Page 622 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

622 XXXIX Congresso della CommIssIone InternazIonale dI storIa mIlItare • CIHm

2-3. Operation Ahn khe
In 1969, the President Nixon pushed for the “Vietnamization” of the Vietnam War.
Nixon visited China and the Soviet Union to investigate a transition to a détente. As a
result, the majority of on-sight U.S. troops returned home and only 2 ROK Forces divi-
sion stayed behind. At this critical time, 12 division of the Vietnamese army engaged in
Springtime Offensive in April 1972.
Located in mid-Vietnam, route 19 number road was a strategically significant point
that linked the regions Quy Nhon and Plaei ku. If the Ankhe pass were to be taken over
by the North Vietnam, the South Vietnamese army were to be destroyed perfectly. From
April 10 to 26, 1972, the armored regiment capital division of the ROK Forces fought
against the Vietcong in the Ankhe pass. Over 2,000 soldiers were involved in this infa-
th
th
mous battle. The shelling from a 7 fleet U.S. warship and air-strike from 7 Air force.
On April 24 , with the fall of hill 638, the battle concluded to ROK Forces victory.
th
The second Vietnam War ended with the Paris Peace treaty on January 27, 1973. How-
ever, 2 years later, the North Vietnam invaded Saigon, defeateing them on April 30,
1975. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam was founded on 1976 and still stands today.

4. Combined Operations and ROK Forces development
There were 4 major trials of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea soldiers gigging
tunnels underground of D.M.Z. line. They continue threatening to threaten the ROK
sporadically. The ROK Forces learned doctrines of air and ground battles, and acquired
battle experiences and strategy from the Vietnam War.
Furthermore, that War contributed developing defense technologies and moderniza-
tion of equipment. Not to mention, ground forces improved technologies and equipment,
the number of units has also expanded to 50 divisions. Navy forces have strengthened
with destroyer and Aegis warship. The Air Force strengthened itself through F-15 and
early warning aircraft.
With the pulling out of the U.S. troops in 1971 from the Korean peninsula, the first
corps US- ROK Forces was founded. This was a direct result of the trust and confidence
the ROK Forces had gained from the US- ROK Forces cooperation in the Vietnam War.
Furthermore, in 1978, ROK-US CFC founded and still stands today. Their efforts have
deterred threat by DPRK strong defense on the Korean peninsula. The ROK Forces also
make great contributions to world peace. In 1991, starting the Gulf War, ROK Forces
have been dispatched to Iraq and Afghanistan. After the end of the Iraq War, Oone unit
even stayed behind in Ervil to provide assistance to the post-war reconstruction in 2004.
In addition, ROK Forces currently are located in parts of Lebanon , gulf of Aden , Haiti,
south Sudan this year.

5. Conclusions
An oriental strategist SUN TZU, said that the war leaves huge damages, so nations
4
should be cautious about breaking out a war. In other words, what is more favorable

4 http://en.wikipedia.or/wiki/The_Art_of_War(2013. 08. 20)