The War Between the Two Koreas

When North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950 with the help of China and the Soviet Union, the United States stepped in with air, naval, and infantry action to help the South Koreans defend their border at the 38th parallel. The battle raged on for three years. By the time the conflict came to a close in 1953, more than 50,000 American soldiers had lost their lives. Those soldiers are honored at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.