The point of the Wake Island conference, from Truman’s perspective, was to help Douglas MacArthur to understand who was giving the orders. And Dougie Mac understood perfectly. HE WAS. Still convinced the Chinese weren't going to give him any trouble, MacArthur pushed his troops closer to the Chinese border. When Mao attacked in late October, he decimated American and ROK troops. When they managed to capture a couple of soldiers who happily identified themselves as Chinese, fighting as part of a huge Chinese force coming to aid the North Koreans, the Americans refused to believe it. Over and over and over. Because it's impossible to understand something you are paid not to understand.

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