 The French Battalion arrived in Pusan, South Korea on November 29, 1950, and was placed under the operational control of the 23rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, 2nd U.S. Infantry Division.Despite initial fears about French forces being "on the rout", the battalion carried out several successful early actions and earned the respect of General Matthew Ridgway, commander of the U.S. Eighth Army.From January 7–12, 1951, the French Battalion participated in the First and Second Battle of Wonju where it stopped the North Korean advance.