The Second Korean War - '66-'69

[Ziggy2525]

IIRC, they deactivated the 43rd MASH while I was over there. The 121st Evacuation Hospital (AKA "One-Two-One") was still there though. The 377th Medical Co. (Air Ambulance) was pretty impressive to watch (everything was combat speed with those aircrews).

I was thinking the 43rd was still in Uijongbu in late '75. I was in the 1st Signal Brigade. My company HQ was in Yongsan, but I lived at Camp Casey (small independent detachment supporting 2ID). Used to drive by Camp Mosier going from Casey to Seoul pretty frequently. Seems like the 43rd was still operating then.

 

[Harrison]

I was in the 7th Infantry Div., in Korea, 1966. My artillery Btry was about 3 miles south of the DMZ (Dag Marr region). When on the compound our guns were always pre-retistered on a target in No. Korea. During my tour, three soldiers from my unit were killed and a couple more wounded. It was a low level shooting war.

 

[Retired W4]

The ROK's in the RVN had a reputation as fierce fighters. They were staunchly anti-communist, with the brutality staring them in the face as they grew up.

 

[Targets Guy]

The ROK's in the RVN had a reputation as fierce fighters. They were staunchly anti-communist, with the brutality staring them in the face as they grew up.

ROKs were at Phan Rang AB when I was there. As an intel guy one of my duties was ordering, storing and distributing maps and charts. They were an intense, no nonsense group of warriors and I was very glad they were at Phan Rang.

 

[HorizontalMike]

I see my neighbor every few weeks, when we both happen to drive to the community mailboxes.

Larry was a medic in the 1st Korean War (1950s) and has a few stories of his own. I am just amazed, not only that he is still alive, but that he STILL drives at 92-93yr of age. Geez... a few years (~3-4) ago he got attacked by killer bees while on his Cat. He spent some time in the hospital but survived, even after getting stung in the eyeballs as well. I saw him shortly after he was discharged and he looked pretty bad but just keeps on ticking... just like a Timex.

 

[Harrison]

A lot of people think the Korean War ended in '53. It was never officially over. Just a shaky truce that's still in place today. There's been on and off hostilities along the DMZ from '53 to the present day.

Things were hot enough, the Army paid combat pay along the DMZ until '73. IIRC, as late as the mid-80's a US soldier was awarded a Silver Star for leading a counter ambush against a North Korean platoon that had attacked across the border.

Came across this video that describes the conflict during the '66-'69 time frame. Since it was a small conflict compared to Vietnam, other than the Pueblo incident, the news from Korea pretty much took a backseat to everything going on in Vietnam.

An interesting piece of under reported history

(In the vid, the first minute is advertising for the film maker).

[ame="[MEDIA=youtube]3hpFsKqaIuc[/MEDIA]"]

I was there for the 66 part. My Bn. was about 2 miles south of the DMZ in the Dagmar region. We had troops wounded and killed from both gunfire and mined roadways. Viet Nam was getting all the attention, so this small war never made the news.

 

[Infidel137]

I spent calendar year 1968, more or less, on and in the Korean DMZ, 1/38th Inf., ACTA, etc. People got kilt pretty regularly. There were stories about how it got heated up a few years before.

 

[1lnbrdg]

My passed now Uncle Jack lost 1 toe at Bastone, and 1 toe opsite foot on the Yula river. He was garrisoned in ROC several years, back and forth between ROK and Germany. Of his 3 tours to Vietnam, 1 was as a FAO with a ROK unit, he said it was the best of his Vietnam deployments. They treated him like royalty as he was the only one able to call in artillery and air support.
To not have been a Ranger, he sure had a busy military career. 1 trip to the Philippines after some rebels and a support stint in Panama and "other" South American countries in the early 70's.
This was all I know of, just listening to him and my dad talking, me being a kid. Wish I knew more about him now.

 

[S-W4EVER]

I'm amazed at the progress the ROK has made over the past fifty years. It was like a third world country back then and afterwards they made a quantum leap and doesn't seemed to have slowed down at all.

When I arrived at Osan AB in '73 there was a ROKAF F-86 parked off to the side and a WW2 Halftrack near it. Now they build their own aircraft, armored vehicles, ships, and submarines. I am really proud of how far the (South) Korean people have advanced.