The amphibious assault at Inchon codenamed “Operation Chromite” was driven by the strategic and tactical vision of Gen MacArthur overcoming the misgivings of more cautious generals to a risky assault over extremely unfavorable terrain. With UN forces surrounded inside the Pusan Perimeter on the southeast corner of the Korean peninsula, MacArthur saw the opportunity to conduct an envelopment of North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) forces through an amphibious landing on the west coast of the peninsula.  The assault was assigned to the 1^st Marine Division, still led by many veterans of the amphibious operations in the Pacific in WWII. Their virtually flawless execution of the Inchon landing was followed by a rapid collapse of the NKPA defenders.  However, despite the success of the landing the slow, tentative, 11-day advance on Seoul, only 20 miles away was characterized by cautious, restrictive orders, concerns about phase lines, limited reconnaissance and command posts well in the rear.  In addition, this tactical victory would eventually lead to communist China’s entry into the war resulting in a stalemate and division of the Koreas that persists to the present day.