Free World Military Forces

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Free World Military Forces (FWMF, also: Free World Military Assistance Force ) was the name for auxiliary troops from states allied with the USA, which stood by US troops in the Vietnam War . These were sent from countries led by anti-communist conservative governments or military dictatorships. These contingents, with the exception of those from Australia and New Zealand , were essentially paid for and equipped by the USA (undercover until 1969). The Laos Army was also fully US-funded , so the volunteers became mercenaries.

The troop strength of the contingents varied considerably between 50,000 soldiers from South Korea and 10 Spanish medics. Many countries were part of the alliance , but fought under their own flags.

The US Army met with little response from its allies when it came to Allied forces' initial plans to support its ground forces. Nevertheless, the command structure for Free World Forces continued until May 1965. Prior to that, the Free World activities had been prepared by a small force called the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-J-5 , who worked out the plans and policies of this force. With the increasing need for the troops of the later FWMF, General William Westmoreland opened the International Military Assistance Office in December 1964 . The US military leadership had to coordinate with Korea in particular whether the troops would be deployed together with US troops. Separate command structures were formed for the FWMF, but they were in close contact with the US leadership.

Participants with combat troops

In total, the troops of the FWMF numbered around 69,864 soldiers at weddings.

Note: The units are named with their English names, as they are only mentioned under these names in the official reports.

Thailand

Organization and team strength of the RTAVF, 1969

As in Laos, Thai troops had been very little active in South Vietnam since 1964/5. At that time, technical and economic support was also given. They also donated about US $ 250,000 in the form of building materials. The USAF used airports in northern Thailand for air strikes on northern Vietnam, something that has only been officially admitted since 1967.

A total of 37,644 Thai soldiers served in Vietnam from 1967. 539 people died, including five members of the Navy and two of the Air Force. 351 men were killed in action.

The Air Force asked a few pilots who since September 29, 1964 C-123 and C-47 flew. This unit, never more than 45 men, was called the Victory Wing . The airmen increased their pay by supplying GIs with large quantities of marijuana from northern Thailand.

Black Panther Division operations area, 1969

The Thai Navy participated in the coastal protection with the boat Pha-ngan, whose crew formed the small Seashore Task Element (Thai: si hot ), which included 185 men at the height of the operation.

Within the Thai Army they were subordinate to their own command, the Royal Thai Army Volunteer Force (RTAVF, in Saigon. 1969: 290 men). The cost of the troops of around US $ 50 million a year was borne by the USA, they were drilled according to the American pattern and wore uniforms of American style. The armament and vehicles were also provided by the Americans, which remained after the withdrawal of the Thai army. Although called volunteers , 97% of the soldiers were later not volunteers, but rather postponed or serving beyond the end of their conscription. The length of stay in Vietnam was one year each.

Members of the Queen's Cobras at Phuoc Tho, Nov. 1967

As the first unit of ground troops, 2205 men of the Queen's Cobra Regiment ( chong ang suk ), newly recruited since February 1967, were deployed from September 1967 to August 1968. The main area of ​​operation was along "Road No. 15" (QL 15) in the districts of Long Thanh and Nhon Trach in the province of Bien Hoa . The Bearcat Camp, around 40 km northeast of Saigon, served as the base . In addition to American instructors, Australian helicopters were also stationed there from November 1968. Under the command of Colonel Sanan Yudhasaraprasit , there were 328 enemy contacts that first year, the only major fighting was on the night of December 20, 1967 around the Phuoc To camp, with six dead. In total, the unit had 54 deaths.

The Black Panther Division ( konghpon thahan asamat ) - later renamed the Black Leopards - was initially 6,000 men and had started training at the end of January 1968. An advance force was in Vietnam from July 15, full strength (should: 10,730 + 5%) was reached later. Another 5,000 soldiers were added in January 1969. 48 "advisors" were assigned to the South Vietnamese army. The total strength of 11,000 men was maintained until the beginning of 1971, the withdrawal that began after that was completed in August 1971. In addition to numerous smaller battles for the headquarters, parts of the division were involved three times in longer battles for Binh Son and its airfield. From 1969 the attacks subsided significantly. The last major operation was a two-week deployment to Ben Cam in early December 1969. The withdrawal, which began in July 1971, was completed in April 1972, and only a handful of soldiers remained in Vietnam. Home front and consequences: In their homeland, which was dictatorially ruled by Generals Thanom Kittikachorn and Praphat Charusatien , critical reporting about the mercenaries was not tolerated. The Mahāsaṇgha - the supreme administrative body of Thai Buddhism - expressly agreed to their sending after initial hesitation from the end of 1967; outgoing troops were blessed by monks, a clear violation of the rule of the order . Narong Kittikachron, as the liaison officer, controlled the shipment of drugs. Over the next few years, many of the veterans joined the staunchly anti-communist militias of the Red Gaur or Village Scouts , which terrorized the village population in the Thai border regions until around 1976. Former RTAVF commander Chalad Hiranyasiri was the only coup general in Thailand ever to be executed for an attempted coup (1977). On October 22, 1990, Queen Sirikit inaugurated a monumental memorial, on which the names of all the dead are engraved, on the military training area of ​​Lat Ya ( Kanchanaburi ).

Humanitarian aid

A total of 39 countries provided the South Vietnamese puppet government with humanitarian or weapons aid in kind as a result of American demands. Some of these were declared as benefits of the Colombo Plan . In addition to those countries that sent combat troops, the following took part:

  • Argentina: 5000 tons of wheat flour and 20,000 cans of cholera vaccine .
  • Belgium: pharmaceuticals, ambulances; 15 scholarships to study in Belgium.
  • Brazil: medicines and 5000 sacks of coffee.
  • Costa Rica, an ambulance.
  • Denmark: medical equipment; Scholarships.
  • Ecuador: Medicines.
  • France, paid around US $ 155 million from 1956, mostly for cultural purposes. There were also numerous grants and loans of 100 million.
  • Greece: $ 15,000 for medicine, etc.
  • Great Britain, officially did not send soldiers, but maintained an armed embassy guard. Numerous seconded British fought as "Australians" and "New Zealanders." Ships of the Royal Navy repeatedly took on security tasks. The South Vietnam Clasp has been awarded 68 times. Otherwise, medical equipment and a machine were donated to the government printing plant. Then there were five doctors and 26 nurses. Financial aid from 1966–71 totaled US $ 2.4 million.
  • Guatemala: 15,000 cans of typhoid serum.
  • Honduras: one-time clothing donation from a private collection in 1966.
  • Iran donated large amounts of petroleum and products. From 1966 about 20 doctors.
  • Ireland donated US $ 2,800 through the Red Cross.
  • Israel, secret service instructor. Flood aid to a small extent.
  • Italy: 10 surgeons, some fellowships.
  • Japan: US $ 55 million, medicine, two medical teams , technicians, construction of the Da Nimh dam.
  • Canada: Food aid since 1958, plus almost 10 million development aid, including emergency aid and vaccines. 380 scholarships under the Colombo plan.
  • Laos, 1964: $ 4,176 flood relief, in 1966 and 1968 another $ 5,000.
  • Liberia: US $ 50,000 for pharmaceuticals, etc.
  • Luxembourg, blood and plasma transfusion equipment.
  • Malaysia: from 1964 training of 2900 Vietnamese gendarmes and officers; some equipment.
  • Morocco: 10,000 cans of oil sardines (total value US $ 2000)
  • Netherlands, medical scholarships. Establishment of three tuberculosis ambulances; A million dollars.
  • Norway: Flood aid in 1965, refugee aid in 1968 in small amounts through the Red Cross
  • Pakistan gave some flood relief in 1965.
  • Switzerland, microscopes for the University of Saigon; some medical professionals 1966/7.
  • South Africa, medical equipment for around US $ 14,000.
  • Tunisia: 15–20 scholarships.
  • Turkey: Medicine, Vaccines and 1968 Cement.
  • Uruguay: US $ 21,500
  • Venezuela: 500 tons of rice, two doctors.

FRG

The FRG government participated to a small extent, in the first two years of the “More Flag” with “development workers,” loans and donations in kind (30 ambulances), etc. After that, it was topped up to an average of US $ 7.5 million a year after 1966 around 200 "technical advisors" in the country. Another 21.2 million were given as loans.

The Helgoland with eight doctors and 30 nurses served as a hospital ship of the Red Cross (paid for by the federal government). It was in Saigon from September 1966 to June 30, 1967, and then in the Da Nang naval base from October . After a hospital with 170 beds had been built on the mainland, the ship was superfluous.

The Malteser Aid Service initially sent 26 doctors and five professors later. Three of the doctors were killed during the Tet Offensive .

See also

literature

  • Robert M. Blackburn: Mercenaries and Lyndon Johnson's “More Flags:” The Hiring of Korean, Filipino, and Thai soldiers in the Vietnam War. Jefferson 1994.
  • Joseph W. Callaway: Mekong First Light. New York 2004 (including experience report trainer of the Thais 1967)
  • Steve Eather: Get the Bloody Job Done. St. Leonards (NSW) 1998. (Australian Airmen)
  • Stanley Robert Larsen, James Collins: Allied Participation in Vietnam. Washington DC 1985. (Dept. of the Army) 1975-CMH Pub 90-5
  • Richard Ruth: In Buddha's Company: Thai Soldiers in the Vietnam War. Honolulu 2011, ISBN 978-0-8248-3489-0 .
  • [Ministry of Defense of Thailand]: Prawatikanrop khong thahan thai nai songhkram wiet nam. Bangkok 1998 (Amarin) [Official War History]

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.history.army.mil/books/Vietnam/allied/ch01.htm#b2
  2. ^ A b c Larsen, Collin: Allied Participation in Vietnam. 1985, Chapter II.
  3. ↑ David Wyatt: Thailand: A Short History. Silkworm, Chiang Mai 2004, pp. 277-278.
  4. ^ A. McCoy: The Politics of Heroin ... Brooklyn 1992, pp. 190f, 378–379.
  5. ↑ = Camp Martin Cox 1966-7, as the headquarters of the 9th US Inf. Division.
  6. ↑ 135th Assault Helicopter Co., RAN. Ruth (2011), pp. 58-9.
  7. ↑ Son of the Prime Minister who shot at protesters in Bangkok from a helicopter in 1973. McCoy (1992) pp. 190f.
  8. ^ Full section after: Richard Ruth: In Buddha's Company: Thai Soldiers in the Vietnam War. Honolulu 2011, ISBN 978-0-8248-3489-0 . (especially "Introduction")
  9. ↑ Complete section according to: Larsen, Collin: Allied Participation in Vietnam. 1985, chapter 7.
  10. ↑ to the General Service Medal ( Memento of the original from May 9, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.britains-smallwars.com
  11. ↑ Blackburn: Mercenaries and Lyndon Johnson's ... 1994, pp. 13, 27. Three members of the Maltese relief service were killed in the context of the Tet Offensive.