John J. Muccio Explained

John J. Muccio
Birth Place:Valle Agricola, Italy[1]
Birth Date:19 March 1900
Death Place:Washington, D.C., U.S.[2]
Alma Mater:George Washington University
Ambassador From4:United States
Country4:South Korea
Term Start4:April 20, 1949
Term End4:September 8, 1952[3]
Predecessor4:Diplomatic relations established
Successor4:Ellis O. Briggs
President4:Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Minister From3:United States
Country3:Iceland
Term Start3:October 12, 1954
Term End3:November 3, 1955
Predecessor3:Edward B. Lawson
Successor3:Himself (as Ambassador)
President3:Dwight D. Eisenhower
Order2:1st
Ambassador From2:United States
Country2:Iceland
Term Start2:November 3, 1955
Term End2:December 16, 1959
Predecessor2:Himself (as Minister)
Successor2:Tyler Thompson
President2:Dwight D. Eisenhower
Office1:United States Ambassador to Guatemala
Term Start1:February 1, 1960
Term End1:November 10, 1961
Predecessor1:Lester D. Mallory
Successor1:John O. Bell
President1:Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Resting Place:Rock Creek Cemetery
Children:4
Office5:United States Consul in Hong Kong
Term Start5:1927
Term End5:1929

John Joseph Muccio[4] (March 19, 1900 – May 19, 1989)[5] [6] was an Italian-born American diplomat who served as the first United States Ambassador to Korea following the establishment of the Republic of Korea in 1948. His title was "Special Representative of the President" (Harry Truman) in 1948–49 and Ambassador from 1949 through 1952. During his tenure, the Korean War began. In 1950, before the war broke out, he negotiated the first agreement on American military aid to Korea, worth $10 million at that time. Later that year, in testimony to Congress, Muccio called for increased assistance to Seoul and warned that Communist forces were a growing threat north of the 38th parallel.[7]

After the North Korean invasion in June 1950, and the dispatch of U.S. army divisions to defend South Korea, Muccio informed the State Department that U.S. commanders had decided to fire on refugees approaching U.S. lines, for fear of enemy infiltrators. His letter, dated July 26, 1950, warned of “repercussions in the United States from the effectuation of these decisions.”[8] On that same day U.S. troops began a three-day slaughter of South Korean refugees in what is known as the No Gun Ri massacre. An estimated 250-300 were killed, mostly women and children.[9] [10]

Through the first two years of the war, before he returned to State Department duty in Washington, Muccio was a crucial liaison in exerting U.S. influence over the South Korean president, Syngman Rhee, helping set the stage for armistice negotiations.[11]

Under President Dwight Eisenhower, Muccio served as United States Ambassador to Iceland, where he previously served as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.

Finally, Muccio served as United States Ambassador to Guatemala before he retired from the United States Foreign Service in 1961.

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Archives . . 29 May 1989 . 2013-02-12.
  2. News: John J. Muccio, 89; Was U.S. Diplomat in Several Countries . The New York Times . 22 May 1989. 2013-02-12. French. Howard W..
  3. Web site: Former Chiefs of Mission in Korea | Embassy of the United States Seoul Korea . 2011-08-14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110910014856/http://seoul.usembassy.gov/p_ambs_bios.html . 2011-09-10 . . Retrieved 2013-02-14
  4. Web site: The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Moza to Mulleague . politicalgraveyard.com . 2013-02-12.
  5. https://archive.org/stream/brownalumnimonth515brow/brownalumnimonth515brow_djvu.txt Brown Alumni Weekly: Our Ambassador to Korea
  6. https://books.google.com/books?id=IWdZTaJdc6UC&pg=PA357 The United States in Asia: A Historical Dictionary
  7. News: French . Howard W. . 1989-05-22 . John J. Muccio, 89; Was U.S. Diplomat In Several Countries . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-02-06 . 0362-4331.
  8. Book: Conway-Lanz. Sahr. Collateral damage: Americans, noncombatant immunity, and atrocity after World War II. Routledge. 2006. New York. 978-0-415-97829-3. 98–99.
  9. News: Lee . B-C . 노근리재단, 과거사 특별법 제정 세미나 개최 . Korean . No Gun Ri Foundation held special law seminar . Newsis (online news agency) . Seoul . 2012-10-15 . 2015-06-02 .
  10. In the Face of American Amnesia, The Grim Truths of No Gun Ri Find a Home . The Asia-Pacific Journal/Japan Focus . 2015-03-09 . Hanley . Charles J. . 13 . 10 . 2020-06-06 .
  11. Book: Schnablel . James F. . Policy and Direction: The First Year . United States Army in the Korean War . Washington, D.C. . Center of Military History, United States Army . 1972 . 395 . 0-16-035955-4 .