This Kind of War: The Classic Military History of the Korean War

by T.R. Fehrenbach

He soon learned to use Korean guards for U.S. military stores. The Koreans were desperately poor, and would steal anything, even if nailed down—nails had commercial value—but American sentries would not willingly shoot down women and boys carrying off gas cans and water buckets. Not after they had killed two or three, anyway—they lost all heart for it. But Korean guards would shoot or beat hell out of the thieves, if they caught them. By using Korean guards, the U.S. saved money.

The United States could not be bought, or even intimidated, but it had a long history of looking the other way if not immediately threatened.

Somehow, amazingly, the Seoul Police Department was able to destroy the tank and disperse the accompanying infantrymen.

The single greatest weakness of a free people is always their moral doubts. Fortunately for the world, in 1950 the men in the United States Government overcame theirs.