Sadly, that does appear to be one of the options.
MacArthur wanted to drop about 30 or 40 tactical nukes on Korea and China....during the Korean War....the American tactic of blanket bombing of the North having failed, much as would fail in Vietnam.
Truman had some sympathy with the strategy, and threatened Korea....recall Japan had been nuked 4 or 5 years earlier.
Fortunately for those of us to come after, MacArthur was sacked and the Domesday scenario avoided.
