변기영 몬시뇰, 하창호 장군 지평전투 전적지 순례(2017.06.14).

1950년 11월, 800명의 프랑스군인 전투 대대를 이끌고, 한국전에 참가하여, 용문, 지평 전투에서, 남하하는 중공군을 격파한 Raoul Monclar 중령(1892~1964)은 본래 헝가리 이민 출신으로, 1,2차 세계 대전에 참전하여 혁혁한 전공을 세운 프랑스 현대 전쟁사의 영웅으로 전설적인 명장이다.  

 

변기영 몬시뇰, 하창호 장군 지평전투 전적지 순례(2017.06.14)

변기영 몬시뇰, 하창호 장군 지평전투 전적지 순례(2017.06.14)

변기영 몬시뇰, 하창호 장군 지평전투 전적지 순례(2017.06.14)

변기영 몬시뇰, 하창호 장군 지평전투 전적지 순례(2017.06.14)

변기영 몬시뇰, 하창호 장군 지평전투 전적지 순례(2017.06.14)

변기영 몬시뇰, 하창호 장군 지평전투 전적지 순례(2017.06.14)

변기영 몬시뇰, 하창호 장군 지평전투 전적지 순례(2017.06.14)

   
   

 

변기영 몬시뇰, 하창호 장군 지평전투 전적지 순례(2017.06.14).

1951년 2월, 600명의 프랑스군인 전투 대대를 이끌고, 한국전에 참가하여, 용문,지평 전투에서, 남하하는 중공군을 격파한 Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Monclar 중령(1892~1964)은 본래 헝가리 이민 출신으로, 프랑스 현대 전쟁사의 영웅이며, 전설적인 명장이다. 20세 중반까지 세계 1차대전에 참전하여 명성을 떨쳤고,계속 군생활에 몸담아 2차 대전에서는 프랑스와 연합국의 승리를 위하여, 독일 히틀러 군과 싸우며, 빛나는 무공을 세워, 2차 세계 대전 후, 프랑스 육군 중장으로 전화 복구사업에도 많은 공헌을 하였다.

   1950년 한국 6. 25 전쟁 때, 남하하는 중공군의 인해전술로 1.4 후퇴 때, 비극의 함흥철수 작전 이후, 프랑스는 1개 전투부대 600명을 한국전에 파견키로하고, 대대장 후보를 찾을 때, 3성 장군의 몽클라라 중장은 남들이 대부분 기피하는 한국전 파견을 자청하였으나, 대대장 후보는 중령급이라야 하므로, 국방성의 반대로 불가능해지자, 중장 계급을 포기하고, 중령계급 인준을 자청하여, 프랑스 전국에서 한국전 파견병 지원자를 모집, 대대장으로 참전하여, 용문, 지평에서 남하하는 중공군 3개 사단 부대들과 첫 전투를 하였고, 중공군을 가평전투, 임진강 전투, 등에서, 계속 격파하였다.사실 중공군의 전의를 꺾고, 휴전 제안으로 방향을 돌리게 한 것도, 프랑스군 몽클라라 장군 대대의 역할이 컸다.
  
    프랑스 국방성 한국전 참전 관계 담당관 회의에서, 스스로 별 셋의 계급장을 떼어내고, 중령 계급장을 붙이게 강요하여, 신설부대의 정식 대대장으로 한국전에 참전할 수가 있었다. 당시 59세였던 몽클라르 중장은 부인이 아기를 가져, 한국전 참전을 강력히 반대하였으나, 세계 인류의 자유와 평화를 위하여 싸우는 용장의 길을 택하였다.

    마침, 평소 아는 하창호 장군(육군 소장)이 곡수리 성당을 방문하여, 지평 전투 전적지 곡수리의 기념 성지를 순례하면서, 몽클라라 장군의 빛나는 일생과 한국전에서의 큰 업적을 필자에게 소상히 알려주어, 감명 깊게 들었고, 감투병 중환자들이 국가의 안위를 위협하는 지금, 혼자서 듣기에는 아까운 이야기다. 지평면 사무소 옆에는, 국방부에서 건립한 기념관이 있다. -Msgr. Byuon-

<이하는 퍼온글입니다.>  hkjri의 블로그, 한국전쟁당시 프랑스대대장 랄프 몽클라르중령,작성일 2013.07.14 20:36작성자  이대성-

France’s Impact on the Korean War

After the North Koreans invaded South Korea in June of 1950 an emergency session of the United Nations was convened to gather military support for the Republic of Korea. 16 countries from the United Nations offered military aid that fell under United States command. The total international force of all 16 countries combined only equaled one tenth of the US military’s contribution to the defense of Korea with many of the international soldiers being rear echelon types. So the actual amount of combat soldiers was much lower.

However, countries that did offer combat soldiers usually sent their best. England, Australia, New Zeland, and Canada all sent units that went on to fight heroically in great battles such as The Battle of Kapyong and The Battle of the Imjim. Sword wielding Turkish and Thai soldiers were also highly respected for their combat skills. However, out of all the international soldiers sent to fight in the Korean War, one battalion to me sticks out more than all the others. This is due partly to their combat record and also to the reputation and personality of their commander. That unit is the French Battalion de Coree? under the command of the then Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Monclar.

The French Battalion consisted of 39 officers, 172 non-commissioned officers and more than 800 enlisted personnel, the battalion arrived at Pusan on November 30, 1950. During the war 3,421 French soldiers would fight in Korea.

One battalion of soldiers may seem like a small contribution from a country as large and wealthy as France, but you need to look at the historical context of those times. France was deeply involved in heavy combat in Indochine against communists insurgents there, then they had a insurgency in Algeria to combat, plus military commitments to secure their colonies in Africa. Obviously France was spread very thin and could only afford the one battalion. However, the one battalion they did send was an all volunteer battalion composed of some of their top soldiers led by France’s best commander Ralph Monclar.

Legendary French Foreign Legionaire Ralph Monclar
Now why would their best soldiers volunteer to go fight in Korea? First of all, many French soldiers were still embarrassed by the performance of the French military during World War II. This was an opportunity on an international stage to show that World War II was just a fluke and that the French were back. You had others that simply hated communists. Some fought simply for the glory, others were in it for the money since the battalion’s volunteers were payed quite well. Then you had some that volunteered because they had already been to the hot steamy jungles of Indochine and the cold winters of France and figured that Korea would be a nice year around temperate Mediterranean climate since the 38th parrallel runs through the Mediterranean Sea. How wrong those guys were.

The commander of the battalion, Raoul Charles Magrin-Vernerey, who in World War II shortened his name to Ralph Monclar to be more understandable to Allied forces, was actually a 3 star general before the war and voluntarily took a demotion to Lieutenant Colonel to lead the battalion. He was a veteran of World War I where he was wounded seven times and received eleven awards for valor. After World War I, he was left 90% disabled from his wounds. He was sent to Syria to heal and up and lead soldiers there. By 1924 he was fully recovered and was selected for the French Foreign Legion and led soldiers in Morrocco, the Middle East, and Vietnam. During World War II Monclar and 500 French soldiers joined the Free French forces in England. They went on and fought and defeated the Italian Axis forces in Eritrea. He was on the verge of retirement in 1950 when he volunteered to lead the French battalion in Korea.,,,. 

HEROES OF THE KOREAN WAR: LIEUTENANT COLONEL RALPH MONCLAR

+DECEMBER 21, 2006GIKOREA  22 COMMENTS

France’s Impact on the Korean War
After the North Koreans invaded South Korea in June of 1950 an emergency session of the United Nations was convened to gather military support for the Republic of Korea. 16 countries from the United Nations offered military aid that fell under United States command. The total international force of all 16 countries combined only equaled one tenth of the US military’s contribution to the defense of Korea with many of the international soldiers being rear echelon types. So the actual amount of combat soldiers was much lower.
However, countries that did offer combat soldiers usually sent their best. England, Australia, New Zeland, and Canada all sent units that went on to fight heroically in great battles such as The Battle of Kapyong and The Battle of the Imjim. Sword wielding Turkish and Thai soldiers were also highly respected for their combat skills. However, out of all the international soldiers sent to fight in the Korean War, one battalion to me sticks out more than all the others. This is due partly to their combat record and also to the reputation and personality of their commander. That unit is the French Battalion de Coree? under the command of the then Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Monclar.

The French Battalion consisted of 39 officers, 172 non-commissioned officers and more than 800 enlisted personnel, the battalion arrived at Pusan on November 30, 1950. During the war 3,421 French soldiers would fight in Korea.
One battalion of soldiers may seem like a small contribution from a country as large and wealthy as France, but you need to look at the historical context of those times. France was deeply involved in heavy combat in Indochine against communists insurgents there, then they had a insurgency in Algeria to combat, plus military commitments to secure their colonies in Africa. Obviously France was spread very thin and could only afford the one battalion. However, the one battalion they did send was an all volunteer battalion composed of some of their top soldiers led by France’s best commander Ralph Monclar.
Legendary French Foreign Legionaire Ralph Monclar
Now why would their best soldiers volunteer to go fight in Korea? First of all, many French soldiers were still embarrassed by the performance of the French military during World War II. This was an opportunity on an international stage to show that World War II was just a fluke and that the French were back. You had others that simply hated communists. Some fought simply for the glory, others were in it for the money since the battalion’s volunteers were payed quite well. Then you had some that volunteered because they had already been to the hot steamy jungles of Indochine and the cold winters of France and figured that Korea would be a nice year around temperate Mediterranean climate since the 38th parrallel runs through the Mediterranean Sea. How wrong those guys were.
The commander of the battalion, Raoul Charles Magrin-Vernerey, who in World War II shortened his name to Ralph Monclar to be more understandable to Allied forces, was actually a 3 star general before the war and voluntarily took a demotion to Lieutenant Colonel to lead the battalion. He was a veteran of World War I where he was wounded seven times and received eleven awards for valor. After World War I, he was left 90% disabled from his wounds. He was sent to Syria to heal and up and lead soldiers there. By 1924 he was fully recovered and was selected for the French Foreign Legion and led soldiers in Morrocco, the Middle East, and Vietnam. During World War II Monclar and 500 French soldiers joined the Free French forces in England. They went on and fought and defeated the Italian Axis forces in Eritrea. He was on the verge of retirement in 1950 when he volunteered to lead the French battalion in Korea.