:14:47.840 the first deer. Leader Kim jong un is his. Grandson. Yeah, 0:14:47.960 --> 0:14:50.880 yeah and so the idea that deer leader planted that. 0:14:50.920 --> 0:14:55.040 TREE i don't know if that's. TRUE i never saw. 0:14:55.040 --> 0:14:57.000 THAT i just saw it like stated here or. There 0:14:57.040 --> 0:15:01.160 but at the very Least pacchool said, that, Right, Yeah. 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:03.040 I'm not sure IF i buy, that given what we 0:15:03.160 --> 0:15:06.920 now have sort of suspected about this being a, provocation 0:15:07.040 --> 0:15:10.120 which we'll get, to but that sounds to me, like, 0:15:10.480 --> 0:15:12.520 hey let's tell him, that you know it's a special. 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:15.120 Tree, Yeah like he's like puck chool seemed like the 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:18.360 kind who would just load you up on bs just 0:15:18.400 --> 0:15:18.880 to mess with. 0:15:18.920 --> 0:15:19.000 You. 0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:23.240 Yeah, Yeah so he called for even more. REINFORCEMENTS i 0:15:23.240 --> 0:15:27.000 think about thirty More North korean guards showed. Up he 0:15:27.120 --> 0:15:30.520 Ordered Captain boniface to, stop but he turned his back on, 0:15:30.600 --> 0:15:32.920 him WHICH i think, was you, know a pretty big 0:15:32.960 --> 0:15:37.440 insult on top of everything. Else and as the story, 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:41.280 goes one of The american soldiers Saw poc take off 0:15:41.320 --> 0:15:43.720 his wristwatch and put it in his, pocket which IS 0:15:44.080 --> 0:15:46.160 i guess a cain to Like pansie taking off his 0:15:46.280 --> 0:15:50.480 leather jacket like it's about to, happen and tried to Warn, 0:15:50.520 --> 0:15:53.520 boniface but it was too late by that, point And 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:57.160 pack ordered the attack basically by, saying LIKE i think he, 0:15:57.160 --> 0:15:58.240 said kill the, bastards. 0:15:58.280 --> 0:16:00.880 Right. YEAH i saw in nineteen seven twenty Seven Army 0:16:00.920 --> 0:16:03.160 War college report on the, incident and that's what they, 0:16:03.200 --> 0:16:06.960 said So i'm prone to believe them, yeah but he 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:10.560 said In korean, obviously. Right but right after that they 0:16:10.720 --> 0:16:15.560 the men attacked and ACTUALLY i Saw Lieutenant pocchoul Assaulted Captain, 0:16:15.600 --> 0:16:19.320 bonifas who had again his back To. Pocchool, yeah he 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:21.240 hit him with the karate chop in the back of 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:25.440 his neck and Dropped Captain boniface and very very, Sadly 0:16:25.520 --> 0:16:29.640 Captain boniface never got to his feet. Again, Yeah, like 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:32.240 immediately he was set upon BY i saw five to 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:36.120 Six North korean troops just started being beaten by. Them 0:16:36.520 --> 0:16:39.560 AND i guess the people who were cutting the tree 0:16:39.920 --> 0:16:42.560 had a couple of, axes these, civilians and they dropped 0:16:42.560 --> 0:16:45.560 their axes and, ran and The North korean troops picked 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:49.360 up the. Axes and here is where the reason that 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:53.640 this is called THE dmz ax incident. Begins that's. 0:16:53.720 --> 0:16:57.760 Right So boniface was bludgeoned to death by these guys attacking. 0:16:57.840 --> 0:17:00.320 Him and you can watch this like it was on. 0:17:00.400 --> 0:17:03.320 Film it's very. Chaotic you can't really GET i, mean 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:04.840 it's kind of from far, away so you can't get 0:17:04.840 --> 0:17:07.280 a lot of, detail, right but you, know there are 0:17:07.280 --> 0:17:10.480 still shots in film of this stuff going. On so 0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:15.280 he was bludgeoned First Lieutenant Mark barrett was also beaten to. 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:16.399 Death he was chased. 0:17:16.160 --> 0:17:19.600 Down over a retaining wall and you know sort of 0:17:19.640 --> 0:17:21.760 THE i, mean it's sad enough as it, is But 0:17:21.840 --> 0:17:24.919 bonifas was due to go home to his wife and 0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:27.720 three kids in three, days so it was made, it you, 0:17:27.760 --> 0:17:28.840 know sort of especially. 0:17:28.840 --> 0:17:31.560 Brutal, yeah and not like for a, visit like this 0:17:31.640 --> 0:17:33.919 was his last three days In. Korea, yeah where he 0:17:33.960 --> 0:17:36.800 was murdered by an axe By North korean. Troops it's 0:17:36.800 --> 0:17:39.960 almost like a, Parody like it's almost too crazy to 0:17:40.000 --> 0:17:42.119 believe that that's how close he was to leave In. 0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:44.760 Korea he was also going to be promoted to major, 0:17:44.840 --> 0:17:47.840 too like he was his life was like looking up 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:48.879 when he was. 0:17:48.960 --> 0:17:50.639 Murdered, yeah really. 0:17:50.680 --> 0:17:55.760 Sad so this was a really really big. Deal as 0:17:55.800 --> 0:17:58.359 you can, imagine this is the first time that any 0:17:59.000 --> 0:18:03.120 un command true hoops and Any americans had been killed 0:18:03.359 --> 0:18:07.560 In korea since the end of The Korean. War it 0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:12.760 was a huge provocation and there was a big question 0:18:12.880 --> 0:18:16.320 now on the, table what is The United states military 0:18:16.520 --> 0:18:21.320 going to? Do, yeah that two of its officers were 0:18:21.440 --> 0:18:26.960 murdered by acts By North korean troops totally. Unprovoked this 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:30.119 was one hundred. Percent The North korean's doing this so 0:18:30.280 --> 0:18:32.959 much their fault, that like you, said it almost seems 0:18:32.960 --> 0:18:35.560 like it was possibly set. Up we'll talk about that 0:18:35.640 --> 0:18:38.360 a little bit. Later and so there was a, big 0:18:38.640 --> 0:18:41.399 a big question that needed to be answered and answered really, 0:18:41.440 --> 0:18:43.520 fast and that was how are we going to respond to? 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:46.880 This, Yeah so on THE us side at the, time 0:18:46.920 --> 0:18:50.400 we Had Henry kissinger as The secretary Of state Under 0:18:50.520 --> 0:18:54.040 President Gerald. Ford like we, mentioned it was seventy, six 0:18:54.119 --> 0:18:56.720 so it was the election year Between ford And Jimmy, 0:18:56.760 --> 0:19:00.359 carter And ford learned about the incident when and he 0:19:00.440 --> 0:19:04.560 was at The Republican National, convention and obviously As secretary Of, 0:19:04.560 --> 0:19:06.840 State kissinger was kind of in charge of figuring out 0:19:06.840 --> 0:19:10.800 what to. Do calls together The Washington Special Action, group 0:19:11.280 --> 0:19:13.439 which was a task force that was formed in sixty 0:19:13.560 --> 0:19:16.119 nine out Of vietnam to deal with like sort of 0:19:16.160 --> 0:19:19.480 any emergencies like this that came. Up and It's Henry. 0:19:19.560 --> 0:19:23.160 Kissinger so he's, like would we should bomb the, Barracks 0:19:23.560 --> 0:19:26.160 like he wants to flatten the barracks of the guards 0:19:26.160 --> 0:19:29.920 that attack them and react really strongly and sinto you, 0:19:30.000 --> 0:19:33.680 know a big message that this will not stand, YEAH. 0:19:33.480 --> 0:19:37.639 I, MEAN i can kind of understand that. Impulse he 0:19:37.800 --> 0:19:40.320 was apparently the only one in The Special Action group 0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:43.800 that wanted to respond with a violent, action and the 0:19:43.840 --> 0:19:48.120 reason why was because this is such a flashpoint still, 0:19:48.160 --> 0:19:51.560 today but at this, TIME i, mean it was like 0:19:51.600 --> 0:19:53.240 we were still in the middle of The Cold. War 0:19:53.320 --> 0:19:56.239 so to, us not only was This North, korea this 0:19:56.280 --> 0:19:59.320 is Also china and THE ussr right behind. Them. Right oh, 0:19:59.440 --> 0:20:03.760 Yeah so if you sent a missile into THE jsa 0:20:04.040 --> 0:20:08.240 against The North, koreans there was a better than even 0:20:08.359 --> 0:20:13.399 chance probably that you might spark a Nuclear World war. Three, 0:20:13.840 --> 0:20:18.600 unluckily cooler heads. Prevailed But kissinger he was probably a little. 0:20:18.640 --> 0:20:23.560 PARANOID i would. Guess he's very widely, reviled including by, 0:20:23.600 --> 0:20:26.440 me So i'm pretty sure he was at least a little. 0:20:26.480 --> 0:20:28.760 PARANOID i, mean he started out in The nixon, administration 0:20:28.880 --> 0:20:32.800 for goodness, sake but he was Also his position was 0:20:32.840 --> 0:20:37.199 also that this was a provocation by The north to 0:20:37.280 --> 0:20:40.959 Test america's resolve because it was an election, year they 0:20:40.960 --> 0:20:43.480 were trying to interfere with the. Election to make the 0:20:43.560 --> 0:20:47.440 point Of Gerald ford's, Opponent Jimmy, carter who was, saying 0:20:47.440 --> 0:20:49.320 we need to get troops out Of. Korea we don't 0:20:49.320 --> 0:20:52.719 have any business being there. Anymore So kissinger thought this 0:20:52.760 --> 0:20:56.240 Was North korea doing this to basically show that The 0:20:56.280 --> 0:20:59.919 americans didn't belong here, anymore just to get out wasn't worth, it. Basically, 0:21:00.520 --> 0:21:01.359 Yeah AND i get the. 0:21:01.400 --> 0:21:03.800 IDEA i, MEAN i was but five at the, time 0:21:04.000 --> 0:21:07.560 not super into politics, yet BUT i get the idea 0:21:07.640 --> 0:21:10.560 that Getting american troops out Of korea was probably a 0:21:10.560 --> 0:21:12.440 pretty popular idea That carter was laying. 0:21:12.440 --> 0:21:14.040 Out, yeah and you Know. 0:21:14.119 --> 0:21:17.440 Vietnam, yeah, well And kissinger was still ticked off About. 0:21:17.520 --> 0:21:19.919 Vietnam so he was, like if we don't do, this 0:21:19.920 --> 0:21:22.639