North Korea quickly responded with about to troops, who were armed with machine guns and.

Apr 21, The large, leafy frame of the foot Normandy poplar was obstructing the view of a vital checkpoint at the mouth of the Bridge of No Return. So, on the morning of August 18,a cadre of soldiers assembled in the most volatile area of the Korean Demilitarized Zone to cut it back.

Fifteen men set out on the task - five South Korean civilian laborers and ten UNC officers as stumpcutter.bar: Matt Reimann. Aug 21, Hundreds of troops were mobilised as a group of engineers drove in to chop down the tree In AugustNorth Korean soldiers attacked a group of US and South Korean men trimming a poplar tree Estimated Reading Time: 9 mins.

One of the most bizarre, and potentially inflammatory, incidents, was the axe murder of two United States Army officers by North Korean soldiers on August 18,in the Joint Security Area (JSA) located in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The U.S. Army officers had been part of a work party cutting down a poplar tree in the JSA that was blocking the view of United Nations observers. Jul 30, This overwhelming response was all to cut down a single tree.

Bases near the DMZ were prepared for demolition in the case of a military response.

The North Koreans assembled troops on their side of the line, but they didn’t do anything. The tree was removed in 42 minutes, and a foot high segment of the trunk was left standing as a reminder to the North Koreans. May 28, InNorth Korea and America Almost Went to War Over Chopping Down a Tree.

Yes, this is a true story.