Today in 1950, on the Korean Peninsula

Lieutenant General Mathew B. Ridgway took command of defeated, demoralized, and retreating U.N. ground forces during a critical time in the Korean War.

An aggressive leader, Ridgway removed defeatists and the defensive-minded and he rewarded officers who were aggressive and conducted offensive operations when able. Halting the Chinese at the battles of Chipyong-ni and Wonju in February, Ridgway mounted a counter-offensive the following month and re-took Seoul. In April 1951, after several major disagreements, President Harry S. Truman relieved MacArthur and replaced him with Ridgway. Promoted to general, he oversaw UN forces and served as military governor of Japan. Over the next year, Ridgway slowly pushed back the North Koreans and Chinese with the goal of re-taking all of the Republic of Korea's territory. He also oversaw the restoration of Japan's sovereignty and independence on April 28, 1952.

In May 1952, Ridgway left Korea to succeed General Dwight D. Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe for the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 

[December 27, 1950]