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General Leon J. LaPorte | ||||
At the 38th Parallel
It has been 50 years since the armistice that ended the Korean War was signed, but North and South Korea technically remain at war. The countries are divided by the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the 38th parallel, an area regarded as the most heavily fortified border in the world. More than a million soldiers face each other along the border, ready to resume war in an instant. At the heart of it all is General Leon J. LaPorte ’68. With the world in a state of political and emotional unrest, LaPorte is the point man for the United States in one of the most dangerous parts of the globe. On May 1, 2002, Gen. LaPorte assumed command of the United Nations Command, Republic of Korea/United States Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea. The four-star general succeeded Gen. Thomas Schwartz and is responsible for more than 35,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, as well as 15,000 civilian employees and family members. The major elements of his forces are the Eighth U.S. Army, Seventh Air Force, and U.S. Naval Forces Korea.
Since then, he has returned to campus only once. He was the keynote speaker at the 1996 dedication of the Vietnam Memorial (located in front of Keaney Gym) that honors the 17 alumni who died in the Vietnam war. LaPorte, then a major general (two stars), was deeply moved by the dedication and described those whose names appear on the memorial as “uncommon men who displayed uncommon valor in a difficult time in our nation’s history.”
Gen. LaPorte was appointed to his present post by President George W. Bush. He is the top military commander in South Korea at a time that can best be described as precarious. A recent New York Times article reports that a North Korean site “may or may not” be a testing facility for nuclear weapons development. The weapons are reportedly small enough to be put atop a missile, and testing appears to involve conventional explosives designed to simulate triggers for the weapons. This information was dismissed by a South Korean news agency that said the U.S. report was based on old intelligence, and that there was no evidence North Korea was working on small nuclear warheads. However, North Korea recently threatened to ignore the 1953 armistice and warned that it will take “merciless retaliatory measures” in response to any economic blockade. Part of LaPorte’s work in South Korea has involved “war-gaming” for just such a conflict with North Korea. While he is confident that the U.S. and its allies would prevail by following the blueprint for the defense of South Korea (known as OP-PLAN 50-27), should North Korea ever invade, he said victory would come at a high cost. According to published reports last summer, LaPorte said the North Korean military has 70 percent of its army massed south of Pyongyang along the Demilitarized Zone. Retired Gen. John Tilleli, who commanded U.S. forces in Korea from 1996 to 1999, says the North is capable of unleashing a huge military arsenal at a moment’s notice. “They have short-range and medium-range missiles, present and deployed,” he said in a CNN report. “They have weapons of mass destruction, and oh, by the way, they have about a million-plus ground forces.” The Pentagon says about 800 of the North’s missiles can strike any point in South Korea, and they can reach as far as Japan. According to Pentagon reports, casualties could reach a million on both sides, including as many as 50,000 U.S. troops. The discouraging news came after U.S. and North Korean officials met for three days in Beijing last April to discuss Pyongyang’s alleged nuclear weapons program. The U.S. hoped to persuade Pyongyang to abandon its efforts to build nuclear weapons, but there are concerns that North Korea’s negotiator may not have the authority to approve a deal. A day before those talks began, LaPorte said he felt Pyongyang was a threat to global stability. LaPorte told the Korean Freedom League in Seoul that North Korea's leadership saw the military as its only source of world influence. “Adding to the increased tensions is the fact that North Korea has not shown sincere attempts to address these threats to peace with the international community,” added LaPorte. LaPorte’s assessment of the situation in Korea merits serious attention. He is a highly decorated combat veteran of both the Vietnam and Gulf wars. His awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, the Army Aviator Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Ranger Tab. In late May, LaPorte met with Cho Young-kil, South Korea’s minister of national defense, and Gen. Kim Jong Hwan, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, to discuss future enhancements for U.S. forces in Korea. He presented a three-year plan that will improve Combined Forces Command’s capability to deter aggression and to guarantee the security of the Republic of Korea. “These enhancements represent more than an $11 billion U.S. investment in peninsula security and regional stability,” LaPorte said in a release. “Our upgrades in capabilities demonstrate our firm U.S. commitment to the long-standing ROK-U.S. alliance.” Among the near-term enhancements presented in the meetings were upgrades to the intelligence collection systems, increased numbers of improved precision munitions, rotational deployment of the Army’s newest Stryker unit to improve responsiveness, and additions to Army pre-positioned stocks to increase readiness. As this tenuous situation plays itself out, Gen. LaPorte is proving that he also is an uncommon man displaying uncommon valor in a difficult time in our nation’s history. Sources for this story include the U.S. Forces Korea Web site http://www.usfk.mil and CNN. Shane Donaldson ’99 is a sports reporter for the MetroWest Daily News based in Framingham, Mass. |
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By Shane Donaldson ’99
LaPorte had not planned on a military career. At URI he was a biology and secondary education major who expected to become a school teacher. After joining URI’s ROTC program, he quickly realized that he had found his calling. The day after his 1968 graduation, LaPorte left for Fort Knox to take up his Army commission.