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Korean War Begins
North Korea Begins its invasion of South Korea on June 25th, 1950 with the aim of unifying the Korean peninsula. -
United States joins the Korean War
On this day, the United States would land in Busan Airport. -
United States officially joins the war on South Korea's side
After the United Nations Command was established, the United States would officially join the war. -
MacArthur's List
General MacArthur would submit a list of targets to the Pentagon following a formal request sent to him. These targets were spread across Korea, Manchuria, and several other areas across China. These targets would require the use of 34 cobalt bombs. -
Congress Interested by Plan
In real life history, MacArthur would be relieved of duty by President Truman for suggesting the use of bombs over Korea, insubordination, and disagreement with Truman's plans. However, history would not see it this way. Truman's war cabinet would go into further consideration of his plan to use bombs, and MacArthur would hold back on publicly criticizing both Truman's plans and US Policy which would save MacArthur from being fired and remain in the somewhat good graces of Truman... For now. -
MacArthur's First Nuclear Marines
MacArthur in preparation, even before getting his plan green lit, would run a volunteering campaign within the US Marines who have already been in Korea to train for a new experimental Nuclear Unit that would move in and secure MacArthur's proposed 'No Man's Land' that would be created by his soon-to-be nuking campaign. -
MacArthur's Nuclear Marines greenlit and secures bombs for Nuclear Marines Training
MacArthur's proposed nuclear unit is approved and he also secures several nuclear bombs for the training of his First Nuclear Marines unit, and begins their training at the Los Alamos testing site, which involves detonating smaller nuclear weapons and having Marines survive and fight in the conditions after marching towards the blast area in experimental protective gear. -
Nuclear Marines finish training
On the 13th of August 1951, the First Nuclear Marines would complete their training and await their orders which wouldn't come for quite some time. -
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MacArthur convinces Truman and Congress to approve his plan
Seeing as how the war has been in a stalemate, MacArthur creates a detailed war plan on what would happen if they allowed him to go forward with his plan. This plan would also be backed by General Matthew B. Ridgway, who also wanted the use of nuclear bombs. This would involve making up a scenario where communist forces would overrun Korea entirely if they didn't approve his plan, It highlighted the use of his Nuclear Marines to put a choke hold on North Korea and block them from reinforcements. -
Phase 1 of Operation Grand Finale
Phase 1 would include the moving of the First Nuclear Marines into position, moving MacArthur's bombs into position, and readying UN forces to launch a massive offensive into North Korea. -
Operation Grand Finale Part 1: Deployment
On August 25th, only 2 days after getting his plan approved, MacArthur would begin Operation Grand Finale and deploy his First Nuclear Marines to the Korean peninsula immediately, escorted by a large naval group to ensure their protection leading up to the bombing. A second force of the same size would have been trained to parachute into the No Man's Land weeks prior. However, MacArthur was confident no one would willingly wander into the No Man's Land without protective gear. -
Operation Grand Finale Part 2: Cargo
The US would begin moving MacArthur's requested bombs to a Japanese airfield. Each one bomb being carried by one B-29 Bomber. Each crew would be prepared to drop the bombs and would do mock-drops to ensure that they carry out the operation smoothly and without failure. -
Operation Grand Finale Part 3: Arrival
On October 6th, the First Nuclear Marines and its naval escorts would get into position several hundred miles off the coastal border dividing North Korea and China. There they would wait for the bombing campaign to begin. Meanwhile, a plan for UN forces would be created and finalized, which required UN forces to make a daring harsh and brutal offensive into North Korea after the bombs are dropped to box communist forces in and destroy them. -
Phase 2 of Operation Grand Finale
Phase 2 of Operation Grand Finale would include the initial bombing run of major North Korean and Chinese factories and facilities, and also creating a No Man's Land to separate North Korea from China to prevent Chinese forces from getting in, and also backing the Communist forces on the peninsula into a corner. This will require UN forces to make their offensive, and the Nuclear Marines to help enforce the No Man's Land. -
Operation Grand Finale Part 4: Cobalt Over Korea
On October 15th 1952, MacArthur was given the final go-ahead to launch his bombing campaign over North Korea and China. Many brilliantly bright suns would rise over the peninsula, marking the beginning of the end for Communist forces still fighting in Korea, and would terrify Chinese, North Koreans, Russians, and UN forces alike, as they stare in awe as the unmatched power of the sun is used 34 times in one go. This day would be dubbed "The Grand Finale" by MacArthur himself -
Operation Grand Finale Part 6: Offensive
On that same day on the 16th of October, UN forces would launch their colossal offensive, taking advantage of the shock and chaos dealt to Communist forces on the Front line as they realize that they have just been boxed in. -
Operation Grand Finale Part 5: Landing
Only a few hours after the bombs were dropped, MacArthur would go ahead and call for the First Nuclear Marines to land on the Korean Peninsula immediately. The aforementioned second wave of Nuclear Marines would conduct parachute drops over the more western areas of the No Man's Land to help spread their forces quicker. -
Operation Grand Finale Part 7: Capture of Pyongyang
Pyongyang would be overrun by UN forces on November 8th of 1952 and would end up capturing some important high ranking North Koreans, which they intend to squeeze information out of, even though the war seems much in the United Nations' favor. -
Operation Grand Finale Part 8: Nuclear Skirmishes
November 13th would see Chinese forces attempting to march into the No Man's Land enforced by the Nuclear Marines. These forces would be sent out there with just gas masks. Nuclear Marines would successfully defend from many Chinese attacks from the north. While they were doing so, they were being reinforced with new units of Nuclear Marines due to the number of volunteers skyrocketing due to the success of the bombing run and the immediate and swift end of the stalemate. -
Operation Grand Finale Part 9: Battle of Chongjin
The last major battle of the Korean War in this timeline would be in the waning months of the war at the North Korean port city of Chongjin. UN and South Korean forces would battle against North Korean and Chinese forces held up in the city for what would end up being one of the bloodiest battles of the entire war, seeing mass casualties on both sides. In the end, the Battle of Chongjin was a UN/Korean victory. -
Operation Grand Finale Part 10: The Finale
Seeing no more hope for the future of the war, North Korea would surrender to UN and Korean forces on February 1st. What Chinese soldiers were left would either attempt to flee the peninsula in secret, brave the No Man's Land, or surrender to the alliance. The end of the war would be signed in Seoul. Chinese POW's would be returned to China afterwards, while North Korea would be absorbed into South Korea, reunifying the peninsula once more... Yet left with the No Man's Land. The End.