During his first Presidential Campaign General Eisenhower had
promised to bring an end to the Korean War if elected. Once elected,
Eisenhower set to work on this promise even before he took office. On
November 29, 1952, President-elect Eisenhower secretly flew to Korea.
The trip was planned with the utmost security to guard against any
assassination attempts. Aides to accompany him were quietly picked up
at obscure locations scattered throughout New York City. During his
absence various dignitaries and staff members made "visits" to his home
pretending to see him in his office. While in Korea Eisenhower revived
the stalled peace talks and visited American soldiers near the front lines.
It was not until December 6th, when Eisenhower was on his way home
that the public learned of the trip. As a result of his peace seeking
mission an armistice was signed in July 1953, eight months after his
return. Under the terms of the Armistice signed in Panmunjom, the two
Koreas were separated by a demilitarized zone at the 38th parallel,
roughly the same border that existed prior to the war. The war was seen
as proof that the United Nations could be counted on to resist aggression
and that modem warfare could be conducted without resort to nuclear
weapons. Ending the war was also of a personal interest to Eisenhower
since John Eisenhower, the President-elect and Mrs. Eisenhower's only
living child was serving as an officer in Korea. Casualties for the war
totaled some 150,000 Americans, including 34,000 killed in action,
900,000 Chinese, and two million Koreans.
