I hear a lot of historical people talking about America's forgotten war being the war of 1812. While I understand the idea, I don't necessarily agree. In my opinion the truly forgotten war was Korea. (And I don't care that no official declaration of war was ever made. I don't buy the whole police action bullshit)

Smack dab in the middle of WWII and the idiocy of Vietnam. Korea was a precurser to the perils of this kind of war. Hell it seems to me it was such a mess that when the fighting was done they tried to forget about it as quickly as possible. Which in forcibly forgetting the lessons to be learned they jumped full tilt into Vietnam. (I'm not stupid, I realize nothing is ever that easy or black or white.) My point is to this day most people are unaware of it, and when looking back at Vietnam you would have think they would have figured out a few things from this, but just bullied their way into the middle of a fine mess.

Those men and women who served in Korea during the hostilities were just as brave and faced just as much danger as anyone in any war. It almost seems an injustice to their memory to not refer to it as a war. "Doc help I've lost my arm!" "Now now really it was just a wound, you'll be fine."

Well anyway that's my two cents.

Just think how even more forgotten it would be without M*A*S*H.

MASH was about Korea?!

The war of 1812 is the war we want to forget.

Funny, I was just reading something about the War of 1812 in the Washington Post magazine... I believe it said that there are three levels of unpreparedness for war: "Bad, Very Bad, and War of 1812 Bad". LOL!

The Korean war was over half a century ago. Like all old wars it tends to be forgotten, except by historians. Unfortunately, it's not old enough to be considered historical.
Even the first Gulf War is now forgotten by many. Hard to believe that many university students graduating this year will only remember Gulf War I through history books.

Yep, Gulf War I might as well be the Korean war for me... My first clear memory is when my mom found out that Kurt Cobain had died, around my fourth birthday. I vaguely remember things before then, but not actual events, just feelings.

I'm sorry oldtimer that not all of us were born around 5000 years ago and personally remember everything that happened.

I'm sorry oldtimer that not all of us were born around 5000 years ago and personally remember everything that happened.

You don't have to be sorry about it. I'm sure the next 5000 years of your life will be more interesting than mine. :)

I can't see myself getting old... When I was younger I was always convinced that I would die at age 39. Perhaps it was a premonition!

Heh, well Ill tell you one thing, the Korean War sure as hell hasnt been forgotten by the Koreans, the Chinese either. My Grandfather fought in Korea, and the American military still has 30,000 troops here, one of them being myself. So has it really been forgotten? Naw. Now the War or 1812, yeah lol.

You don't have to be sorry about it. I'm sure the next 5000 years of your life will be more interesting than mine. :)

Your getting dangerously close to giving him that old curse: "May you live a long life in interesting times, and attract the attention of important persons."

I believe it said that there are three levels of unpreparedness for war: "Bad, Very Bad, and War of 1812 Bad".

That has recently been amended.

There are now four (escalating) levels;

"Bad, Very Bad, War of 1812 Bad, and Iraq War Bad".

One of the things I like about America.
So many wars to choose from.

One of the things I like about America.
So many wars to choose from.

Ooh, the Irish have fought many more wars than the Americans. If the Irish aren't fighting their own war, they join in with someone else.
btw, The Irish are great fighters, together with the Scots and Welsh, they have won most of England's wars.

unfortunatly that is a very sad fact.

That has recently been amended.

There are now four (escalating) levels;

"Bad, Very Bad, War of 1812 Bad, and Iraq War Bad".
We were more unprepared for the War of 1812 than for Iraq. Our military wiped out the Ba'athists in a number of days.

One of the things I like about America.
So many wars to choose from.
Sure...

In the war of 1812 we were horribly unprepared, while against N Korea we were very well prepared and in a very short time pushed their army back up past the 38th parallel. We were defending S Korea initially, which was not a bad thing. When we decided to push past the 38th paralell and unite the Koreas under democracy, and when we did not heed China's threat to intervene, we made a mistake. Overall, I think the Korean war was completely justified and we were prepared for the war against N Korea (not against China though), while with the war of 1812 we were completely unprepared, even if the war was warrented.