Inchon
September 15, 1950
Green Beach on Wolmi Do
On the morning of September 15, 1950, Marines landed on Green Beach on Wolmi Do, scaled the seawall, and secured the island. Enemy artillery here could enfilade Red and Blue Beaches on either side, so it was necessary to take the island that morning, then wait for the afternoon tides for landings on Red and Blue Beaches.
Green Beach Monument
You can see the narrow treacherous channel the fleet had to deal with. After the invasion, Soviet made naval mines intended for the channel were discovered in storage. Had they been deployed, the invasion had to have failed disastrously.
Wolmi Do Hill
The marines quickly moved to secure the island's hill, entombing any defenders who refused to surrender. Today, the hill is home to a ROK Navy base. Despite the relative ease of the Green Beach operation, the marines were ordered to stay on the island and not attempt to force the causeway to the mainland.
Other Pictures
Original Monument This is the first monument to the invasion.
The Angry Man and The Suspension Bridge - We don't know why, but this man was very angry and was struggling to restrain himself. He and a crying female college student were the only obviously upset people we saw during our trip. The bridge in the background goes to the new Inchon airport located on reclaimed land. See the map.
Tourist Map - Note the new airport.
Blowup of Map - Compare this to a wartime map and you will see great changes. Much of the area of Red and Blue Beaches are gone, and the causeway connecting Wolmi Do with the mainland is a strip of land. The sea has become reclaimed land.
