Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Korea, Volume XXIII, Part 2

228. Memorandum From the Secretary of the Army (Brucker) to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)¹

Washington, June 27, 1957.

SUBJECT

• Introduction of Honest John and 280mm Gun into Korea

1. I should like to express my sense of urgency as to the need of introducing the Honest John rocket and the 280mm gun into Korea. Without these atomic capable weapons, the so-called modernization of our Army forces in Korea following the abrogation of paragraph 13d of the Armistice Agreement is an illusion.²

a. Both weapons are needed for military purposes. The Honest John rocket is an effective area weapon well adapted for use in Korea. It is a major part of the firepower of the new type division (1 battery of 2 launchers for the infantry division) and should be introduced into the 7th and 24th Infantry Divisions when they are reorganized under the Pentomic concept. A military need exists also for the 280mm gun, a precision weapon to cover the critical avenues of approach to Seoul. This weapon provides the commander with a pinpoint means of delivering atomic munitions under all conditions of weather, and it is also an excellent conventional artillery piece. While the road net will impose some limitations on its movements, there is an ample area of maneuver for it on the critical west flank of the line of contact.

b. Apart from military considerations, both the Honest John and the 280mm gun are necessary in Korea to add to the deterrent strength of the Army forces and to reassure our Korean allies. Concern over Communist criticism is pointless as the Communists, regardless of facts, are already charging the United Nations Command with making South Korea an atomic base. Both for military and psychological reasons, it is important that we make the atomic capability of Army forces in Korea a reality without delay.

2. I strongly recommend that the Secretary of Defense urge these considerations upon the Department of State in order to obtain an early authorization of the introduction of the Honest John rocket and the 280mm gun [less than 1 line of source text not declassified].

Wilber M. Brucker³

1. Source: Washington National Records Center, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 61 A 1672, 471.6 Korea. Secret. A note on the source text indicates that the memorandum was seen by Assistant Secretary of Defense Sprague.
2. In telegram DA 925255 to CINCUNC/CINCFE, June 25, the Department of Defense authorized General Lemnitzer to modernize U.S. forces in Korea, but noted that no deployment of nuclear-capable weapons or nuclear warheads was authorized pending a further decision on the matter in Washington. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, JCS Records, CCS 383.21 Korea (3–19–45)(2))
3. Printed from a copy that bears this stamped signature.