President Harry S. Truman is shown at his desk at the White House signing a proclamation declaring a national emergency.

It is December 16, 1950. The Chinese had sent hundreds of thousand troops to prevent North Korea’s fighters from being pushed into China by U.S. forces.

Truman and the United Nations had sent military aid a few days after North Korea had invaded South Korea on June 24, 1950. Instead of “Home by Christmas”, General MacArthur’s troops were being driven back. The true threat - the escalation of the Korean War was transforming the Cold War from a war of words into military action.