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Chapter 21
I Corps.
As the month moved on our ‘replacements’ began to arrive in the Qui Nhon TAOR ( starting in late Sept. ). Those replacements were the famed South Korean ‘Tiger Division’—our Allies from South Korea. The Qui Nhon Army supply Depot. remained a critical, strategic location and as the war grew in size our Allies began to support the United States and South Viet Nam. The arrival of the South Korean Tiger Division meant that the 2/7 Marines could shift further North to the ‘Tactical Zone ‘ I Corps to meet the ever growing menace of the North Vietnamese Army ( NVA ) as they increased their operations South of the DMZ. There, we would rejoin the Rest of the Seventh Marine Regiment. There were four Tactical Zones in Viet Nam—these were known as I Corps, II Corps, III Corps and IV Corps. These ‘Corps” areas were designated as such by the South Vietnamese Army —the (Army of the Republic of Viet Nam - ARVN ) The U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and the USMC partnered with ARVN to conduct joint operations in each of these Tactical Areas of Responsibility. The most Northern Corps area —I Corps was the home of several Battalions of Marines including 2/7. All military operations in Viet Nam were coordinated by ( MAC V ) the Joint Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. MAC V Headquarters was located at Tan Son Nhut Air Force Base near Saigon. The top military Commander for MACV was Army General William Westmorland.
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