Tribute to French Korean War Veterans André Datcharry and Jacques Grisolet

We pause to honor the lives and service of two French Korean War veterans, André Datcharry and Jacques Grisolet, whose interment ceremony took place on May 27 at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK) in Busan. Following their passing in 2025 and 2024 respectively, both veterans were laid to rest alongside fellow United Nations Command veterans who fought to defend the Republic of Korea during the Korean War.

Both men volunteered to serve in Korea as members of the French Battalion under the UNC, joining thousands of French servicemen who answered the call to defend freedom on the Korean Peninsula.

André Datcharry served as an infantryman with the French Battalion from March 1953 to August 1954. During his service, he was wounded twice and later served in Seoul following the signing of the Armistice Agreement. He passed away in March 2025.

Jacques Grisolet served in two separate deployments to Korea, in 1951 and 1953. During his service, he fought in the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge in 1951 and later in the Junggasan area near Chorwon in 1953. In recognition of his wartime contributions, the Republic of Korea awarded him the National Order of Taebaek in 2018. He passed away in November 2024.

The French Battalion in Korea

Despite France’s significant military commitments in Indochina at the time, France responded swiftly to the outbreak of the Korean War by dispatching naval forces and an infantry battalion to support the Republic of Korea under the UNC.

The French Battalion of the United Nations Organization (Bataillon français de l’Organisation des Nations unies, BF-ONU) was composed of volunteer active-duty and reserve personnel. The battalion was formed under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Monclar, a highly decorated veteran of the French Foreign Legion who voluntarily relinquished his three-star rank to command the battalion in combat in Korea.

Arriving in Busan on Nov. 29, 1950, the French Battalion was attached to the U.S. 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. The battalion quickly established a reputation for discipline and aggressive fighting spirit during some of the war’s most difficult engagements.

French forces earned particular distinction during the Battle of Chipyong-ni in February 1951, where they helped defend a critical crossroads against repeated enemy assaults in what became one of the pivotal defensive victories of the war. The battalion later fought in major engagements throughout the Korean Peninsula, including Heartbreak Ridge in 1951, Arrowhead and White Horse Hill in 1952, and operations throughout the Iron Triangle and Chorwon areas between 1952 and 1953.

Over the course of three years of combat operations, the French Battalion suffered 1,291 casualties, including 288 killed in action. For its service, the battalion received two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations and three U.S. Distinguished Unit Citations, later redesignated as Presidential Unit Citations. Today, forty-four French servicemembers rest at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea alongside fellow United Nations Command veterans.

Continued Service After Korea

Following the Armistice, the French Battalion remained in Korea until Oct. 22, 1953, before redeploying to French Indochina. Renamed the Régiment de Corée (Korean Regiment), the unit continued combat operations until July 1955, including heavy fighting at Mang Yang Pass and Chu Dreh Pass.

In 1955, the regiment later deployed to Algeria, where it continued operations during the Algerian conflict before ultimately returning to France in 1962.

A Lasting Legacy

Today, France continues its longstanding support to the United Nations Command through officers assigned to UNC Headquarters in the Republic of Korea.

As André Datcharry and Jacques Grisolet are laid to rest among their comrades in Busan, we remember not only their courage and sacrifice but also the enduring legacy of the French Battalion and France’s continued commitment to peace and collective security under the United Nations flag.