into the army during the Korean War. Before the outbreak of the Korean War, Paik was promoted to Colonel, from which he received the command of the 5th Infantry Division on July 30, 1949. Then on April 23, 1950, had his command transferred to the 1st Infantry Division. Korean War When the fighting broke out at 4:00 am on June 25, 1950, he was stationed in Seoul for officer training at the Infantry School. At 7:00 am, Paik was alerted to the invasion by the 1st Infantry Division's Chief of Staff. Upon receiving the alert, Paik reassumed command of the 1st Infantry Division, which was involved in heavy fighting near Kaesong and Munsan. After resisting the onslaught for three days, Paik received orders to stand his ground and fight to the last man. This was because the 1st Infantry Division was the only remaining obstacle between the North Korean People’s Army and Seoul. However, after the fall of Seoul and due to the overwhelming offensive by North Korean armored units, he was forced into a fighting withdrawal. This is significant due to the fact that the 1st Division withdrew while maintaining its order of battle while fighting a delaying action. This led to Paik being promoted to Brigadier General on July 25, 1950. Paik then pulled back to the Nakdong River along the Pusan Perimeter, the last-ditch defense of the allied forces, on the southern tip of Korea. Here he commanded the RoK 1st Div., which was responsible for the holding of a 55 mile front on the northern boundary of the Pusan Perimeter. During which he was heavily supported by American units. Furthermore, it was during this desperate battle that he successfully commanded the first joint operation between Korean and American Forces. Though his lines were stretched thin during this battle, the RoK 1st Div. successfully held off against successive assaults by the Koreans People’s Army’s 2nd, 3rd, and 15th divisions. During this time, the RoK 1 Div. received adequate anti-tank weaponry, which allowed them to form ‘hunter-killer teams’ and destroy the North Korean’s dreaded T-34-85 tanks. In August 1950, Paik along with Col. Michaelis, commander of the US 27th regiment, led the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter northward. The battle of Dabu-dong is seen as one of the major turning points of the Korean War. The offensive northward was both rapid and brutal. However, it was during this