The area was swarming with stocky guys in Duck Hunter camouflage.

A guidon flapping in a wet sea breeze indicated the compound contained elements of the Blue Dragons.

Personally, I was interested in a couple of other things on that trip.

This photo shows a South Korea Marine of the Blue Dragons with a M16 rifle, bayonet, helmet and camouflage uniform. He is taking cover behind a hedgerow while waiting on an order from his sergeant to start the search and destroy mission looking for Viet Cong communists in South Vietnam.

In July, 1967, a Republic of Korea (ROK) Marine crouches behind a hedgerow and awaits the order to move out during a sweep and clear mission west of Binh Son. Image: Cpl. Cowan/U.S.M.C.

), had recently been issued the M16 rifle.

Were they having the same sort of problems with it that were being reported by American counterparts?

[The South Koreans were one of several nations supporting South Vietnam in the Vietnam War.

In this photo, ROK Marines unload a Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter from the United States Marine Corps that delivered supplies like food, rice, ammunition, water, and medical supplies. Things like first aid kits, bullets, mines and grenades were needed to fight North Korean soldier infiltrators attempting to overthrow the legitimate government of South Vietnam.

South Korean Marines of the Blue Dragons, offload supplies near Hoi An, Vietnam. The ROK Marines were supplied by Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265. Image: Lance Cpl. R. F. Nelson/U.S.M.C.

ReadAmericas Allies in the Vietnam Warfor the full story.]

Who had the effective methodology here?

Was it the old American iron fist in a velvet glove SOP in counter-insurgency warfare?

In this photograph, Republic of Korea Marines point rifles at terrorists who were setting up an ambush from a cave. The VC prisoners were taken into custody and turned over to investigators

During a September 1967 operation, ROK Marines capture Viet Cong militants who were hiding in a cave. Image: Sgt. Ryan/USMC

Or did the Koreans have it right with kick-ass and never mind taking names approach?

What was clear immediately was that these Korean Marines were a physical bunch.

They were aggressive in everything they did, including swift corrections for malcontents or miscreants.

In this image, South Korean Marines demonstrate martial arts during the Vietnam War. Korea is often associated with Taekwondo. However, there are many practitioners of karate, judo, kung fu, Chinese martial arts, kick boxing, Japanese martial arts, mixed martial arts and more. Several of the men in this jpeg are black belts.

A member of a Korean Marine Brigade demonstrates his proficiency in martial arts before a crowd of U.S. Marines at the Chu Lai. Image: Lance Cpl. Cowen/U.S.M.C.

Bad move against an aggressive outfit like the Blue Dragons who believed in close combat and overwhelming firepower.

Intimidation by reputation is a thing in some cases.

The ANGLICO guys said this was typical.

In this picture, ROK Marines set up a hasty defense on a barrier island near Da Nang in Vietnam. They are equipped with M16 rifles, M14 rifles a M71 LAW and a M79 grenade launcher. One Marine is a radioman with a combat radio as part of his military gear. A river is visible in the background. The Marines are in grass in the beach sand.

Republic of Korea Marines set up a hasty defense perimeter on Barrier Island, 12 miles southeast of Da Nang. They were inserted by helicopters to search for the enemy. Image: Cpl. C. R. White/U.S.M.C.

The Korean Marines were nothing if not thorough in exploiting a battle site.

They usually returned from a field operation with a sizeable stock of captured weapons and ammo.

And all of them seemed to have some sort of family horror story relating to North Korean oppression.

In this photo, South Korean Marines ride an AMTRAC during Operation Dragon Fire. An AMTRAC is also known as a landing vehicle tracked. It is an amphibious vehicle used by the United States Marine Corps. As an armored fighting vehicle, it acts similar to a M113 armored personnel carrier, but it is much larger. More soldiers, equipment and other gear can be safely transported in one.

ROK Marines ride atop anAMTRACto Hill 26 during Operation Dragon Fire in September 1967. Image: Sgt. Ryan/U.S.M.C.

That said, we did note that certain platoons took precautions.

Like their American Marine counterparts, the ROK Marines generally didnt use the issue sling.

That kept it handy for failures to extract if a cartridge casing stuck in the chamber.

This photo is of the 9th Infantry Division arriving in South Vietnam. The 9th Infantry Division, also known as White Horse Division after the victory of Battle of White Horse Hill, is an infantry division of the Republic of Korea Army. The unit is composed of the 28th, 29th, 30th infantry brigades, and an artillery brigade.

Troops of the Korean “White Horse” Division, 5,500 strong, march under a huge sign welcoming them to South Vietnam. Image: U.S. Navy

Seems a landing craft had run aground in the area.

When the rescue vessel arrived a couple of days later, the overloaded beer barge was mysteriously empty.

And there was a hell of a post-op party at the Korean base camp.

In this digital photo made from a film negative, US and Korean Marines swap military rations in the field during combat operations. The U.S. Marine has a M16A1 rifle on his lap. The South Korean Marine has a M26 grenade. The M26 is a fragmentation hand grenade developed by the United States military. It entered service around 1952 and was used in combat during the Korean War. Its distinct lemon shape led it to being nicknamed the “lemon grenade”.

Pfc. Guy M. Wells gets a taste of Korean C-rations and instructions on using chop sticks from Kang Chang, a South Korean Marine, on Operation Meade River. Image: U.S.M.C.

In this news photo, a wounded South Korean Marine is evacuated by US Marines in a medevac helicopter. Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities, or to patients at a rural hospital requiring urgent care at a better-equipped facility using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters and other means of emergency transport including ground ambulance and maritime transfers.

A wounded ROK Marine is evacuated by amedevac helicopterof Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163. Image: Sgt. T. E. Kingry/U.S.M.C.

In this photo, ROK Marines load onto CH-46 helicopters in a grassy field. 	The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight is an American medium-lift tandem-rotor transport helicopter powered by twin turboshaft engines. It was designed by Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol following Vertol’s acquisition by Boeing. Development of the Sea Knight, which was originally designated by the firm as the Vertol Model 107, commenced during 1956.

U.S. Marine Corps CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters rendezvous with elements of the South Korean 1st Marines in the ‘Dodge City’ area south of Da Nang. Image: Gunnery Sgt. Bob Jordan/U.S.M.C.

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