KOREANS
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Posted by Jack Heslin on 14:29:20 01/28/25
Who remembers?
As we watch and listen to all the commentary about North Korean troops now fighting in the Kursk region of Russia I am reminded of an earlier time in history in another war.
I remember. During the Vietnam War US allies included: South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Philippines and of course the Republic of South Vietnam. Without a doubt, the largest number of allied combat forces committed to the defense of the Republic of South Vietnam were the South Vietnamese, the American units, and the South Korean units. Other allies included Australia, which suffered 521 KIA, New Zealand, which suffered 37 KIA, Thailand, which suffered 350 KIA, and the Philippines which did not have any reported KIA.
South Korea committed combat units starting in 1965 to include the Tiger Division and the Marine Corps 2nd Blue Dragon Brigade. During their deployment to South Vietnam, the Korean combat units suffered more than 5,000 KIA. They had a reputation of being very disciplined and their fighting skill made them among some of the most feared fighters in the war. It was reported that Communist forces avoided fighting them because of the fierceness of the South Koreans.
The Korean units fought within their assigned area of operations (AO) and were not integrated into South Vietnamese or American units. Mostly their AO was in the central and coastal areas of II Corps.
The commitment of these South Korean forces provided not only significant financial support to the government of South Korea, it provided invaluable combat experience for the South Korean military. Anyone who is a combat veteran knows the force-multiplier of having combat hardened veterans in the ranks when facing an enemy on the battlefield.
I remember, during the Easter Offensive of 1972, when there were no more American ground combat units fighting in South Vietnam, the Korean Division operating in the area around An Khe in the Central Highlands had the mission to keep highway, QL 19, between Pleiku and Quy Nhon open. The highway was a critical road to provide logistic support for the South Vietnamese units fighting in the Highlands fighting around Kontum. At one point, I remember that the South Korean Division commander was refusing to send his troops out to face the enemy units in his area. Later, it was reported, a call by President Nixon to the President of South Korea threatened to cut off all American financial support if the South Korean army did not immediately engage enemy units in their AO. With that, we witnessed South Korean forces once again engaging enemy units to ensure that QL 19 remained open.
Without a doubt, the North Korean effort in Russia is financially and militarily helping North Korea. They are getting the benefit of the Russian military technology transfer, the combat experience for their troops and a significant infusion of cash into their coffers. This did not have to happen! The disastrous results of this calamitous Joe Biden war keeps compounding and the sooner it can be ended the better for all. I am hoping that President Donald Trump and President Vladmir Putin can bring an end to the slaughter, and I am hoping that the Western political leaders who have encouraged and enabled this war are removed from power by their own citizens who realize they have been duped by their political leaders.
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