Ho trovato per caso questo video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYDCSxB_TI0

 

E mi ha riportato alla partecipazione coreana alla guerra del Vietnam. Diversi paesi mandarono truppe a combattere con gli americani, Australia, Nuova Zelanda, Thailandia, Filippine (oltre a SAS di vari paesi, dall'Inghilterra al Sudafrica), ma il più grosso contingente colà inviato fu quello sudcoreano, che arrivò a raggiungere i 50 mila effettivi. Soldati molto apprezzati dagli americani per la loro combattività (qualcuno dice ferocia), sono scomparsi nel nulla dopo la fine delle ostilità. Ho cercato qualche volume che ne parli, ma non si trova nulla, anche i siti sull'web sono vaghi e quasi sempre comunistoidi, dedicati in massima parte a ricordare la causa che i veterani coreani fecero alla Dow Chemicals e alla Monsanto per i danni subiti a causa dell'Agent Orange.

 

Fra i 300 e i 500 mila coreani servirono in Nam. Non possono essere scomparsi così. Qualcuno sa qualcosa di più?

In realtà erano quasi tutti appartenenti al ROKMC (Republic of Korea Marine Corp)

Ho trovato questo riguardo al loro impiego e alle loro operazioni.

In effetti è molto più conosciuto l'intervento dell'Australia e della Nuova Zelanda rispetto a quello, numericamente molto superiore, dei Koreani.

 

During the Vietnam War, the ROKMC dispatched the Cheongryeong (청룡) brigade to the Republic of Vietnam.

 

At the request of the United States, President Park Chung Hee of the Republic of Korea agreed to send military units into Vietnam, despite opposition from both the Assembly and the public. In exchange, United States agreed to provide additional military funds to Korea to modernize its armed forces, totaling about a billion dollars.

 

The Republic of Korea Army units' Area Of Responsibility (AOR) were the southern half of the I Corp. The Marine Corps units were deployed on the I Corp alongside with US Marines.

 

Initially, the AK47-equipped Vietcong and NVA outgunned Korean soldiers, since they were armed with World War II-era weaponry (M1 Garand and M1 carbine). But they soon received more modern weapons from the United States military such as the M-16.

 

The three main units deployed to Vietnam were the ROK Army Capital (Yellow Tiger) Division, the ROK Marine Corps’ 2nd (Blue Dragon) Brigade and the ROK Army 9th (White Stallion) Division. Various ROK special forces units were also deployed.

 

Most of the operations never exceeded battalion-size, but they also conducted divisional size operations. Before conducting missions, Koreans laid out their plans much more carefully than their allies, with greater fire discipline, effective use of fire support, and better coordination of sub-units. They also had to their favor the distinguished combat leadership of the company and platoon commanders. During village searches, ROK soldiers would subject the settlement to a series of detailed sweeps while interrogating subjects on the spot. By comparison, American units tended to favor a single sweep followed by a removal of all civilians for screening. Such a painstaking approach certainly paid dividends in terms of weapons seizures and reduced VC activity in ROK areas. Koreans quickly learned pidgin Vietnamese language; for fear that most Vietnamese translators were spies for Vietcong and NVA. Koreans also had better field intelligence than their American counterparts. Koreans conducted counterinsurgency operations so well that American commanders felt Korean AOR was the safest. This was further supported when Vietcong documents captured after the Tet Offensive warned their compatriots to never engage Koreans until full victory is certain. In fact, it was often that the NVA and Vietcong were ambushed by Koreans and not vice versa.

 

One of the most notable operations during the Vietnam War was The Battle of Tra Binh Dong in which just under 300 marines successfully defended their base against over 2,400 Viet Cong.

 

A total of 320,000 Koreans served in Vietnam, with its peak strength at around 45,000. About 4,000 were killed. The Korean forces in Vietnam were able to amass a kill ratio of about 25:1 compared to the American's kill ratio of less than 20:1.

 

P.S. Comunque è significativo che la AOR della ROK rimase sostanzialmente tranquilla e che i Vietkong evitassero di proposito di ingaggiare i soldati Koreani.

Modificato 28 giugno 200818 anni da Dominus

Ti ringrazio per la segnalazione. È davvero singolare che non si trovi nulla in giro sulla partecipazione coreana alla guerra, mentre negli USa ho trovato numerosi libri sull'impegno australiano (che riguardò anche l'Aviazione) e neozelandese, oltre che dei SAS di vari paesi del Commonwealth. A quanto ricordo i Coreani inviarono pure Rangers, in Nam.

Cercando un'altra cosa, ho trovato questo:

 

North Korea has made its first official confirmation that it sent jet fighter pilots into action against American forces during the Vietnam War. State-run media reports quoted the late North Korean leader Kim Il Sung, as telling pilots to fight in the war as if the Vietnamese sky were their own. The reports did not say how many North Korean pilots took part. Pyongyang also sent weapons, ammunition and two million sets of uniforms.

 

The decision to actively support Communist North Vietnam was taken in 1965, and endorsed by a meeting of the ruling Workers Party the following year, said the reports.

 

South Korea also took part in the Vietnam War, which broke out a decade after the two Koreas fought their own bitter conflict, which lasted three years and ended in an armed truce and not a permanent peace treaty. About 320,000 South Koreans fought alongside US troops - the largest foreign contingent after the Americans - and more than 5,000 died.

 

Pyongyang was ideologically close to Hanoi for many years, and gave military and political support during the Vietnam War. But relations cooled when Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1978 and suffered another setback when Hanoi established diplomatic ties with Seoul in 1992.

 

Ties between the two Cold War allies have warmed recently, with Vietnam's voicing support for the inter-Korean peace process. The head of North Korea's national assembly and nominal head of state, Kim Yong Nam, is also due to visit Hanoi next week.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1427367.stm

il "Vietnam Order Of Battle", l'opera definitiva sulle forze in Vietnam, da questo organigramma per la Reublica i Korea, presente in teatro dal 19.8.1964 al 23.3.1973.

 

La maggiore unita' fu la CAPITAL DIVISION, con 9 battaglioni di fanteria in 3 reggimenti (Cavalry, 1st, 26th), 4 battaglioni di artiglieria (3 da 105, 1 da 155), oltre a battaglione genio, battaglione corazzato e unita' divisionali varie.

 

Oltre a questa, fu presente anche la 9th Infantry Division, con una struttura simile alla precedente (28,29,30mo reggimenti di fanteria, 4 btg di artiglieria, unita divisionali ma non carri), e

 

la 2 Brigata Marines, su 4 battaglioni (1,2,3 5)

 

Oltre a questi elementi di corpo d'armata, logistici ecc.

 

Non vengono riportati gli effettivi impiegati, tempo per tempo.

 

La zona di impiego principale fu nella provincia di Bihn Dihn, per la Capital Division, Cam Rahn Bay per la nona di fanteria e per la brigara marines

su wiki c'era solo questo:

 

Anche gli alleati degli americani subirono perdite. L'Australia perse quasi 500 uomini ed ebbe 2.400 feriti su un totale di 47.000 soldati dispiegati in Vietnam. La Nuova Zelanda ebbe 38 morti e 187 feriti. La Thailandia ebbe 351 vittime. Le perdite della Corea del Sud furono quantomeno nell'ordine delle centinaia ma, come per le Filippine e in effetti la Thailandia, è difficile individuare cifre accurate per le loro perdite. Anche se il Canada non fu coinvolto nella guerra, decine di migliaia di canadesi si arruolarono nell'esercito statunitense e prestarono servizio in Vietnam. Tra i morti americani ci sono almeno 56 cittadini canadesi.

il "Vietnam Order Of Battle

 

Qjuesto è quello che risulta su wikipedia:

 

The three main units deployed to Vietnam were the ROK Army Capital (Yellow Tiger) Division, the ROK Marine Corps’ 2nd (Blue Dragon) Brigade and the ROK Army 9th (White Stallion) Division. Various ROK special forces units were also deployed.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROKMC#Vietnam_War