Which U.S. general commanded the Eighth Army at the start of the war?

Walton Walker commanded the U.S. Eighth Army at the start of the Korean War. As the senior U.S. Army field commander in Korea, Walker directed the defense against North Korea’s invasion and later helped organize the Pusan Perimeter.

Walker was a veteran of both world wars and had commanded the U.S. XX Corps in the European theater during World War II. He assumed command of the Eighth Army in 1948 and was serving in that role when North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel on June 25, 1950. His headquarters initially operated under the broader command of General Douglas MacArthur, commander of the Far East Command and United Nations forces.

Walker became known for his determined defense in the war’s first months. His forces suffered repeated setbacks while retreating south, but the Eighth Army eventually stopped the North Korean advance around the Pusan Perimeter. He was killed in a traffic accident near Seoul on December 23, 1950. Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway succeeded him as Eighth Army commander. Edward M. Almond, one of the alternatives, commanded X Corps rather than the Eighth Army.