January 4, 1951 · Central Korea Theater
January 4, 1951
Following the catastrophic reversal of November 1950, UN forces under the newly arrived General Matthew Ridgway conducted a disciplined fighting withdrawal as the combined Chinese-North Korean offensive drove south. Seoul fell for the second time on January 4, 1951, as Ridgway ordered the city abandoned to preserve his forces intact. The capital's population fled in terrible winter conditions. Ridgway worked furiously to rebuild UN morale and establish coherent defensive lines.
Commanders