Gook Syndrome

The American people were very satisfied with themselves when the Korean War began. Many believed that Americans produced the best of everything and
because of their victory in World War II had earned the right to dominate less industrially developed nations. Unfortunately, many Americans had no appreciation of the differences among cultures and had no understanding of people who were not American. These views were especially strong among
the American soldiers who fought in the Korean War. Many of these soldiers had not been able to fit into traditional American society and so had joined
the army. Now, they found themselves in an Asian country that they did not understand. Many of these young men exhibited what the military establishment
called the ''gook syndrome." These soldiers considered the Koreans and Chinese to be inferior people and believed they could be pushed aside and discounted. The soldiers called the Asians "gooks," a derogatory name. The United States also considered the Korean military to be inferior to the American
army. The American soldiers discounted the fighting ability of the North Koreans and the Chinese, which led to carelessness and almost disaster.
American armies were overrun and almost destroyed on several occasions by Norht Korean and Chinese forces which were less well-armed, less well-fed,
and less well-clothed. This "gook syndrome" was shared by soldiers and officers alike. Indeed, the soldiers may have picked up many of their prejudices
from the officers who led them. Gen. George Barth, for example, could not hide his contempt for the Asian enemy. He arrived with the first troops from Japan,
the Twenty-fourth Division. On July 5, 1950, Barth told a news reporter, "The Commie bastards will turn and run when they're up against our boys. We'll be
back in Seoul again by the weekend." H concluded his remarks by adding that he and his troops were "going to kick some gooks and get out."