Aug. 20, 1950: Gen. Douglas MacArthur, commander-in-chief of the United National Command, repeats his July 4th warning to North Korean leader Kim Il Sung concerning the treatment of prisoners of war, according to the This Day in Military History website. The second warning came as a result of the Hill 303 (Waegwan) murder just three days earlier of some 40 U.S. soldiers by members of the North Korean Army .
Aug. 21, 1800: The United States Marine Band "The President's Own" gave its first concert, according to the This Day in Military History website.
Aug. 22, 1990: President George H.W. Bush authorizes a three month activation of some 200,000 U.S. military reservists - including 20,000 U.S. Air Force reservists and 12,000 Air National Guardsmen - for Operation Desert Shield, according to an online U.S. Air Force historical study.
Aug. 23, 1984: The 24th Marine Amphibious Unit arrives back to the U.S., marking the return of the last Marines to serve peace-keeping duty in Lebanon, according to an entry on the Marine Corps History Division's website. The Marines left Beirut July 31, signaling the last presence of
U.S. troops in Beirut since the Marines arrived nearly two years earlier.
Aug. 24, 1814: During the War of 1812, the British invade Maryland and burn Washington, D.C., including the Navy Yard, according to an entry on Navy.mil. Also on this day in 1814, Marine Corps Capt. Samuel Miller and his 100-man detachment fight in the Battle of Bladensburg to defend the nation's capital, according to an entry on the Marine Corps History Division's website.
Aug. 25, 1971: One of the first U.S. ground combat units sent to Vietnam, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, ceases operations and prepares for redeployment to the U.S. as part of President Nixon's troop withdrawal plan, according to the This Day in Military History website.
Aug. 26, 1862: Confederate Gen. Fitzhugh Lee leads Confederate cavalry into the Manassas Junction and capture the rail center, setting the stage for the Second Battle of Bull Run, according to the This Day in Military History website.
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