This specific poplar tree was a problem for the United Nations Command.

Standing at 80-feet tall, it obstructed the view of a checkpoint at the mouth of the Bridge of No Return, the most volatile area of the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

American soldiers, accompanied by South Korean civilians armed with axes and equipment for trimming the tree, set out of the Joint Security Area to execute the deed. They had no idea what they were about to unleash.

What followed was bizarre. North Korean guards, armed with poles and axes, arrived at the area near the tree and attacked the group of soldiers and civilians before they could defend themselves.

None of the 15 men that ventured into the DMZ thought that the world would be set ablaze, at the brink of a Nuclear Apocalypse, over a poplar tree in Korea’s border.

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Dark Docs brings you cinematic short military history documentaries featuring the greatest battles and most heroic stories of modern warfare, covering World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and special forces operations in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

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