Vietnam war US allies

President Johnson from the beginning tried to attract as many countries as he could to give the idea the “Free World” was fighting communism. Many countries sent aid, largely in the form of medical supplies but only seven countries sent troops to the Peninsula in response to that “Free World”, although the adjective “Free” is a euphemism.

The most striking was the Korean dictatorship. Seoul decided to support its U.S ally who had saved them from the communist invasion the previous decade, with a deployment of forces for missions of the second line, at least in theory because it soon began to undertake combat operations.

Initially there were 200 men in February 1965, i.e. before the massive influx of U.S troops, but their numbers had grown to about 47,829 soldiers in 1967, with preparation and training. Their tactics were American, their coaches on the Korean Peninsula, but the methods were peculiar and often brutal.

The assigned area was the east coast between the towns of Cam Ranh and Qui Nhon and patrolled with great fanaticism, after all they knew at first hand the actions of communist regimes. In 1967 a company subcoreana was attacked by a formation of EVN far superior in numbers. The battle ended in a bloodbath, with 243 casualties for the Vietnamese and a humiliating withdrawal.

The Koreans were in South Vietnam until March 1973 with a mission to keep open lines of communication in ports in addition to dealing with the Vietcong. For its part Australia sent a larger force. The first Australians arrived in Indochina in 1962 as advisers, but in 1965 the Canberra government increased the quota to 1,400.

This contribution was of great importance to the U.S and its attempt to unite the entire free world against communism, so much so that this detachment was received by General Westmoreland himself. Australians also had experience in fighting in the jungle. They had fought against the communists in Malaysia. Continent Novisimo troops continued rising in numbers reaching 7672 soldiers and officers in 1967 on search and destroy missions on a small scale throughout Vietnam, but mainly in the province of Phuoc Tuy.

In 1968 the changing situation made it necessary to carry out joint missions with the Americans to defend bases of Hoa Binh and Long Binh, but this increase in the struggle was not much less appreciated in the country.

Australia’s participation in the war was far less popular than in the United States and provoked a controversy out of proportion to the amount of troops sent. In December 1972 the last Australian soldier retired leaving a balance of 46,852 participants, 492 had been killed, 2398 wounded and had cost 500 billion dollars. However, the largest contingent Thailand sent a total of 11,568 soldiers.

Also the U.S. allowed its territory to be used to operate the B52, the fighters and reconnaissance planes and for the Center for Monitoring Infiltration. The fear that Vietnam would take over the whole Indochina Peninsula and spread communism contributed much to send so large a share.

The Philippines contributed 2,000 troops, perhaps to get permission by the dictatorial regime which implemented President Marcos in the archipelago. Taiwan also shared the fear of communist invasion of South Korea and Thailand, but only sent 31 soldiers and Spain’s Francisco Franco anticommunist military sent 13 doctors, of which two would be wounded repelling the attack during the Offensive.