Page 621 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

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guchi Tunnels that were strategic means for the guerrilla soldiers. This is located 40km
away from Saigon to Cambodia’s direction. The tunnels have a length of 200km in total
underground.
Meanwhile, the Security of Korean Peninsula was still unstable and was threatened
by DPRK.
Furthermore, two divisions of US army planned to withdraw from ROK . ROK Forc-
es were dispatched to Vietnam war at that time. It provided the opportunity for the ROK
Forces to develop under partnership with the US military in the Vietnam War.

3. Combined Operations ROK Forces and US Forces in the Vietnam War 3
Between 1964 to 1973, 32 thousand of ROK Forces were involved in the War. 2
teams of military infantry division, 1 marine brigade, logistics support, and construction
teams were part of the plan. These troops were supported from U.S. navy and air force
departments. The ROK, Thailand, Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand’s forces also
participated in the war. Examples of the US- ROK Forces combined operations as fol-
lowed.

2-1. Combat Duc Co
First, The movie “We were soldiers” has a background Duc Co battle in the valley
of Ia-drang. Lt. col. Hal Moore who was acted by Mel Gibson said “First in, Last out!”
th
This was the combined operation of the ROK tiger division and the US 25 division. The
troops defeated north Vietnam army on 9 Aug. 1966. After this battle , company tactical
base of ROK Forces were called ‘fire base.

2-2. On-ground operation Berrier peninsula
The Kehsan battle in January 1968 and the Téth offensive battle were the turning
point in the Vietnam War. The violence and despondency of war were aired in Washing-
ton through colored TVs. As a result, the anti-war peace protests finally pushed Wash-
ington to pull out troops. This is when ROK Forces engaged in the largest scale landing
operations after Incheon landing operations of Korean War . Berrier peninsula borders
was closely located the 112 base and 4 front of the Vietnamese army.
Que Son, a mountainous region, most known for the My Son ruins, was occuppied
by the 2 division of the North Vietnamese. Berrier peninsula’s central city, HoiAn is
nd
approximately 22km away to the south from Da Nang . HoiAn was a strategically sig-
nificant location. The 3 battalions of ROK marine troops in cooperation with the First
battalion 26 regiment US marine forces fought there. First, the US marine battalion ar-
th
rived on Southern part of the peninsula on the 8 of September 1969.
th
The second regiment arrived on the 12 of the same month near the northern part of the
peninsula. ROK and US Marines proved to be rock-solid fighters and allies in Vietnam
war.

3 Institute for Military History Compilation, The history of Republic of Korea Forces dispatched to the Vietnam
War, Seoul: the ministry of defense, 1964-1973.