The Inchon Landing
On September 15, 1950, the 1st Marine Division launched Operation Chromite—an audacious amphibious assault on the port city of Inchon. The operation was fraught with risk: Inchon’s tides were among the highest in the world, its approaches narrow and heavily defended. Military planners warned against it, but MacArthur insisted, famously declaring, “The Navy can do it, the Marines can do it.”
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They did. Under the cover of naval bombardment and air support, Marines stormed ashore and quickly seized the city. Within days, they advanced inland and helped recapture Seoul, dealing a devastating blow to North Korean forces and relieving pressure on the Pusan Perimeter. The success of Inchon was a turning point in the war and a textbook example of amphibious warfare.