Page 553 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

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pursuant the aforesaid Security Council resolutions make such forces and other
assistance available to the Unified command under the United States;
- Requests the United States to designate the commander of such forces;
In accordance with this resolution, the US designated General Douglas MacArthur
as Commander-in-Chief of UN Forces in Korea and he was presented with the UN
8
flag which had been used in Palestine. The US issued a communiqué announcing the
establishment of a UN Command. The Unified Command largely coincided, from an
operational point of view, with the US Far East Command (with the HQ located in
Tokyo). It was composed exclusively of US officers, though they were later joined by a
British Commonwealth Deputy Chief of Staff. The appointment of General MacArthur
was, under paragraph 4 of resolution S/1588, within the prerogative of the US and
not subject to subsequent confirmation by any organ of the UN. Subsequently, when
President Truman relieved General MacArthur of his command, the decision was taken
without reference to the UN- as was the ensuing appointment of General Mark Clark.
At no time was it the habit of the US to do other than inform the UN of changes in
command which had been decided upon.
The military chain of command ran from (bottom to top) the UN Command to the
single US forces armed services Chiefs of Staff, to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to the US
Secretary of Defence, and thence to the President of the United States. Sixteen Members
States of the UN, which their offer was accepted by Washington, placed their forces
under the operational control of the UN Command. 9
Unlike UN operations carried out later on, such as UNEF (in Suez Canal area and
Sinai Peninsula), the ONUC (former Belgian Congo), or the UNFICYP (Cyprus island),
the selection of the TCCs to participate was not in the hands of the Secretary-General.
This responsibility was assigned to the US as lead of the Unified Command.
Detailed arrangements for the utilization of assistance offered were made as a
result of a network of bilateral discussions between the Unified Command (via the US
government) and the TCCs.
These discussions were carried out first between the Unified Command and diplomatic
and military representatives of the TCCs in Washington, followed by formal military
staff conferences both at Washington and in the theatre of operations.
The general framework for integration of military assistance was provided in the
agreements between the TCCs and the Unified Command.
The implementation of the plans was assisted by contacts between the TCCs and

8 UNSC Resolution 84 authorized the use of the UN flag concurrently with the flags of the participating
UNC nations;
9 Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, India, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, UK. Sweden, Norway, and Italy (at time not
part of the UN), provided medical units; Denmark provided a hospital ship. Bolivia, China (Taiwan),
Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Panama offered troops and support. The military assistance was de-
ferred and in some cases the logistic support was accepted; other States (Member and not Members) as
well as Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Ecuador, Iceland, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Uruguay, Vietnam and Venezuela provided transportation, medical
supplies, food, funds and other miscellaneous supplies;