Word: ridgway
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...Ridgway, who saw that the new U.N. objective in Korea was the attrition, if not the destruction, of the Chinese Red armies, set his troops right. The one hope was to kill as many Communists as possible. "Real estate," he declared, "is, here, incidental...
After he took command, Ridgway fought a careful delaying action until he got his divisions regrouped to his satisfaction. Then he started the slow-moving northward movement...
...Long Bitter Lesson. The tactics of the new Eighth Army advance were far different from the heedlessness of last November's dash toward the Yalu. Ridgway worked his divisions ahead very slowly, sent armored spearheads in front to keep constant contact with the Reds. His offensive moved like a cautious driver going down a hill in second, careful not to lose control and anxious to avoid being hit at an intersection...
There was no bypassing the enemy. A unit would push into an area, then consolidate and mop up before moving on. But, despite the slower pace, Ridgway encouraged greater mobility. He ordered his G-4 section to strip down its cumbersome supply system. Eighth Army's infantry began to hear the old paratrooper slogan: "Throw away the extra weight...
...Ridgway explained his approach: "The infantry has learned a long, bitter lesson. It was learned before at Kasserine Pass-you must dominate the heights before you can operate in the valleys. We have neglected that principle at times and have paid through the nose. Perhaps it was because we are lazy; it is hard work to climb those hills-I've climbed them. But we have made a phased advance, with coordination between units, leaving no hostile hill masses between them. Working behind the air and artillery, the infantry has gone in and killed the enemy in their foxholes...