795.00/6–2650: Telegram

The Ambassador in Korea (Muccio) to the Secretary of State

confidential
niact

946. For Rusk. I much appreciate your encouraging phone message.1 After being taken by surprise and knocked off balance yesterday morning by overwhelming North Korean armor and artillery aided [Page 166] in afternoon by aircraft, hard fighting ROK ground forces made gallant comeback by midnight and seem to have stabilized situation. I can give assurances that Korean GIs have given extremely good account of themselves, and I am confident they will not be found wanting in the tests to come. But it is obviously essential that we give them not only adequate but sustained aid. Already General MacArthur has been most helpful in this respect.

I wish we could have avoided the evacuation of our dependents, but on the advice of our military advisors and in deference to the expressed wish of President Rhee, I felt I had no alternative but to issue the necessary guidance.

The mission staff responded almost to a man to the call of duty yesterday and all through last night. The removal of dependents from Seoul, which was not decided upon until about midnight, was executed without a hitch, thanks to well-laid plans, good organization, and hard work, KMAG, although handicapped by the recent loss of the recent departure of General Roberts and the temporary absence of Col. Wright, performed extremely well, several advisors having risked their lives in the call of duty yesterday and last night.

P.S. Since writing foregoing, there is some evidence that North Korean armor and artillery are withdrawing all along the line.

Repeated information CINCFE.

Muccio
  1. No record has been found in the Department of State files; presumably the telephone message conveyed the substance of the information conveyed in telegram 618, June 25, 6 p.m., to Seoul, p. 156.