By Episode 13 – The 38th Parallel and Beyond:
The South Korean army crosses the 38th parallel, and MacArthur soon follows, without much thought to the consequences with China. Zhou Enlai tells Indian ambassador, Pannikar, to tell the USA that China may intervene. The USA doesn’t take it seriously. A new policy of “rollback” is in force. This policy is the idea that the USA should not just contain their adversaries, but actively knock them out, or “rollback” communism. The NKPA withdraws to the mountains on the border with China. The South Korean army takes Pyongyang. President Truman meets MacArthur at Wake Island, as MacArthur’s successes could make the president look good. But MacArthur’s celebrity status makes the administration’s ability to handle him all that more difficult. MacArthur tells Truman that the Chinese would not intervene significantly, and that if they do, they would be slaughtered by UN air power. In retrospect, this episode shows the limits of air power, which MacArthur may not have understood.
12:19 pm on July 26th, 2009 1
"The limits of airpower that MacArtur 'may' not have understood". Or understood but disregarded. As he did so many warnings. His arrogance and self agrandisement made him Ceaser in his own eyes. The fact that the JCS cound not find a way to deal with him was a failing of the JCS.
The grunt on the ground eventually paid the ultimate price for MacArthur (by the thousands). MacArthur got a tickertape parade(after being relieved), when he should have been courtmarshaled.