Korean War The 9th Division was hastily created in late 1950 during the
Korean War and operated in the mountainous terrain of
Seoraksan and
Odaesan in the northeast, not far from the 38th parallel. The North Korean II Corps cut it off in late 1950 and the Division suffered heavy casualties. During October 1952, all three 9th Division regiments, the 28th, 29th and 30th (12,000 men) held Hill 395, northwest of
Cheorwon,
South Korea, known as
White Horse Hill. The Division prepared for a Chinese assault. A captured North Korean officer who knew of the impending attack and did not want to be in the fight betrayed his comrades and told the ROKs about it. Many support units helped the 9th Division, but at the end of the day, it was the 9th Division pitted squarely against the Chinese
38th Army. The 9th Division was renamed after the
Battle of White Horse Hill and is known as the White Horse Division. Three 9th Division men received the US
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for their service in the Battle of White Horse Mountain, near
Chatkol. The DSC is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in combat with an armed enemy force. The ROK recipients were
Major General Kim Chon O, 9th Division;
2nd Lt. Chung Nak Koo, 11th Co., 28th Regiment; and
Sergeant Kim Man Su, 9th Co., 29th Regiment.
Vietnam War The 9th Division arrived in Vietnam between 5 September and 8 October 1966 and was positioned in the
Ninh Hòa District at the junction of
Route 1 and
Route 21. The 28th Regiment was stationed in the
Tuy Hòa area, the 29th Regiment at the division headquarters at
Ninh Hòa Base and the 30th Regiment on the mainland side to protect
Cam Ranh Bay. With these three areas under control, the 9th Division could control Route 1 and the population along that main road all the way from Tuy Hoa down to
Phan Rang, from Tuy Hòa north to
Qui Nhơn, and as far north of that city as the foothills of the mountains in southern
Bình Định Province. Significant operations and actions involving the Division include: •
Operation Ma Doo I (): an operation by the 28th Regiment in
Phú Yên Province from 21 January to 7 February 1967 results in ROK claims of 160
People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) killed and 167 weapons captured •
Operation Baek Ma I (): a
search and destroy operation in
Khánh Hòa Province by the 29th and 30th Regiments from 29 to 31 January 1967 results in ROK claims of 390 PAVN killed and 302 weapons captured for no friendly losses • (): to link up the Division's tactical area of responsibility with the
Capital Division in
Phú Yên Province from 8 March to 18 April 1967 results in ROK claims of 831
Vietcong (VC) killed and 659 weapons captured for the loss of 23 ROK •
Operation Hong Kil Dong (): with the
Capital Division in
Tuy Hòa Province from 9 July to 21 August 1967, ROK claiming 638 PAVN killed for the loss of 26 ROK. 98 crew-served and 359 individual weapons were captured
Commanders during Vietnam War • Maj. Gen. Yi So-dong • Maj. Gen.Cho Chun-sung
Order of battle during Vietnam War • 9th Infantry Division • Armored Company • Direct Control Company • Reconnaissance Company • Engineering Battalion • 30th Field Artillery Battalion • 51st Field Artillery Battalion • 52nd Field Artillery Battalion • 966th Field Artillery Battalion • 28th Infantry Regiment • 29th Infantry Regiment (Commanded by future
ROK President
Chun Doo-hwan, 1970-71.) • 30th Infantry Regiment
Unit statistics for the Vietnam War Coup d'état of December Twelfth In 1979, the 9th Division was involved in the
Coup d'état of December Twelfth, when its commander, Major General
Roh Tae-Woo led the unit to
Seoul without orders, away from its normal position near the
DMZ, and supported the take-over of the South Korean government by Lt. General
Chun Doo Hwan. == Current order of battle ==