[ANGLICOone]

The Korean Marine Corps was forged in the flames of the Korean War, trained by the 1st Marine Division, with many officers attending officers training in the USA. As for a comparison to ARVN's, there is little comparison. They were the one unit the USMC could trust not to bug out. Maybe one Blue Dragon = 50 ARVN, I don't know.

Even at remote CP's like the recon OP / CAP platoon they practiced taekwondo any day they weren't on an operation or patrol. I'll find a pic of me lifting a barbell made of stone and bamboo at their little dojo on the mountaintop.

As a unit they were still in their "teens" in Vietnam, without the long-established traditions and training that we had. But they had the hearts of warriors. At Trabinhdong the 11th Co CP was partly overrun, some Marines' rifles were quickly disassembled and parts scattered assuming death was imminent, and taekwondo was augmented with e-tools as they lost only 30 in hand-to-hand combat, while turning back two NVA regiments and a VC battalion (those units are smaller than ours). An officer captured later carried documents for NVA units instructing them to avoid Korean Marines.

Two ANGLICO Marines, Jim Porta and Dave Long were also at Trabinhdong. Jim saved the life of my friend Lt Kim, Se-chang when Lt Kim (an artillery FO) was shot in the neck.

Sorry I got windy. But those in the rear with the gear sometimes didn't get along with them, but those of us living with them in the field grew accustomed to their culture and food, and grew to respect their fighting spirit. As my Korean brothers would say............

Pil-seung (Victory)!