Operation Paul Bunyan

# Stuff You Should Know - Operation Paul Bunyan

Josh and Chuck dive into the intense 1976 "Axe Incident" at the Korean DMZ, when a routine tree-trimming operation turned tragic and nearly sparked World War III. The episode explores the heavily militarized Joint Security Area between North and South Korea, where an unprovoked North Korean attack killed two American officers, and examines how the U.S. military responded with an elaborate show of force called Operation Paul Bunyan—complete with nuclear-armed B-52 bombers, thousands of troops, and a daring daylight mission to cut down the controversial poplar tree. It's a fascinating story about Cold War tensions, military protocol, and how a single tree somehow became the center of international brinkmanship.