The United States was totally, completely, and blissfully unprepared for an outbreak of war on the Korean Peninsula. The strategic Asian Defense Perimeter outlined by U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson did not include Korea as a priority. It was not a labeled hotzone of expected conflict like the Balkans or Germany in Europe. In general, outside of the protection of the Free Territory of China and the reopening of relations with the Philippines, American military strategists were more concerned with the security of Europe against the Soviet Union than East Asia. President Truman himself was taking a nap at his home in Independence, Missouri when the call came in about northern Korean troops crossing the 38th parallel.

Fortunately for the Republic of Korea, the Americans were quick to respond nonetheless. Unfortunately for the Republic of Korea, the United Nations had once again proven itself useless in the face of Soviet veto power and obstruction, and not only was this clear breach of international treaty and agreement not allowed to be responded to by force, but it was't even denounced! This was unacceptable to the Truman administration, who considered the halting of a North Korean advance an integral part of the American containment strategy for Communist influence, and planning was immediately put into place for a response.

Within a day of the incursion, the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Battle Group of the Pacific Fleet (a total of 5 carriers, 3 battleships, 8 cruisers, and 22 destroyers) would be rerouted from its patrols in the Taiwan Strait to escort the 1st, 2nd, and 5th Marine Divisions (a total of 38,385 marines) currently stationed in the Free Territory of China to rendezvous with the 6th and 40th Infantry Divisions (totalling 26,944 troops) currently stationed in the Republic of Korea.

At the same time, the 413th Fighter Wing, 507th Fighter Win, 17th Bombardment Wing, and 42nd Bomb Wing would immediately begin to give air support to allow for the evacuation of U.S. nationals currently in South Korea. They were to be evacuated to Japan for eventual relocation pending a continuing conflict on the Korean peninsula. This would continue until all known civilian U.S. nationals had been evacuated.

From an organizational standpoint, a number of challenges would immediately have to be addressed. General Omar Bradley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, was to be tasked with reorganizing and deploying an American military force to fight a conventional ground war in Asia, one which was a shadow of it's WWII counterpart, and one that had in recent years been subject to extensive budget cuts and retrofitting to support an emphasis on a nuclear bomber force. In addition, the administration would order Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan, General Douglas MacArthur, to transfer needed materials from American bases in Japan to the South Korean military. Once the forces from Taiwan arrived, he would then be tasked with organizing a combined American/South Korean military structure, supported by American Naval and Air superiority.

On a diplomatic front, it was known that the Soviet Union had made clear that their response would be "proportionate" to a U.S. response in the area. This helped quiet fears that Truman help personally that this attack was a distraction before a larger invasion of Western Europe, and also guided the initial set policy of American involvement. Notice would be put out that America would be working with the sole intention of upholding international treaty and agreement by pushing North Korean forces back to the 38th parallel and no further. This would be cause for some outcry from a few members of the NSC, as well as General MacArthur himself, but it was a necessary caveat for the moment while the United States was not acting in consort with the international community, and lent the intervention an air of legitimacy. It was also hoped that this restraint would be echoed by the Soviet Union and prevent a larger and deadlier conflict from erupting.

Parallel to these efforts, it was becoming clearer within the Truman administration that existing international bodies and organizations were becoming ineffective and useless due to meddling from the Soviet Union and its puppet nations. Especially with the possibility of further conflicts erupting elsewhere around the globe, it was becoming all too clear that a separate organization, one with the ability to uphold the ideas of freedom, liberty, and democracy spelled out in the U.N. Charter would need to be organized. Acheson was asked to begin the planning stages for such an organization, and to start reaching out to friendly powers who might be able to support such goals...