Deafening artillery and mortar fire soared across the 38th parallel before dawn on Sunday, June 25. In the early morning light, 135,000 soldiers from the Korean People’s Army (KPA) flooded into South Korea. Heavy Russian-made tanks crushed stupefied defenders. Marauding fighter planes hummed overhead, strafing at will.

The Republic of Korea faced the merciless reality of extinction.

As North Korean troops advanced, Kim Il Sung spoke on the radio at 9:30 AM, claiming that his forces were repelling a southern invasion. “‘The South Korean puppet clique,’” the leader warned ominously, “‘will be held responsible for whatever results may be brought