Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

Yep.

Heard the same type of story with a few twists.

The prisoners were VC, not NVA. The unfortunate "example" was held outside the chopper by a gunners belt and the belt was slowly cut with a K-bar unitl it severed. It sounds like this may be one of those perpetuating VN war myths.

I do know this from first hand experience though. The ROK Marines were bad-ass to the nth degree.

One time when I was flying gunner in 34s, we were extracting a bunch of ROK Marines from a really hot zone and they just kept piling on the chopper. The crew cheif was outside the chopper door trying to maintain order but they didn't understand English. The pilot came over the intercom and told us to kick any additional ROKs out since he was overloaded. I literally put my foot in the chest of the nex ROK Marine and kicked him out the door. He bounced off the ground and came at me with his M-16 leveled. I thought I was dead! Had it not been for a ROK officer grabbing this guy by the knap of the neck and kicking the wholly s--t out of him, I may have been dead.

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

charlie8137;32344 wrote: As the story goes, ROK Marines had captured NVA regulars and on the flight back to Marble Mountain they started integrating an officer. He wouldn't talk so they grab another NVA soldier and threaten to throw him off the helicopter. The NVA officer still wouldn't talk. They held NVA soldier out of the helicopter door holding him by his clothes and keep asking the NVA officer more questions. He still wouldn't talk. They let go of the NVA regular and as the story goes the NVA officer started talking.

I knew ROK Marines we tough but anyone heard of this rumor?

During my tenure in Vietnam,Republic of.,I often had the honor of flying in support of & partying with the ROK Marines in & around the Danang area. I found them to be totally dedicated.,regardless of the 'task' at hand.,be it clearing a 'suspected' VC ville.,or tipping the beaker. They do NOT half-step & the Vietnamese people took them most seriously.
Given a choice.,I'd rather have a ROK fire-team covering my six.,than entire company of their RVN counterparts. One of the finest fighting forces on earth & a great bunch of guys. OOHRAH !!!
Craze

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

They do NOT half-step & the Vietnamese people took them most seriously.

They do not and I was pleased to haul them around the Arizona territory near An Hoa for my last few weeks on flight pay before I rotated in December of 1968. Great fighters and tough!
When they were leveling to oldest of the hootches at MMAF the Commander asked if his unit (smaller than a platoon, but bigger than a squad) could bring down the building. The Navy Chief said he didn't have time for "help" he needed them down RIGHT NOW! The ROK Marine took a step back gave a slight bow from the waist and he and four of his unit leveled the hootch without any tools in 8-10 minutes!! I SAW it myself! It was in a pile of rubble so the forklifts/loaders could haul it off!!

To help the myth along, we hauled what I thought was 13 prisoners from the Dong Ha area to DaNang early in 1968, but after TET. Guarding them were two ROK Marines. I was told to keep my hand gun at the ready, and I carried a .45 when I could, but I didn't need it. When we got to Da Nang we delivered all 12 prisoners. I'm guessing they miscounted.... but I was a new on flight pay gunner at the time and probably got it wrong......

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

1. The FNG presentation at Phu Bai included a stern warning not to do what was mentioned in the earlier post.

2. The ROKs would trade anything for a Playboy magazine.

Wayne

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

Around Nha Trang The area was almost free of VC. That was an area controled by the ROK. I remember in Korea 1953 where a ROK Officer of the day found a guard asleep on duty. No Court Martial required !! He blew his brains out with his 45. That man was not even woke up !! SF PM

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

Joe Reed;32348 wrote: They do not and I was pleased to haul them around the Arizona territory near An Hoa for my last few weeks on flight pay before I rotated in December of 1968. Great fighters and tough!
When they were leveling to oldest of the hootches at MMAF the Commander asked if his unit (smaller than a platoon, but bigger than a squad) could bring down the building. The Navy Chief said he didn't have time for "help" he needed them down RIGHT NOW! The ROK Marine took a step back gave a slight bow from the waist and he and four of his unit leveled the hootch without any tools in 8-10 minutes!! I SAW it myself! It was in a pile of rubble so the forklifts/loaders could haul it off!!

To help the myth along, we hauled what I thought was 13 prisoners from the Dong Ha area to DaNang early in 1968, but after TET. Guarding them were two ROK Marines. I was told to keep my hand gun at the ready, and I carried a .45 when I could, but I didn't need it. When we got to Da Nang we delivered all 12 prisoners. I'm guessing they miscounted.... but I was a new on flight pay gunner at the time and probably got it wrong......

Wow,Joe.,I believe that a dialog has opened up that may challenge the "Daily" for posts & comments. When addressing the subject of ROK Marines.,we are talking about 'Rock' Marines. They give a whole new definition to "born again hard".
Up in I Corps.,you & I & others had the occasion to work with forces separate from our own. The ARVN Rangers were probably the most trust worthy of their forces.,the Nungs
could seriously effect your "pucker factor" on an emer. extraction.
We often had POW's to air back from a ville that the ROK's had cleared. They taught me the value of a 50 ft. length of det cord with a cap at the end. Double wrap around the neck.,POW's arseholes to bellybutton.,a pull of the ring...,& heads would start popping off like heads on dandelions. Most effective in the absence of guards.
Craze

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

pm3777;32350 wrote: Around Nha Trang The area was almost free of VC. That was an area controled by the ROK. I remember in Korea 1953 where a ROK Officer of the day found a guard asleep on duty. No Court Martial required !! He blew his brains out with his 45. That man was not even woke up !! SF PM

Any VC remaining in an area controlled by the ROK.,must've either lost their map references.,or lost their minds.
Craze

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

caught the ROK's exercising one day- one was slacking off, and the NCO in charge took a 2X4, whooped him across the back, then his head, breaking the wood. Poor guy fell like an anchor. thought he was DRT (dead right there). After a couple minutes, he stood up, did a shake, and resumed the exercises like nothing happened, with a face full of blood !! I won't mess with them, but wished I could have them covering my 6 !!!

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

Those ROK's are bad men. We had a Squadron member get into it with one, and we were lucky we got him out, and away from them when we did. They moved out the next day, and it was forgotten. The Squadron member was very lucky. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

Two incidents ......

I was returning from the MMAF enlisted shower one night in early '68, when
I came across a circle of ROKs out on the beach road. It seems that the ROK
Lt was disciplining a ROK trooper he caught out in Cabbage Patch.

What you heard from the center of the circle was: HIYA! WHACK! ... and
every now and then a little body would fly thru the ring of surrounding ROKs.

The two ROKs the body passed between would pick it up and throw it back
into the center of the ring .... and the sounds would begin again.

#2

The next night at the MMAF E-club a little ROK, about 90 lbs, was walking around
the club with a scowl on his face and his right arm rigid with fingers extended.

He passed by an adjacent table and a big ol blond Georgia boy, about 6 3 and 210,
took exception to the ROK's "attitude". He was of course well past three sheets to
the wind. All of his buddies tried to hush him, to no avail.

Well, he finally called the ROK outside, and before he finished his windup for a
haymaker, the ROK had hit him three times. The first was a right handed blade
stab to the throat with extended fingers, the second was a kick to the groin, that
doubled him over, and the last was a chop behind the left ear as he went down.

BAM! BAM! BAM! The brute laid face down in the sand for the next half hour.

The way the ROKs made rank was, the meanest, baddest, SOB got the rank.

We used to go down south of Marble to their CP to pick them up and would see
their continuous volleyball game degenerate into a Tae Kwon Do brawl.

Those that were not playing VB would be plunging their hands into a bucket of
sand. One thing I noticed was all the ROKs fingers were the same length.

Constant sand bucket practice tended to do that.

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

Those that were not playing VB would be plunging their hands into a bucket of
sand. One thing I noticed was all the ROKs fingers were the same length.

Constant sand bucket practice seemed to do that.

Thanks for reminding me Mike! I had forgotten that! Just one of their "tricks of the trade"!! Probably made their quick dismantling of the hootch easier! LOL!

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

We, 265 had a run in with them as well. Just can't remember what almost got one of our CrewChiefs head whacked off. The Gunny ROK had a machette, and was going to get either a knife back, or some money from a poker game, (or his head one). We got our man out of there and Fast. We were gone by the time the Gunny ROK knew about it. Those buggers were mean, and I mean,* mean. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

Another time ....

We were moving a unit of ROKs and they were loading the 53 I was on.

I watched two little ROKs struggle up the ramp with what looked like a
300 lb box, supervised by a ROK Sgt. They dropped the box dead center
in the forward cargo bay. I saw more similar boxes coming up the ramp,
and got the SGT's attention. I let him know that the first box needed to
be moved to the right.

He screamed something in Korean to the two troops over the sound of
the engines, and made three hand jabs to the right at shoulder level. They
were so quick, in the blink of an eye, I just saw the hand stop three times.

I was certainly glad that I was not in front of that hand! :eek::eek::eek:

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

[QUOTE=Mike Amtower;32369]Two incidents ......
I was returning from the MMAF enlisted shower one night in early '68, when
I came across a circle of ROKs out on the beach road. It seems that the ROK
Lt was disciplining a ROK trooper he caught out in Cabbage Patch.

That's funny-I was the CC on a slick and we had picked up a ROK General and Lt Col.
The General was in the left seat and the Lt Col was in the back. The Lt Col leaned over to me and yelled "The General wants to know how much a short time costs in Danang". I guess RHIP is alive and well In the ROK military.

I have heard the nva/vc toss story since 1966, it has included the Marines, Army, ARVN,s and Air America->CIA.

Semper Fi
Mike Miller VMO2 66/67

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

I was passing by the ROK Marine compound in Danang metro on my way to visit a girl one day. One of their platoons was undergoing a rifle inspection. As the inspecting officer turned to face a man.,the staff accompanying him braced in front of the preceding man in the front rank.
I don't know what transgression the poor guy had committed.,but the staff took a nice beefy swagger stick that he was carrying & hit the kid 3 good whacks right across the back of his hands.
That guy didn't drop the weapon,didn't flinch,didn't bat an eye,whimper,or even flush.
I worked with the ROK's several times.,partied with them even more at their club down the road from Marble. Never had any problems with them.(There WAS a senior NCO @ their club that was envious of the tricked out .45 that I carried,but his efforts to buy it from me were good natured.)
Craze

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

2 stories. We were shut down at the Korean pos before an insertion, 6 ROK's were in a circle argueing, all of a sudden the highest ranking one slapped another across the face,this continued on down til the last man was slapped, one after another!!!! Another time 3 of us were in DaNang when they had ""liberty""(lasted about 2 weeks), an Army MP was bustin' our hump about something?, this jeep comes skidding up and a full bird colonal ROK tells this MP to back off and for us to get in the jeep, he says "where you want to go marines!! I forgit where but he gave us a ride there!!!! AND they knew we always had cameras and would pose(as fieriously as possible) for us to take their picture.AND, you've heard of a polish mine sweeper,well if we got a ROK medivac due to boobie trap you could rest assure we were going to have 3 or 4 more. They are fearless but they loved American Marines!!! yeah thats more than 2!!!!! Huey Guns semper fi

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

I had another come to mind ......

I had a couple of buddies that were air controllers up at Khe Sanh.

They would sometimes come down to Marble for some in country R&R.

There're two Marines in this pic, as a thumbnail, they are hard to see.

The smaller one on the left is Lonnie Darr. I forget the name of the other.

The one on the right ended up going to Japan with half the door of the Khe
Sanh control tower in his butt. He was up in the tower directing air traffic
when a 122 landed on the top step of the tower.

Here's a link to a pic of the tower.

https://www.popasmoke.com/visions/image.php?source=1087

This is a later pic, because I recall in early '68 when I was up there, it was
wood framed and a bit smaller. This may have been after my buddy wore
half the door to Japan.

This ROK story is about Lonnie.

It seems that he was in downtown Danang enjoying the ministrations of
a girl in one of the many houses of ill repute.

He was, in his words, "in mid-stroke" when the MPs busted in the front door
of the place. He said that "the girl didn't miss a stroke, she slapped the wall
next to the bed and it flipped open to a back ally. She rolled him off out in
to the ally in his birthday suit and the wall slammed shut."

There he stood when a ROK MP came running around the corner, he took off
at a dead run. Some blocks later the ROK cornered him in a blind ally.

The only identifying mark on him was a bulldog tattoo wearing a USMC helmet
on his arm.

On the way back to the MP HQ in the back of a jeep wrapped in a blanket, the
ROK looked over at him and grinned and said: "You run good Maline."

Click on the pic below for a larger image.

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

R.T.Foster;32394 wrote: 2 stories. We were shut down at the Korean pos before an insertion, 6 ROK's were in a circle argueing, all of a sudden the highest ranking one slapped another across the face,this continued on down til the last man was slapped, one after another!!!! Another time 3 of us were in DaNang when they had ""liberty""(lasted about 2 weeks), an Army MP was bustin' our hump about something?, this jeep comes skidding up and a full bird colonal ROK tells this MP to back off and for us to get in the jeep, he says "where you want to go marines!! I forgit where but he gave us a ride there!!!! AND they knew we always had cameras and would pose(as fieriously as possible) for us to take their picture.AND, you've heard of a polish mine sweeper,well if we got a ROK medivac due to boobie trap you could rest assure we were going to have 3 or 4 more. They are fearless but they loved American Marines!!! yeah thats more than 2!!!!! Huey Guns semper fi

I'm sure that they experienced fear just like any other 'carbon life form'.,they just never showed it.,& kept it in total control with mental discipline. They did,indeed,revere American Marines & if ya met them halfway.,we could do no wrong.
Semper Fi & hand salute to the ROKMC.
Craze

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

Mike Amtower;32395 wrote: I had another come to mind ......

I had a couple of buddies that were air controllers up at Khe Sanh.

They would sometimes come down to Marble for some in country R&R.

There're two Marines in this pic, as a thumbnail, they are hard to see.

The smaller one on the left is Lonnie Darr. I forget the name of the other.

The one on the right ended up going to Japan with half the door of the Khe
Sanh control tower in his butt. He was up in the tower directing air traffic
when a 122 landed on the top step of the tower.

Here's a link to a pic of the tower.

https://www.popasmoke.com/visions/image.php?source=1087

This is a later pic, because I recall in early '68 when I was up there, it was
wood framed and a bit smaller. This may have been after my buddy wore
half the door to Japan.

This ROK story is about Lonnie.

It seems that he was in downtown Danang enjoying the ministrations of
a girl in one of the many houses of ill repute.

He was, in his term, "in mid-stroke" when the MPs busted in the front door
of the place. He said that "the girl didn't miss a stroke, she slapped the wall
next to the bed and it flipped open to a back ally. She rolled him off out in
to the ally in his birthday suit and the wall slammed shut."

There he stood when a ROK MP came running around the corner, he took of at
a dead run. Some blocks later the ROK cornered him in a blind ally.

The only identifying mark on him was a bulldog tattoo wearing a USMC helmet
on his arm.

On the way back to the MP HQ in the back of a jeep wrapped in a blanket, the
ROK looked over at him and grinned and said: "You run good Maline."

Click on the pic below for a larger image.

Thanks for the pic,Mike,& that has to be one of the funniest stories that I've ever heard. I can hardly wait for my grandson to get home from school so that he can read this.
Until this thread started.,my thoughts are,that he was thinking that "Granpa" was making 'slight' deviations from the truth about the ROKs. 😀
Craze

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

I, and several Army Men, and a Sgt. I went to the club with was caught out close to marble one night, but it wasn't by the ROKS. The vc thought they had at least 2 white eyes, but we hid in the wall, until the MP's caught up with them, then they had to go on to the mountain to keep from being caught. I never did leave the Base again. We were several miles from Danang and our Squadron. The beer sure was colder than the clubs though. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

John Ace Hunt;32407 wrote: I, and several Army Men, and a Sgt. I went to the club with was caught out close to marble one night, but it wasn't by the ROKS. The vc thought they had at least 2 white eyes, but we hid in the wall, until the MP's caught up with them, then they had to go on to the mountain to keep from being caught. I never did leave the Base again. We were several miles from Danang and our Squadron. The beer sure was colder than the clubs though. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.

Ace.,I always went out the main gate @ Marble in the afternoon. Thumbed a ride to their club.(there was always somebody headed that direction) Then later,when the 'party' was over,the ROK's would load my drunken butt into a jeep & haul me right on back to my hooch. Belly full of Crown Ale,Szechuan beef,& kimchi.
Never had any run-ins with VC (imagine that)...,& the gate MP's never argued with them. LOL
Craze

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

Thats Great Craze. The deal was the Army Men were already there, and here we wanted a very cold beer, and got on this Sgt's mo-ped and took off to Marble at a house next to the fence. Everything was fine until the vc decided to make a sweep back to the hollow mountain, and noticed our mo-ped parked at this house with a warm motor. They knew we were there, and decided to try to find us, but the Momma San had us get all evidence of us up, and get into the wall. The 4 of us could hear the heart beats of each other it seemed, and we just knew bayonets would be coming through the tin walls any moment, but didn't. The Marble Mt. MP's were right behind the vc, and they left rather fast, and went on into the Hollow Mountain. We got the bike going again, and took off back across Liberty Bridge, to Danang. The Gate MP's didn't stop us, and we went on to our seperate huts. I can say for sure we never went out again. When I went to Chu-Lai after that, became a Marine MP with the Army's 23rd Americal, now thats is a different story. We stayed in the vile outside the gate when we were off duty. It was good Duty, and after 4 weeks on both #1, and #2 gate, two weeks each gate, I lucked out and became the lead Jeep gunner on the convoy from Chu-Lai to Hill 63 every day for a month. The last week They tried to blow my jeep up, and I eventually extended for 265. I believe we were very fortunate for sure. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

We got shot down outside of hill 55 in 1967. The rocks never stopped their exercises. We set up our own perimeter and waited for resupply of #7 intake air supply tube and the fuel supply line. Through it all we never saw a Rok Marine. BUt sure had a lot of mosquitos or something flying around.
S/F
J. Lynch
GySgt Retired
HMM 263

Re: I remember a story or rumor about ROK Marines

J. Lynch, I crashed at LZ-211 on Aug. 27th,'69, and soon as I hit the deck, the ROKS had me surrounded, and gave me enough time to fill the fluid up in #2 and we flew it to Marble Mt. to change it. They did good. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.