2003:

No, It's Not a Farewell Party

by Kim Jun (kjoon@chosun.com)

The 2nd Infantry Division of the USFK will express its appreciation to the local community on Saturday by staging performances and welcoming Koreans to visit the base. The Good Neighbor Day festival at the division's headquarters at Camp Mobile in Dongducheon, in Gyeonggi province and about 20 kilometers northeast of Seoul, will last from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The GIs have prepared a marching band performance and taekwondo demonstration for their Korean guests, and will proudly display their modern firearms and equipment, such as Apache helicopters, M1 tanks and Bradley armored vehicles. Visitors can get a hands-on experience around the equipment with detailed explanations. The event is designed to strengthen ties with local residents and to promote mutual understanding for the Korea-U.S. alliance. While civilians are normally restricted from entering the camp, the base will be completely open for the day like a park. The USFK also has designated May as Good Neighbor Month, and opened up some military facilities to locals and held sports and cultural events. For more information, call (031) 870-8877.

2d ID Good Neighbor Open House in Tongduchon (25 May 03)

On June 3 the Korean government announced plans to form a consultative committee aimed at improving the conditions in which U.S. troops of the 2nd Infantry Division are stationed here. The committee was to be chaired by Lee Young-tak, head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and would be comprised of officials from a number of ministries including defense and foreign affairs and will review various laws after listening to the opinions and complaints of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). However, this can reasonably be viewed as a last minute move to retain the 2nd ID on the DMZ. Unfortunately, it is a move that is too little and much too late. The transparency of this action AFTER the USFK announced its intention to proceed with the relocation and replacement of the 2d ID with a Stryker Brigade Combat Team to be located south of the Han. This brigade will most likely be the 3rd Brigade, 2d ID which finished its final certification between May 17-21.

Orphanage Support: Kunsan airmen continued to support the Kae Chong Orphanage as they have done for the past fifty years. Airmen spend some time on Thursday nights with about 40 orphans.

On 22 April Lt. Gen. Lance Smith, 7th AF Commander, along with Col. Guy Dahlbeck, 8th FW Commander, formally presented two refrigerators and a room air conditioner purchased by the Air warrior Courage Foundation (AWCF). The AWCF contacted Smith to see if there were any organizations in South Korea in need of supplies or financial assistance. A committee was formed to help identify the local organizations and then the AWCF picked whichones they wanted to support. Due to limited military space available airlift, the foundation was unable to ship the supplies, but still wanted ot support the request from the Kunsan orphanage for new refrigerators.

The Moses Children's facility was founded in 1957 as a private facility. It is now mostly funded by the Korean Government and is currently home to 40 children ranging in age from newborn to four. The time Wolf Pack members spend improving their facility and playing with the children is greatly appreciated. "People from the base have been coming here for 20 years and they have always been a great help," Jeon said. "I can tell that they are doing it from the bottom of their hearts," she added.

Airmen Donate Blood: Kunsan AB contributes in other ways to the Korean community.

Airmen donate blood to Korean child

Jan. 9, 2003
By 1st Lt. Heather Healy
8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Two airmen with the rare blood type AB negative traveled to Jesus Hospital, Chonju, Korea, Dec. 28 to donate their blood to a newborn baby girl in need of a blood transfusion.

Staff Sgt. Jonathan Jundt and Airman 1st Class Daniel Crane, both members of the 8th Maintenance Group, were contacted because a Korean newborn baby girl needed a blood transfusion, and she need it immediately.

"I was sleeping when I got a knock on my door," said Crane, who has known of his rare blood type all his life. “They said they were wondering if I would donate blood to a little baby in Chonju.” Both Crane and Jundt volunteered without hesitation and traveled together to the hospital where they each donated a pint of blood.

“I think most anybody, if they had been asked to do this, would have done it,” Jundt said. “I was a little nervous and didn't know what to expect, but it went really well. I can't say enough good things about the Korean people who worked down at the hospital. They treated us very well. They were really appreciative.” The blood donation was life saving, according to Dr. Sung Kwan Park, a kidney doctor at the hospital. Both Park and his wife, Dr. Oh Kyung Lee, who works with premature babies and is the primary physician overseeing the care of the baby girl, were very appreciative.

The little girl was very sick, said Park, and if a blood transfusion did not occur in a timely manner, she risked losing her life or suffering permanent neurological complications.

Maj. Steve Vreeke, 8th Fighter Wing flight surgeon, along with members of the 8th Medical Group, coordinated the life-saving efforts.

“The newborn daughter was having a hemolytic response due to blood Rh incompatibility,” Vreeke said, which means the mother's blood had antibodies that were destroying the baby's blood.

“The newborn needed a transfusion with AB negative blood. However, this blood type is very rare in South Korea, around one in one million. Among Americans this blood type is more common, about one in every two hundred,” Vreeke said.

After a review of medical records, Vreeke and his staff determined there were four Wolf Pack members with the AB negative blood. However, two of the members were unavailable.

Fortunately Jundt and Crane were ready and willing to provide the blood transfusion to the little girl, who is now in stable condition.

“We owe America very much,” said Park, who noted this was not the first time Kunsan Air Base has been contacted in this kind of situation. “We are very happy for the quick response of the flight surgeon and the two gentlemen volunteers.”

There are no regrets on the part of the Wolf Pack members who helped out. “I’d hope for the same if it were my kid,” Crane said. “It made me feel really good. It just makes you proud.”

(PACAFNS)

Retired colonel disputes adequacy of Korea evacuation plan

By T.D. Flack, Stars and Stripes
Stripes Sunday magazine, April 20, 2003

Gloria Kruenegel pays close attention to the news. She lives with her husband, an active-duty airman at Osan Air Base, South Korea, where concertina wire rings the perimeter, Patriot missiles aiming north stand at the ready and aircraft scream overhead after leaving the runway.

Her home is less than 100 miles from the heavily fortified demilitarized zone. As the northernmost U.S. air base in South Korea, Osan likely is in North Korea’s cross hairs. North Korea’s recent missile testing and nuclear saber-rattling scare her.

She’s not alone.

If the threat of war were imminent, Kruenegel would be among the 72,000 Americans whom the U.S. military would have to try to move out of harm’s way, most likely through Japan on the way back to the United States.

Would she get out of Osan safely?

U.S. officials say yes. They have a plan for a Noncombatant Evacuation Operation — or NEO — to get all Americans off the peninsula in a timely fashion.

But one former 8th Army staffer — retired Army Lt. Col. George Amadio — says it’s impossible to move that many people out of a hot zone.

Safety concerns

Amadio says he knows the evacuation system — and its limitations.

He spent 23 years on active and reserve duty, including five years in South Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division and 8th Army operation staff, including one tour with his family. He left Korea in 1992.

His argument is simple: The U.S. embassy says 12,000 Department of Defense noncombatant employees and an estimated 60,000 U.S. citizens are in South Korea. If war looms, the U.S. military simply could not get them out of Korea in time.

Millions of South Koreans fleeing south would gridlock roads, rails and ports, Amadio claims. U.S. military planes and ships would be needed to fight the world’s fifth-largest military, not ferry civilians. That the U.S. military could evacuate them in time “is an impossibility,” he told Stars and Stripes.

His prediction: Thousands of dead Americans. “Forget their cars, their household goods … we’re talking about their lives now,” he said.

But U.S. officials told Stripes they’re confident their NEO plans — if ever needed — would work.

Col. Frank Harman, Joint Task Force Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation staff chief, said Amadio might not have “the full appreciation of the big picture and of things that have been done since he’s left. We’ve considered the problem. We’ve developed a detailed plan. We rehearse that detailed plan on a regular basis and we refine that plan after every time we rehearse it.

So we’re constantly improving it.” A senior U.S. Embassy official also told Stripes, “We’re confident that the NEO would get Americans out of harm’s way and back home.”

(SITE NOTE: The gridlock during Chusok with people clogging the arteries out of Seoul is an example of the nightmare DURING PEACETIME. The gridlock nationwide during summer and other holidays are PROOF that any "detailed plan" to use ground transportation is worthless. These are indisputeable facts!!! The "plan" calls for adequate time for evacuation, but the North will not give notice of an attack. The NEO evacuation "plan" from Seoul using cars and buses is patently worthless. Evacuation from Taegu will be a problem as it is a major vehicle chokepoint and has the same problems as Seoul with vehicles. Dependent evacuation from Osan AB/Camp Humphries (Pyongtaek) are better because of the proximity to Ansan port where the evacuation ships will enter. Ship entry was tested in 2001.)

Chusok Exodus (9 Sep 2003)

But Harman declined to answer the million-dollar question: How long would it take to get 72,000 noncombatants out of South Korea?

“We’ve got some good estimates and assumptions, but it’s part of our classified-ops plan,” Harman said, “so I really wouldn’t want to talk about that.”

(SITE NOTE: "Good estimates"???? You're in the midst of a SCUD/artillery attack. Throw in incapacitating gas and a massive gridlock as people attempt to flee Seoul. I don't think anyone could come up with a "good estimate" based of this scenario. Check out Oplan 5027 for the scenario predicted by the USFK and you see the planning of the NEO is worthless if a surprise attack starts.)

Pull out now?

Amadio blasted the United States for not pulling its noncombatants from Korea before, as he put it, war turns it “into a holocaust.”

“The main thing is to get them with some bags packed, get them on a plane,” he said. “The concern is the little lead time you’re going to have. … The North Korean troops are so forward-deployed that there would be no response time.”

His views were published on DefenseWatch, the newsletter portion of a Web site ( www.sftt.org/index.html ) run by Soldiers For The Truth, a “grass-roots educational organization started by a small group of concerned veterans and citizens to inform the public, the Congress, and the media on the decline in readiness of our armed forces.”

Amadio outlined a five-part solution for moving U.S. citizens from Korea, starting with immediately flying out military dependents and eventually evacuating U.S. dependents and civilians in other parts of South Korea.

“There are just too many people,” he said. “It’s a small city of Americans trying to leave the battle area going south … they’ll just be part of the refugees fleeing south, just like 50 years ago.”

A way out

“We’d use almost every available means of transportation to first relocate them and second to move them off the peninsula,” Harman said of noncombatants.

That includes buses, trains and possibly military airlift to departure points in the south, primarily Taegu and Pusan. “As far as taking them off the peninsula, we would use military cargo aircraft, we would use commercial aircraft that would be contracted by the Department of State and then we would use commercial sealift, which would also be contracted by the Department of State,” Harman said.

The flaw, Amadio said, is that North Korea’s special operations force — which military analysts call the world’s largest of its type — will close southern ports and bases. “I wish there were countries to the left and right, but with the water, there’s nowhere to go,” he said. “With all the special operations in the rear area, everyone will be sandwiched in the middle.”

Harman said NEO planners consider such risks. “That’s part of why we exercise,” he said. “It’s the whole thing of identifying and evaluating risk, mitigating that risk so that we can get the noncombatants off … so we go through that mental drill in pretty good detail.

“If it was a threat situation,” he said, “one thing that we’d have to be very careful of is not to mix noncombatants with forces that would be used in the … fight. You don’t want to have any situation where you’ve got noncombatants in military harm’s way.”

Harman also said NEO planners have analyzed moving people from the northern Area 1, home of the 2nd Infantry Division, to the south. “We understand where the friction and the choke-points are … we have mitigating plans to be able to move noncombatants in those situations,” he said.

(SITE NOTE: USFK plans recognize that the Special Operations forces (SOF) will strike in the rear area. The ROK has recognized for decades that these forces cannot be prevented from entry along the coastline. In 1990, it simply gave up monitoring most of the coastline. These SOF will take out railways and infrastructure to create panic. Also there are "sleepers" already in place in key railway postions. Two years ago, a "sleeper" working for the National Railway System was discovered -- and over the years others in key infrastructure positions have been rooted out.)

He also said he believes South Korean emergency planning would prevent the mass panic that could hamper U.S. evacuation efforts.

(SITE NOTE: This statement is utter absurdity!!! While the U.S. panics and tries desperately to depart, the Korean civilians will remain calm and stay at home???)

In a written statement to Stars and Stripes, Lt. Gen. Charles C. Campbell, 8th U.S. Army commander, said, “Having served in Korea in three different decades, I have seen continued progress in our planning, resources and training exercises involving NEO.

We are trained, ready and resourced to conduct an NEO.” But, he said, “I don’t see that mission happening any time soon. One of my main goals is to have families accompany as many servicemembers as we can support. When families are together, we not only provide stability in the family but also in the servicemember’s unit. … which can only enhance our mission readiness.”

NEO exercises

During the twice-yearly exercises, USFK practices running about 12,000 people through its evacuation-control centers. In the most recent drill, Air Force 1st Lt. Tammy Paul was in charge of the group from Area 5 — Osan Air Base and Camp Humphreys. “There weren’t really many complaints,” she said. “The Marines treated us great. They dug up sleeping bags and went out of their way to help.”

Kruenegel has been an “evacuee” twice. The role players, about 100 in the latest exercise, get a free weekend “shopping” trip to Japan via military vessel, while the military gets to test its evacuation abilities. She volunteered to ease her mind about the NEO — and help the military perfect the process.

“If they had to do this without practice, who knows what the hell would happen,” she said while sitting on the WestPac Express — a giant catamaran the Marine Corps leases to ferry troops. This is the first time the WestPac — which can carry 900 passengers comfortably, more than 2,000 in an emergency — was used in an NEO operation.

Kruenegel was among about 50 volunteers from across the peninsula who traveled via bus and train to board the catamaran in Pohang for the 14-hour journey to Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station, Japan.

(SITE NOTE: The problem with this NEO exercise is that the "plan" used ground transportation which WILL be clogged in case of imminent hostilities. This is not a theory -- but will be a fact as Koreans flood the roads and railway systems.)

Sitting with her was Annette Schaefer, on her first NEO exercise. “I came because I thought it would be a good experience,” she said. “I have kids, and with everything going on, I wanted to make sure I was prepared.”

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Just in case ... Among the first tasks for military dependents and government employees after arriving in South Korea is collecting documents and supplies for an "NEO packet" and "NEO kit," just in case they're ordered to evacuate. Military officials say NEO packets should include, for each person:

• ¶ Passport.
• ¶ Identification card.
• ¶ Birth certificate.
• ¶ Shot records.
• ¶ Insurance policies.
• ¶ Financial records.
• ¶ Powers of attorney.
• ¶ Copies of the sponsor's orders.
• ¶ Vehicle title.
• ¶ Shipping records.
• ¶ Household goods inventory.

NEO kits contain the emergency supplies evacuees would need between processing and relocation. Military officials say those kits, kept in suitcases or knapsacks weighing no more than 66 pounds each, should include, for each person:

• ¶ A three-day supply of lightweight, high-energy, ready-to-eat food.
• ¶ Bottled water.
• ¶ A 30-day supply of prescriptions. ¶ Toiletries. ¶ Clothing. ¶ A transistor radio. ¶ A flashlight. ¶ Extra batteries for the flashlight and radio.
• ¶ For families with infants, a three-day supply of baby formula, diapers and infant-hygiene items.
• ¶ At least $100 and 30,000 won in cash, for contingencies.
• ¶ Gas masks. Within 30 days of arrival in South Korea, each family member should receive a gas mask, which comes in models to fit infants, children ages 3 to 6, adults and adults with medical problems. Officials conduct bi-annual drills that show people how to use the masks. — Stars and Stripes

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USFK Transfers Traffic Violations to ROK The following is a Stars and Stripes article on April 30, 2003 over a major criticism of SOFA where U.S. "criminals" "flee the country" without paying for their traffic tickets. In August, the USFK cars will be registered with the Korean authorities. Under Korean law, the traffic violation is considered a "crime." New car plates will resemble the local plates.

USFK hands S. Korea authority for dealing with traffic violations

By T.D. Flack, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, April 30, 2003

SEOUL — U.S. and South Korean officials agreed Friday to give local off-base authorities the power to administer jurisdiction over privately owned vehicles in the American military community.

The agreement was made during a meeting of a special joint task force formed to improve the implementation of the Status of Forces Agreement between the nations.

South Korea has had jurisdiction since 1966 under Article 24 of the U.S.-ROK Status of Forces Agreement, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade statement, but USFK officials administered the rules. The agreement includes tens of thousands of unpaid traffic violations worth nearly $500,000, which have accumulated since 2000.

USFK officials said U.S. soldiers are required to pay traffic violation fines, but the problem has been that violation notices were often received months after troops had left the peninsula and often came without an English translation or clear instructions on how to contest or pay the fine.

“This phenomenon can be seen to be trivial, but it gives Korean public a significantly wrong impression that USFK personnel are immune from local authority’s jurisdiction,” the ministry stated.

A ministry spokesman said U.S. forces officials requested at last week’s meeting that the unpaid fines for servicemembers no longer stationed in South Korea be scrapped.

The spokesman said that was impossible, but that if the fines go unpaid for five years, they are wiped off the books.

Beginning Aug. 1, the ministry said U.S. Forces Korea personnel must register their vehicles with local government offices and “the vehicles of the U.S. military personnel will be treated in the same way as those owned by Korean nationals.”

The most noticeable difference will likely be license plates. Currently, privately owned vehicles use license plates with a numeral instead of a Korean character preceding the four-digit plate number.

According to USFK, current plates will be phased out in the reregistration process during the next two years, with a final deadline of Dec. 31, 2004.

The new plates “will likely look identical to ROK plates other than minor modifications as necessary to affix plates to an American vehicle,” according to USFK, but the Ministry of Construction and Transportation hasn’t finalized the new plate guidelines.

Other changes include:

• Traffic violation notices will be printed in both Korean and English and provided within 40 days of the alleged violation.
• South Korean registration officers will travel to large military bases, such as Yongsan Garrison, regularly to assist in registering vehicles.
• South Korean officials will send a list of unpaid fines to U.S. Forces Korea each month, and within 72 hours, military police will ban those vehicles from going off base or being sold until the fines are paid.
• USFK personnel who commit traffic offenses punishable by license suspension under local regulations will lose their USFK licenses for periods stipulated by South Korean law.
• USFK will conduct random checks to ensure drivers maintain current liability insurance. Ministry officials said they are happy with the changes and expect “that our law enforcement will become much more effective.”

“ROK particularly appreciates U.S. initiative to render its support for the effective enforcement of relevant ROK laws,” the ministry release stated.

Pro-US Rally

Pro-US rally (Jan 14): (See Pro-U.S. demonstrations .) At Kunsan, 350 demonstrators demonstrated in support of the continued presence of the USFK in Korea on Jan 14. Ironically, the Pro-American demonstration at Kunsan consisted of the American-Town Bar Owners Association, Foreign Organization Employee Union and the Korean contractors at Kunsan. It was NOT "stay in Korea to protect my country," but "stay in Korea to protect my paycheck." Though it also protested the North Korean nuclear program that threatened the peace on the peninsula, the primary focus was on jobs. Han Ki-Hong of the Kunsan Employees Union stated, "This is a matter of our own lives. We are dependent of the base for our jobs." (See Wolf Pack Warrior .)

Wolf Pack Warrior (Jan 17)
Click on Photo to Enlarge

The following story is from PACAF News Service on 21 Jan.

Pro U.S. rally held at Kunsan

Jan. 21, 2003

by Senior Airman Andrew Svoboda
8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- About 350 South Koreans gathered outside the Kunsan Air Base main gate Tuesday to show their support for United States Forces Korea troops.

Although a first for Kunsan, pro-U.S rallies have taken place outside U.S. military installations in Seoul and Osan throughout the past two weeks.

Among those gathered to express opposition to removing United States Forces Korea troops from the peninsula were members of the Kunsan chapter of the Foreign Organization Employee Union, the America Town Bar Owners Association and Korean contractors working with Kunsan Air Base.

The rallies may come as a surprise to some, after the recent outpouring of anti-U.S. military protests and sentiment that followed the acquittals of two 8th Army soldiers in Seoul.

Many of the recent protests against the U.S. military have called for a revision of the Status of Forces Agreement in addition to the removal of USFK troops from the peninsula.

Han, Ki Hong, president of the Kunsan labor union, spoke to gatherers during the assembly. His words reflected those gathered for the rally and were in disagreement with the protest for many reasons, none the least being North Korea’s decision to activate it's nuclear power program.

"We do not want North Korea's light water plant reactivated. We are also against the protesters call to remove the U.S. military from Korea," he said. "This is a matter of our own lives. We are dependent on the base for our jobs."

Han went on to say he hopes this rally and others like it will help strengthen ties between U.S. military installations and those surrounding communities.

"Hopefully, these rallies will influence both the Korean-wide media and anti-American protesters," he said. "We want to send the message to North Korea that we don't want the light water plant reactivation plans to continue." (PACAFNS)

Osan Retailers Form Defense Squads for GIs An article in the Korea Times on 2 May showed a different perspective on pro-US support -- it dealt with the reality that the GIs brought a profit to the retailers and the student protestors were driving business away. The article stated:

Retailers Set Up Squad to Defend US Soldiers

By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

Retailers doing business in front of the Osan Air Base, south of Seoul, plan to organize a squad to defend U.S. soldiers from anti-American protesters.

``Quite a number of people have agreed to form a group to fight against radicals who often stage rallies in front of the base,'' Songtan Chamber of Commerce chairman Lee Kyong-chu told The Korea Times. ``The move is aimed at providing our customers with a safe environment. This is also for our own interests. Most stores here have seen a drop in sales because of the protesters, who often stage violent demonstrations.''

Lee explained some of the owners of 500 stores in the area are willing to join the group because about 95 percent of their profits come from American soldiers in the air base and their families. ``We can't sit idle while our interests are being threatened by the radicals,'' he said.

Student activists have staged rallies in front of the base almost every week since last year's court martial acquittal of two American soldiers whose armored vehicle accidentally killed two Korean schoolgirls in Uijongbu, north of Seoul.

The protests have caused American soldiers and their families shy away from the district, damaging the businesses in the area, Lee said.

Street brawls have often broken out between student activists and local merchants trying to prohibit them from holding rallies, he said.

``Some left-wing parties are using the armored vehicle incident to increase their political clout,'' Lee said, adding that most U.S. soldiers and their families are decent and valuable customers.

Their action comes as business prospects are looking up in Osan, Pyongtaek and Songtan after reports that South Korea and the U.S. agreed to relocate bases in Seoul and north of Seoul to the areas. Since then, apartment prices in the three areas have soared while an increasing number of retailers have moved from Uijongbu and Tongduchon to these areas, according to the National Statistics Office.

Civic activists, who have been demanding South Korean courts be given jurisdiction over U.S. soldiers committing crimes while on duty, criticized the retailers of starting a movement that ``could eventually harm the national pride and interests.''

``It could effectively increase their profits in the short-term,'' Movement for Prevention of Crimes by U.S. Soldiers spokesperson Hong Min-young said. ``I want them to listen to voices from students who have been trying to restore independence from U.S. military protection. Also, they don't have the right to prevent the rallies that are staged in accordance with laws.''

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Kunsan AB Protests

Kunsan AB Protests: The weekly protests continued at the main gate without any major incident. The following is a 1998 blurb dealing from North Korea from KCNA dealing with this continuing protest at the main gate of Kunsan. The rate hike protest fizzled and was replaced by the present "land use" protest which by a group of about 100 who all stand to become instant millionaires if the lands were returned to their unrestricted use instead of being in a "three-mile exclusionary zone."

Rodong Sinmun on anger against occupation army

Pyongyang, March 6 (1998) (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today comments on the anti-U.S. struggle going on in Kunsan, South Korea. The struggle was ignited by the U.S. demanding a threefold or fourfold increase of the U.S. Kunsan Air Base rent by civil aviation and a 50 percent increase of the cost of equipment repair. Over 20 organizations including the Kunsan Federation for Democracy and National Reunification inaugurated a citizens' gathering for the withdrawal of the rent hike, issued a statement and dispatched a delegation to the U.S. base to protest against the demand. They marched into the air base and staged a protest, the first of its kind in the U.S. base. They have staged a demonstration in front of the gate of the U.S. Base on Friday every week. Joining them, the mayor and many other people in the city have urged the U.S. Forces side and the South Korean puppet authorities to withdraw the unwarrantable demand and to completely revise the agreement on the use of the U.S. Air base in Kunsan. The commentary says: The anti-U.S. struggle of the Kunsan people, which has come when the U.S. crimes are increasing numerically, is an expression of strong protest against the U.S. aggressors, who have illegally occupied south korea and are engaged in plunder, an eruption of the South Korean people's pent-up anti-u.s. Sentiments and manifestation of their firm will and patriotic resolution to retake the dignity and sovereignty of the nation. The United States is neither a "friend" nor "protector" of the South Korean people, nor any "war deterrent", but the ringleader of aggression and plunder.

In recent years, environmental groups have waged a protest over the "noise pollution" problem. In the near future, the completion of the Chonju Airport in 2003 may relieve a lot of congestion at the Kunsan Airport and reduce the number of flights currently scheduled. (Go to Kunsan AB Protests: 2003 for details on the local protests.)

Initially during the Iraq War, Korea went on alert for terrorist threats. However, none materialized. However, riot police protection was increased at the gate. During the month-long Iraq War, there was fear of protests at the gate, but the closest thing was a lone protestor with a sandwich board sign stating "No War" at the stop light entering the base road. Throughout the war, the anti-American demonstrations were centered in Seoul. (See Korean Perspective on the Iraq War for details.)

Riot police protection was increased at the gate and now a bus is stationed at the gate. Four riot police are posted at the entrance -- and relieved by other members from the bus. No incidents have been reported with protestors.

Unification Protest at Kunsan AB (9 Aug 03) About 100 people garbed in the blue t-shirts of the Unification Movement appeared in front of Kunsan AB on 9 August to protest the "occupation" of Korea. Claiming that the U.S. forces arrived on 8 Sept 1945 and never left, they chanted that the U.S. should go home. The rhetoric was the same in blaming the U.S. for keeping the Koreas separated. The protest was peaceful and was stopped about a 100 yards from the Main Gate by riot policemen.

This protest was a prelude to the massive protests expected nationwide for the 15 Aug -- Korean Independence Day. The normal protests by REGAIN continued to be held each Wednesday. Civilian Gathering for Regaining of the Territorial Rights in the Kunsan U.S. Military Airbase (REGAIN) is a group dedicated to amending the SOFA, investigating crimes by U.S. soldiers, and recovering the land used by the Air Force in Kunsan. The group size is approximately 100 people, but the protests never amount to more than 8-10 protestors.

Protest at Kunsan AB (9 Aug 03)

On 15 Aug, the riot police were very concerned that there would be a demonstration at Kunsan and beefed up the strength at the main gate. However, there was not any demonstration at the gates. In fact, the main demonstration in Seoul was very muted in its anti-American rhetoric and appeared almost like a Peace March of the 1960s.

After the Liberation Day passed, protests continued intermittently with one student posted next to the Riot Police stand at the intersection to the airport-base. For example, on 24 Aug we observed a lone student sitting on the curbstone next to the riot police umbrella-covered stand wearing a sandwich-board with the phrase, "Noblise oblige." We wondered how many of the airmen at Kunsan would understand the oblique reference of the "nobility's rights" -- the U.S. using Korea's land impudently like a noble amongst his serfs. However, we do find this sole protestor in a way uplifting as he stood as a justification of the democracy that has grown strong since the Chun Doo-hwan era when protests were brutally suppressed.

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4th of July USO Show

USO Show (July 5): (Account by Kalani O'Sullivan) I normally wouldn't have attended, but I felt that it was important that my daughter get a taste of American culture. Though an American citizen, she has been raised as a Korean. However, we are planning to return to the states next year for her schooling so I thought it would be fitting to atleast get her a little taste of American culture and its 4th of July celebration. As an old retiree, I seemed to be out of place amongst the young folks at Wayne Newton's USO show. Also I noticed that because I look Korean, there were a few sidelong glances by the people sitting around us probably wondering, "why were these Korean nationals at an American USO show?"

I was supposed to meet an Air Force doctor friend, Wes Palmer, there, but he was a no-show. I was a bit disappointed as he was the one who talked me into coming in the first place. He was on call so I assumed that a medical emergency had come up. Later I found out that this was the case. He accompanied a patient (retiree dependent) over to Iksan because of an irregular heart beat problem.

I was rather surprised that when I got there about 7:30 pm there were very few people seated. There was a beer stand set up outside with a few folks milling around, but not the large crowd that I'd expected. The stage was set up in Hangar 3 - the old FMS hangar of years ago -- and paint barn from before that. I shrugged it away as it being a Saturday and most folks probably went to Osan.

The stage was set up with the normal stage lights that I would associate with USO. There was the usual pre-show antics with the Wolf and Wolfette costumed figures running around hugging folks. Soon the sun set and the performance started. The show opened as I expected with Wayne Newton's normal Las Vegas style. Having grown up with his music, I was accustomed to his stylings. None of the folks in the audience probably remember the Wayne Newton show, but all the material seemed to be from those performances so long ago. Wayne Newton showed off his virtuosity in playing the guitar and banjo -- but I remember from his past performances that he played just about every instrument known. The performance went off like clockwork -- something that I have come to expect from "Mr. Las Vegas."

Wayne Newton and Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (with "Woody Juvat" in the middle).
(Photo by Lt Col Eric "Wiener" Schnitzer) (80th Fighter Squadron: Juvats website)

The folks were jumping up and down and throughly enjoying themselves. The music was good and the comedian funny. This was first-class entertainment. I smiled to myself at the audience participation part where they get some GIs up on stage to dance with the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. I'd seen this routine in so many films of USO shows dating back to WWII, but it works everytime. The GIs were terrific sports -- and one SP with gymnastic ability doing flips was phenomenal. The crowd was going wild.


Wayne Newton and Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (5 Jul 03)

It was at this point that I started reflecting on how I acted when I was the same age as most of the young airmen in the audience. It was during the Vietnam era when I was their age. I remember the excitement when the Dallas Cheerleaders came to town -- they were "sex kittens" incarnate. Bob Hope, Ann Margret, and all the others who came over to entertain the troops were loved and respected. There weren't any patriotic songs during the acts that I remember back then. Patriotism was not such a popular topic during the Vietnam War -- as the war was not popular with anyone, especially not the GIs who did the dirty work. But the troops loved all these performers who made the trek over there simply to say "thank you" -- while our peer groups back home in college were calling us "baby killers."

As I reflected more, I suddenly realized that I had NEVER attended a full USO show. The closest I got was when I got to see about 15 minutes of a Bob Hope show at Utapao, Thailand. Bob Hope's troupe was late and I had to get to work for early launches on our B-52s. So unhappily I missed the performance. In my four-and-half years of South East Asia war game time, I never got a chance to attend a USO show because of my military duties always conflicted with the USO shows. It suddenly dawned on me that I only got to see the reruns of the performances on TV after I got off work at the beer bars or the club. It was somewhat of a shock to realize this. I never got to see a LIVE USO show -- so this was my first.

But as I reflected on the USO show with all the young pups in the audience screaming and yelling, I realized how much of generation gap there was. I was part of the Wolf Pack when it earned its "Wolf Pack" name in Ubon Ratchatani, Thailand as an enlisted man. Then at the end of my career, I was an officer at Kunsan AB when things weren't so "comfortable" as it is now. All of my memories were from years gone by. I was from the past and these young airmen represent the present. The show was for them -- and I felt like I was an interloper.

Regardless the show was enjoyable for me, but my daughter was bored stiff and drew pictures throughout the show. However, I must admit that the show was not the REAL entertainment for me -- it was watching the young airmen scream and yell. As I watched the officers take up the lead and dance to Chris Isak's songs, I felt a twinge of envy for the good old days. As I watched all the young women gather at the foot of the stage to moon over Chris Isak, I reflected that in "my day" there weren't many women in the combat area -- except the nurses. Also there were no women on the flightline in those days. As I watched all those young people, I envied them for their youth. I was like them once -- and with a bit of nostalgia, I wished I could be like them again.

But for me, the high point of the performance was the singing of the patriotic songs at the end of his show. God Bless America! After a year of extreme anti-Americanism in 2002 in Korea that spewed the most vile sort of hate and bigotry, it was like a breath of fresh air. These songs involuntarily brought a tear to my eye -- which I felt a little embarrassed as I wiped it away. Yes, it was a worthwhile performance -- though my daughter might have disagreed.

Then as we got up to leave, I was shocked at the numbers of folks who had turned up after it had gotten dark, but stood outside the hangar to enjoy the performance. Throughout the performance, I was wondering where those mighty roars of "Wolf Pack" were coming from during the performance when there didn't seem to be enough people in the Hangar. It looked like the whole base had showed up...but had decided to cluster around the beer stand.

After the show we went over and got a hamburger at Burger King and then went to the base theater for the free Movie Marathon playing "Matrix Reloaded." Not surprisingly the movie theater was packed. Stuffed with popcorn, my daughter fell asleep in the middle of the movie. Thus ended the 4th of July episode.

(FOOTNOTE: I was glad that I attended the USO show as in late July, Bob Hope died at the age of 100. I missed his show in Utapao last time, but atleast I got to see one in my lifetime. To millons of GIs from all generations, Bob Hope could do no wrong. To Bob Hope -- and all the folks carrying on his tradition -- I love ya!!! To Wayne Newton and all the people who make the USO shows possible, my deepest gratitude.)

Bob Hope USO Xmas Show for Wolfpack at Ubon 1967 (Dan Cullen) (Ubon RTAFB - USAF 2002) Click on photo to enlarge

Raquel Welch Xmas USO Show for Wolfpack at Ubon 1967 (Dan Cullen) (Ubon RTAFB - USAF 2002) Click on photo to enlarge

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Armistice Anniversary

50th Anniversary of the Armistice (27 Jul): July 27, 2003 marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice Agreement. There were many events involving some 1500 Korean War Veterans at Panmunjom and Yongsan Garrison to commemorate the signing of the Armistice Agreement. In ceremonies at Yongsan, the New Zealand Prime Minister spoke along with Gen Laporte. Henry Kissenger spoke at one of the scheduled events in Seoul.

According to Agence France-Presse on 27 July ("VETERANS REMEMBER KOREAN WAR AS ANGRY NORTH KOREA LOOKS ON," Panmunjom, 07/27/03) it was reported that "amid warnings of renewed conflict from the DPRK, veterans from 16 nations stood on Cold War's last frontier to mark the anniversary of the 1953 Korean War armistice agreement. "Today is a celebration. It is a great celebration. We celebrate the past, we celebrate the present and we celebrate the future," said General Leon LaPort, commander of US troops in South Korea, in the ceremony overcast with rain. He said peace on in Korea was destroyed by "an ill-fated attempt to unify the peninsula under communist control." About 2,500 representatives, including 900 veterans from the 16 countries of the US-led United Nations fighting force took part in the ceremony at Panmunjom, in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea, set up under the armistice agreement. The agreement "represents nothing short of international stand against communist aggression," LaPort said. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark paid tribute to UN troops who died during the three-year war and urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons drive. "North Korea must abandon nuclear ambitions to avoid a further conflict," she said. Clark, however, said the issue should be solved peacefully. The DPRK has described the ceremony as "very dangerous act" at a time when the risk of a far more destructive war was rising."

50th Anniversary Ceremony at Yongsan (27 Jul 03)

The ceremonies at Panmunjon was attended by New Zealand's Prime Minister, Henry Kissinger and U.S. Ambassador Hubbard. There was an erroneous news release -- that was humorous to some. It was reported that the North Koreans were invited to the ceremonies at Panmunjon. The 8th Army PAO quickly caught that snafu and said it was an invitation for DPRK colonels to meet informally at Panmunjon -- not to attend the ceremonies. (NOTE: The formal meetings have not been held since 1994 when the North refused to meet any further. Since that time only "informal" meetings outside of the Armistice agreement have been held.) The DPRK complained that the ceremony was a farce using the UNC name without justification.

The BBC reported that the DPRK criticized the ceremony at Panmunjon ("N KOREA ANGRY AT ARMISTICE PLANS," 07/23/03). "Pyongyang has criticised US-led plans to mark the 50th anniversary of the armistice which ended the Korean War. North Korea described a ceremony to be held on 27 July in the demilitarized zone which separates North and South Korea as "a very dangerous act". But the UN Command in the ROK said it was confident that the event, due to be attended by about 200 foreign dignitaries as well as veterans, would go ahead safely. The deputy chief of staff of the UN Command, Thomas Kane, said that the DPRK had not been invited to the ceremony. He said the DPRK planned to hold its own commemoration in Pyongyang on Sunday. A statement by the DPRK on Tuesday took issue with the role of the UN in the allies' ceremony. "The US should stop its unseemly farce of holding the commemorative event in the name of the UN Command with no legal justification," the statement said, carried by DPRK news agency KCNA. Brigadier General Kane said he did not expect the DPRK's wrath to disrupt Sunday's ceremony. He said the event in a tent in the truce village of Panmunjom would take place in a "safe and secure environment" that will be "respected by all parties concerned". Dignitaries Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and US Ambassador Thomas Hubbard are among those expected to attend."

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Ancient ship found off coast of Kunsan

The Joongang Ilbo reported on 10 Oct,

Ancient ship with relics discovered by fisherman GUNSAN, North Jeolla ? An ancient sunken ship containing thousands of antiquities from Korea’s Goryeo Dynasty (AD 918-1392) has been discovered off the coast of Gunsan, North Jeolla province.

On Sept. 24, a local fisherman hauled up 622 pieces of celadon and china in his net. He reported the case to Gunsan city officials, and the national Cultural Properties Administration secretly started salvage work last week. The find was made public yesterday.

The administration said its exploration team recently confirmed the existence of thousands of pieces of celadon kept in the sunken ship.

“The celadon pieces are mostly bowls and dishes,” said an official at the national Jeonju museum, North Jeolla, who joined the team. “They are estimated to have been produced during the 11th century.” According to the team, part of the sunken ship can be seen in a wetland in Gunsan, and it appears to be well-preserved.

The water where the ship sank is clear, and the salvage operation will not be a difficult one, the team said. “I think we can get a lot of the work,” said a team official yesterday.

Still, it will take some time to fully exploit the ship. It took eight years to salvage and preserve another ship, which was found in the coast of Shinan, South Jeolla province in 1976.

The team said they thought it would take at least two years to salvage the newly discoverd vessel and the antiquities with it. Whether the wrecked ship can be fully restored is a matter of speculation for the moment, they said.

Experts said the ship will provide important materials for historians. The cultural properties administration said it will release interim results today of its salvage work in the National Research Institute of Cultural Properties located inside Gyeongbok Palace, central Seoul.

by Lee Hai-suk, Hong Su-hyun

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Korean War Vet and Friend Passes On: Marvin G. Wiedner

A Korean War Vet and Friend Passes On: Marvin G. Weidner of Narrows, Virginia was like most vets of the Korean who passed through Kunsan's gates. Those GIs who flew out of Kunsan during the Korean War were invovled in the dirty, no-glory job of ground interdiction -- attacking ground supply routes or close air support. Unlike the fighter units of MiG Alley, no glamorous news stories were written about the nasty day-to-day job of bombing supply routes or bridges. However, their life expectancy was much lower than the fighter jocks. Most viewed their lives fatalistically and tried not to think about the odds. They served their country by putting their lives on the line every mission they flew. They endured hardships and sacrificed in a "forgotten war." They were faceless GIs who did their job -- grumbling a bit -- and then went home to a homecoming without a parade or fanfare. The Korean War was forgotten before it even ended.

Marv was one of these faceless GIs. He was a flight engineer assigned to the 90th Bomb Squadron (L-NI) flying B-26 Invaders. These folks were famed for their role as "night intruders" who roamed the skies attacking North Korean convoys when they spotted their headlights. At the time, the 3rd Bomb Wing owned Kunsan AB (K-8) and the wing was famed for flying the first missions against North Korea -- and because of that, was granted the honor of flying the last mission of the Korean War before the Armistice took effect. Marv flew intruder missions until the Armistice took effect on July 27th, 1953.

Heading to North Korea with guns pointed up "hot and ready". Click on the picture to enlarge. (Courtesy Marv Wiedner)

Bombs Away!!! Bombs released over North Korea. Click on the picture to enlarge. (Courtesy Roy MacPherson)

Approximately 2000 people served with the 90th during the Korean War. Every man who was a member of the "Dicemen" -- whether flightcrew or maintenance -- had a story. Marv was more than willing to relate a few of his own.

Getting rest before your next mission was difficult at best, but then there were the other nuisances -- the crowded conditions in the Jamesway huts, the bitter cold of winter and the blistering heat of summer. Walking in the mud if there was no "duck walk" laid down added to the fun. But also there were those pesky critters -- the Kunsan mosquito. Mosquito nets were a necessity.

Marv remarked that the mosquitoes made more noise than the B-26s flying at night. Jokingly, he commented that if you didn't watch out, the small mosquitoes would carry you outside...and then the big ones would get you. Even today, the descendants of these critters are still making life miserable for the Kunsan GIs in summer.

And who can forget the primitive latrine facilities with the water being very intermittent. The water was supposed to be on twice daily for a two-hour period, but the pumping and piping facilities were at a minimum. Sometimes, it was days before it was turned on. Thus showers were a hit-or-miss proposition -- and flushing the communal toilets also intermittent as well. As Marv remarked, "Don't remember much about the water except we never knew when it was turned on. Cold showers were available whenever it was turned on. Word spread like wildfire thru the area when it was turned on and you stood in line with 50 or more guys waiting to get wet. Commodes only flushed when water was available. Smell got a little heavy when the water was off for a few days."

Drinking water was not like nowadays. Marv continued, "We had a 100 gal Lister bag set up in the Maint. shack for drinking water. Got pretty stale between fillings. At least it was wet. Ice cold in winter and hot in summer. The only hot water was at the mess tent where you dunked our mess kits and silverware to clean them. Clean clothes-- yea right." Marv also remembered that the pond used for emergency fire-fighting water doubled as the swimming pool...when it had water.

But the thing that Marv remembered most were the men who served with him. The talked with pride of those who flew with him...and with sadness of the ones who didn't come home. This is what he remembered most of Kunsan.

Click on image to enlarge

The picture on the left is of Marv Weidner's aircrew assembled in front of his B-26C, "Old Ironsides" (S/N 35554). The B-26 had a four-man crew and the fifth man is another flight engineer getting his checkflight. Note that Marv was the "old" flight engineer -- and he was only 18. (From left to right: John (Jerry) Cance--Pilot; George Switzer --Flt. Engineer (New); Marv Weidner --Flt. Engineer (Old); Clinton Clickner --Gunner; Tom Schmitou --Navigator/Bombardier.) Incidentally, after the war, "Old Ironsides" was placed into storage at Davis Montham, AZ. However, she was brought out of storage in secret to support the abortive 1961 Cuban Bay of Pigs Invasion. A gallant aircraft to the end, she was one of the 8 B-26s lost in action.

Marv told about a little known chapter of the 90th Bomb Squadron history that involved the American decision in 1954 to support the French in Vietnam. The decision was to provide direct assistance in the form of a "loan" of USAF B-26B/C Invaders, aircrews and maintenance personnel. As the Korean Conflict truce was in place, five aircrews and maintenance personnel deployed in an operation called "Operation Saddle". The aircrews were sent to join the Groupe de Bombardement 1/91 Bourgogne at Tourane (later called Danang) and flew combat bombing missions against the Viet Minh. But the French were overextended and the end was inevitable after the loss of Dien Bien Phu. One of the aircrews from 90th BS -- consisting of Lt. Wilson Decker (pilot); Lt. Edward Yost (Nav/Bom); and Marv Weidner (Flt Eng) -- recollected that the 3rd BW crews departed Tourane AB 14 days before the defeat at Dien Bien Phu. Fifteen B-26s were flown out and were taken to Miho, Japan before being returned to K-8.

Marv remained in the military and traveled to such exotic places as Egypt -- when things weren't so friendly along the Suez Canal. Even after he left the service, he retained his love of flying and that's how he met his wife -- in an aircraft. His wife Kate spoke lovingly of that memory.

Kalani first met Marv through the internet in 1999. At that time, Kalani had a tiny website about Kunsan City that Marv found in a web search. He wrote to ask a small favor. He wanted a landing chart of Kunsan AB for his Korean War scrapbook. As Kalani was a former maintenance officer at Kunsan in the late '80s, he remembered throwing into the trash the landing charts left in the cockpits by F-16 aircrews. Thus, he figured it would be no problem to get a xerox copy. Kalani went to see the 8th Public Affairs to see if he could get a landing chart and got such a load of b.s. that his respect for the "paper pushers" of the 8th FW hit rock bottom. (NOTE: A year later Kalani obtained a landing chart from the Airfield Manager and published it on the web. Soon thereafter, all the official & unofficial sites with info on Kunsan had a copy of the landing chart on their sites as well. So much for "paper pushers." However, by then Marv had obtained a landing chart from the Government Printing Office.)

Feeling discouraged by the experience, Kalani decided to build a small webpage to honor Marv's old unit -- the 90th Bomb Squadron (L-NI). Kalani had no idea what he had just gotten himself into. The more information Kalani dug up, the less he knew. The more questions he asked, the more questions that were left unanswered. It was endless. But what he did find out was that the military had "forgotten" a lot of the history of Kunsan over the years -- ending up with a misleading account in the official history of Kunsan AB. In the early days of putting the history of the Kunsan AB together, Kalani felt overwhelmed by the task he faced and at times seriously considered chucking it all because he didn't have the research material or resources available to him in Kunsan. In response, he sent an out-of-print copy of the book, Turn the Tigers Loose by Col. Walt Lasly to expand his knowledge of B-26 operations in Korea. Marv provided the encouragement that kept Kalani going -- and like other vets, did a lot of the legwork in researching the histories of the units.

After three years -- with a lot of help from vets from around the world -- a website was assembled containing personal photos and verbal accounts covering the 60-year history of Kunsan AB . The effort is still going on today. Marv was an integral part of assembling the 3rd Bomb Wing and 90th Bomb Squadron (L-NI) pages. Without any help from the 8th Wing Historian, the vets and Kalani worked together to reconstruct the forgotten history of Kunsan AB.

The 8th Wing Commander doesn't know Kalani from Adam, but the photos that adorn his Conference Room and many in his halls are from Kalani's website. Kalani felt grateful as each photo honors the veterans that came before. HQ PACAF Historian GS-13 John Sullivan commented that Kalani was the "unofficial historian of Kunsan." Honorary memberships in military organizations and kudos came his way. All of this was due to Marv's initial actions to help with the 90th BS page and encouragement to continue on when Kalani wanted to quit. When Kalani expressed his gratitude to Marv for this, Marv true-to-form replied that he just "planted the seed -- everyone else did the work."

Every morning Kalani drinks his coffee from a mug emblazoned with the 90th Bomb Squadron (L-NI) emblem from the 1999 reunion held in Portland, Oregon. When he sips his coffee, he thinks fondly of the man who sent it to him. Kalani also remembers the small plastic nametag from that reunion that Marv sent to him in Korea. With that nametag. Kalani became an "interested party" (as he was never a "Diceman") in the 90th B.S. Association. (Korea) -- and felt deeply honored.

Nametag from 1999 Reunion

Though Kalani never met Marv face-to-face, a close friendship developed over the years. Kalani enjoyed Marv's humor and quips that always brightened his day. In the end, however, Marv's 100-percent disability for his service-related injuries started catching up with him. Though he tried not to let them slow him down, towards the end even Marv's attempts at humor couldn't mask the pain and suffering that filtered through the words of his emails. There were more and more absences from the internet where Marv was hospitalized in the VA Hospital.

During the times when he returned to the web, Kalani's respect for Marv grew as Marv always referred to his condition with a humorous remark. Marv never wanted to burden others with his tales of woe. Kalani will always remember how Marv commented that he lived next to one of the oldest rivers in the world -- though Kalani couldn't remember the name -- and had walked along the Nile, another of the oldest rivers of the world. In them, Marv saw the continuity of life. A deep and somber thought. In his last year, he didn't get to the computer much -- causing much concern from his friends on the internet. Marv passed away in April of 2003.

Marv loved flying and his request was that his ashes be scattered to the four winds from an airplane. His wife Kate wrote a few months after his death, "My brother-in-law John (Marvin's best friend) did quote you at Marvin's Memorial service, thank you so much Kalani, your words were good for our hearts at a sad time." Marv will be missed.

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Occupation Forces Vet Passes On: Robert E. Grenig

A Veteran Passes On: Robert E. Grenig, Lt. Col., USA (Ret) of Scottsdale, Arizona. No one at Kunsan remembers this man. When he was stationed at Kunsan, the base was called Camp Hillenmeyer after an officer who was killed in a bomb dump explosion in 1945. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 63rd Infantry Regiment, 6th Infantry Division. He was only a passing footnote in the history of Kunsan. But like everyone serving at Kunsan now and in the past, he left a footprint that others followed in.

Jay Grenig, his son who is a law professor in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, wrote to Kalani O'Sullivan, "Dad passed away in his sleep on July 27. It was a blessing that he did not suffer any longer. Your hosting his visit to Kunsan was one of the highlights of his post-military travels. The visit to Korea meant a great deal to him and your kindness made it very special. Thanks. Jay Grenig" In September 1999, the Grenig's, Robert and his wife Betty, revisited Kunsan after 50 years. Kalani and his wife had the pleasure of showing them around Kunsan City before dropping them off to the base officials who gave them a guided tour of the base.

He was part of the Occupation forces at Kunsan which laid out the roads whose routes are still followed till today. His unit built the old dependent housing that was taken over in the Korean War for officers billets -- and still remain as the senior commander billets on Gunsmoke Hill. When the SSgts of today complain about how they have to double up in their dormitories, they should remember the soldiers -- officer and enlisted -- living in Quonset huts with snow blowing in through the cracks in the walls. When they complain about the same old boring meals at the Chow Hall, they should remember how food shipped up from Pusan by train was rationed and in short supply. When they complain about the outages periodically, they should remember how the electricity used to be supplied by what is now North Korea -- and was non-existent most of the time. This was Camp Hillenmeyer -- the predecessor to K-8.

The following is excerpted from "An Officer's family tour (1946 - 1947)" on this website.

The young Captain Grenig -- then regimental S1 and later regimental S3 -- and came to Kunsan via the Philippines and Okinawa in July 1946. He was joined by his family (wife, son, and daughter) in the winter of 1947. The family departed for the Philippines in late 1947. The Grenig's, now in their 80s, revisited Kunsan after 50 years in September 1999. He said in a note to me after his visit, "...It is hard to believe the changes in Kunsan in the last 50+ years. It is a good thing the tunnel (Wolmyong Park) is still there to provide a point of reference."

Their son, Jay Grenig, wrote in an email, "My first memory of a building is a Quonset hut in Hillenmeyer; first car, an Army jeep in Korea. Because of time in post-war Korea and Philippines, I assumed everyone's father carried a .45 automatic. I know now these memories are not the norm!"

He continued, "I understand we went from Seattle to Japan by military transport (ocean-type) and then from Japan to Korea by LST. I'm still trying to find out where we landed and how we got to Kunsan. We did get there around February and my 2-year old sister had frozen feet. I had my fourth birthday there and am told I spoke Korean as well as I spoke English. Now I only remember "no" "bathroom" and "excuse me."

In another email, Jay described his trip to Kunsan as follows, "My mother, sister (age 1 1/2) and me (almost age four) joined him (Col. Grenig) in Korea in the winter of 1947. We took a 19-day trip by ship from Seattle to Inchon. At Inchon we took the train to Iri (sorry about the spelling). We then went by jeep to Camp Hillenmeyer. My earliest memory is that trip to Inchon (it was awful!) and riding in a jeep. I don't remember the train ride. My sister suffered from frozen feet." The elder Grenigs confirmed these fact about his trip and added that there was no passenger train service to Kunsan in 1947. Though there were train tracks to the port for freight, all passenger trains stopped in Iri (Iksan) and people were trucked/jeeped to Kunsan.

The October 1946 "Information for Dependents in Korea" brochure stated, "Due to the lack of docking facilities for transports at Jinsen, it is necessary to drop anchor off shore and debark by use of smaller landing craft. ... After necessary passenger checks have been made, dependents will be loaded into small landing craft and proceed ashore. ... The trip from the harbor by train to various housing areas affords an excellent opportunity to view Korean life and customs as the route winds inland through several small Korean villages. ... As dependents detrain at the various towns along the route, motor transportation will be used to complete the remainder of the journey to their new homes." From Jay's description of his sister's feet, it is obvious the Grenig family experienced "the excellent opportunity to view Korean life" with its unheated trains and the harshness of the Korean winters.

The 1946 transportation system was very poor. Then-Capt. Grenig, Adjutant of the the 63rd Infantry Regiment, described it in his letter to dependents dated 11 September 1946. It stated. "Railroad service may be had to almost any point in Southern Korea. The schedules are poor and it is often very difficult to make connections with other trains. At the present time no bus services is in operation. The quickest, though not the easiest riding, method of travel is by privately owned or Government motor vehicle. Air travel is limited to emergency use or official business only."

Jay Grenig recounted some of his father's comments about the conditions in 1946. "He (Col. Grenig) says that as a result of floods in 1946 that washed out roads and railroads, the Korean people suffered horribly. causing In addition, it was hard for supplies to get through to the Regiment. He remembers eating Vienna sausages and dehydrated eggs week after week after week. As Fred (Ottoboni) remembers, basic items were not available in the PX. If it weren't for the Red Cross, no toothpaste or soap." The severity of the weather conditions in 1945-46 are described in history books as "record breaking". In addition, the history books tell of shortages of food, fuel, clothing, electricity, and other consumer goods, coupled with rapidly rising unemployment rate. It's apparent that the people were suffering greatly in 1946.

The October 1946 information brochure stated, "At present the food situation in Korea is critical and only food furnished by the Quartermaster is available. It is recommended that there be no consumption of locally produced vegetables or meat. Food found on the Korean market is raised on soil fertilized with "nite soil" (human feces) which precludes its use. ... All water must be considered unsafe for drinking, cooking, or washing of teeth, except that which comes from Army approved sources. Other water must be boiled or chlorinated before use." It continues, "Use only food obtained from Army commissary or post exchanges. All native produce should be considered contaminated. It is especially dangerous to eat any uncooked native produce or seafood. All Korean public eating and drinking places are unsafe and must not be patronized."

The September 1946 Information letter stated, "In the 6th Infantry Division Zone, it is planned to have one Quartermaster Commissary established in Pusan. Dependents will make a weekly requisition which will be consolidated for each area and submitted to the Regimental Supply Officer. He will in turn forward these requisitions to the Commissary where they will be filled, placed on a train and shipped to the I-ri Supply Point. These supplies will be broken down and distributed to the individuals. ... The only authorized source of food will be this Commissary." The elder Grenigs confirmed that the food requisition went out once a month to Pusan and food was received in frozen bulk and divided up between the families. For example, hamburger came in 5 pound packs.

The letter continued on to state, "Periodic immunizations will be given for Small Pox, Typhus, Plague, Cholera, Typhoid, and Jap B. Encephalitis. All of these diseases are prevalent in this area and continuous precautions must be taken. The heads of each household should immediately instruct his dependents in Malaria control and discipline." Though the incidence of these diseases are still around, they have been greatly reduced.

Betty Grenig and daughter outside their Camp Hillenmeyer dependent housing unit (1947)
(NOTE: This unit still exists in the BOQ area -- though much refurbished since originally built.)

The photo above is of Betty Grenig and her 18-month old daughter in the "front yard" of their quarters. The quarters were built by Koreans with Japanese war reparations materials. Betty Grenig recollects the electricity was supplied by North Korea and it was very unpredictable...perhaps a few hours at night before it was shut off. She also remembers that the plumbing didn't work right.

Jay Grenig stated, "The houses were built by Korean labor using Japanese materials. The plan for the officers' housing (of which I understand some is still in use) was a standardized plan for housing in Japan and Korea. We lived in a similar (albeit two-story) house with the same floor plan in Japan four years later. Conditions were terrible. The plumbing didn't work well. (Took a bath in a washtub in the kitchen.) Cold. No commissary. Officer wives would get food in bulk through supply and divide it up." The elder Grenigs confirmed this description of the poor housing conditions and inadequacy of the food requisitioning system on their visit to Kunsan.

Later Jay Grenig related, "Mom told story of General Hodge visiting Camp Hillenmeyer and asking what wives needed. Mom (only a 20-something then) spoke up and said refrigerators, stoves, and cupboards for dishes, etc. would be great. (Dishes, etc. kept on floor--no cupboards or other furniture in "kitchen.")

Mom cooked on top of oil space heater. Hodge sent tiny refrigerators that didn't work well and coal/woodburning iron cook stoves. Every story adds to my admiration of my mother and the other dependents who survived those terrible times. Probably even worse for Koreans with rice famine."

During the Grenig's stay at Camp Hillenmeyer, recreation was limited to periodic "moving pictures" and USO shows about once a month. Hunting was possible, but the military weapons were inappropriate. According to the Col. Grenig, shotguns were procured to hunt the flocks of geese that abounded in the area. However, they seemed to know Americans. Col. Grenig states that Koreans could walk through the geese and nothing happened, but when an American would show up with a shotgun, they would all fly away. He also mentioned that there were ring-necked pheasants (which are still plentiful today). There is a curious note in the September 1946 Information letter which states, "Hunting - deer, ducks, geese, TIGER and wild boar. Licenses may be obtained through the Adjutant 63d Infantry Regiment." The Adjutant happened to be then-Capt. Grenig...and what happened to the tigers?

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Camp Hillenmeyer Base Chapel (1947) -- Converted quonset hut to service the needs of the men.


Regimental Headquarters (1946) -- No frills.


Regimental Officer's Quarters (November 1946) -- Showers and latrines were a 100 yards away. Then-Capt Grenig wrote in September 1946, "very little snow falls in this area during winter months. ... The mean temperature is...approximately 25 degrees during the winter. Naturally the degree of temperature depends upon the exposure to the prevailing ocean winds." To this day, the winters in Kunsan have little snow, but are miserable due to the high humidity and wind-chill factor when the winds blow in off the sea.


Main Street in Kunsan City -- Picture most likely taken near present-day Wolmyong Park. Col. Grenig confirmed this during his visit to Kunsan in September 1999.


Aerial view of Camp Hillenmeyer -- Facing west. To the right is the dependent housing. In the center is what is now Gunsmoke Hill. In the background is the Okku Reservoir with the road from the base leading to it. The Japanese sod runway is to the right of this photo. The rice paddies in the foreground are on the seaward side of the base. (NOTE: The north-south runway that still exists today was originally built in 1952-1953 over these rice paddies.)


Aerial view of Camp Hillenmeyer -- Fred Ottoboni comments, "Look at the row of Quonsets facing the road that runs diagonally from the upper center to the picture on an angle to the lower the left edge. The first set of about 8 Quonsets starting from the top is Headquarters Company, 2nd Bn., 63rd Infantry. Starting in mid-1947 the first hut was assigned to the 508th Engineer Utility Detachment. I lived in there.

Following down the road to the left the next clump of about 7 huts is Company E. The rows of huts directly behind E Company are F, G, and H. Continuing down the road toward the left edge, the next clump is Company I (item), 3rd Bn. The rows behind Co. I (which are not visible in the photo) are Companies K and M. Company L, at the time, was living in an old monastery in Kunsan and doing permanent guard duty out of the old KCC Building in Kunsan."


Aerial view of Camp Hillenmeyer -- The photos are taken from a single-engine utility aircraft capable of landing on the dirt airstrip. The lower left-hand corner is what is now known as Gunsmoke Hill. On the hill are 3 rows of 5 buildings each. These became the Senior Officer quarters. They still exist today, though upgraded and refurbished. To the right are the Dependent quarters. These became the BOQs during the Korean War, but have all been demolished.

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Quality of Life Issues

Facilities: The primary focus remains on quality of life issues which Kunsan has made some significant strides with new facilities and barracks. (See Quality of Life Issues: 2000 ) Under the "Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002," the "Authorized Air Force Construction and Land AcquisitionProjects Outside the United States" lists Kunsan Air Base: $12,000,000.

In January, the plans for the new structures to change the look of Kunsan AB in the future was posted at the BX. The functions of the base will be centralized with the library and recreation center being relocated into one building. Improvements in BOQs and barracks areas were also indicated on the plans.

The new commissary ($10M-$25M) is currently under construction in the location next to the BX -- formerly the location of the old mini-mart/laundromat. In July, the old Pacific Stars and Stripes Bookstore that then became the Bicycle Shop was demolished and the ground and parking lot around the New construction should start soon. The construction calls for one end of the BX to be extended and become part of the new consolidated complex. By November, the construction had started and the old front entrance of the BX was torn down and the parking lot torn up. By December the main frame work of the structure was erected and the underground pipes run. The entry was from the side door to the BX.

The old Arcade was shut down due to the complex construction in July and the concessions were relocated to the old Seabreeze. By November, the structure was torn down to make way for construction.

The old Seabreeze NCO Club has been converted into the laundromat, beauty shop and barbershop -- and the mini-mart with electronics shop, t-shirt sales, shoe sales. Upon completion of the new complex that will include the library, bx and commissary, the concessions will also be included and move back from the Seabreeze.

Though the Passenger Services Terminal under renovation on the south side of the base was scheduled to be completed in December 2002, the functions were still operating out of the old Seabreeze Club in February. the reason was that the building renovation was extended six months due to a user/contractor agreed upon change in designs. It was temporarily located in the lower part of the old dining room of the old NCO Seabreeze Club. In July, the renovation was complete and the Passenger Services was again relocated to the south side of base.

The old cinderblock front structures of the barbershop and beauty shop that supposedly dated back to 1951 were demolished leaving the area open and uncluttered. Upgrades to the interior of the post office was accomplished in February.

The new hobby shop/wood working shop/recreational supply building has opened near the chapel. The structure is spacious though we wonder why such a spacious lobby area was made which would have better been used to expand the wood-working shop. Regardless, it is a vast improvement over the old prefab buildings that used to exist.

The new Fitness Center/HAWC ($10M-$25M) is underway, though the current facilities were upgraded. The massive framework of the new gym was completed in June behind the old gym/fitness center. Under current plans, the second floor will be a indoor track, while the bottom floor will house the basketball courts. Upon completion, the old gym, dating back to the 1970s, will be torn down. By December, the new Gym was starting to take on a recognizable shape. the roof and sides were starting to go up.

However, more changes are on the way in the future. The new supply warehouse was completed in June. Construction on other infrastructure projects were underway. For example, the new above ground water tank and base water purification system has been approved.

In March, the ground breaking ceremonies were held for the new dormitories that would start construction this year and be completed in 2005. Upon completion, there will be two new dormitories built each year.

(SITE NOTE: We apologize that we do not have further details on the planned buildings. The Master Plan is called "Kunsan 2015" which envisions many new structures. Construction projects are taking place throughout the base.)


Prankster at work on Kunsan Base Theater (Jan 2003)
Click on image to enlarge

The Food Court underwent minor renovations that eliminated the game room. AAFES approved a Mini Mall/Food Court project for the Kunsan Exchange. The Scope of the project will incorporate the Mini Malls; which house all of the concession and service activities and Food Court; which houses the Burger King, Taco Bell, and Special T's into one location adjoining the Base Exchange. The intent is to make the Kunsan Exchange a "One Stop Shopping Experience" according to AAFES.

It should be mentioned that the food court is one of the oldest structures on base dating back to the Korean War as the BX. At that time, the Burger King area was the entrance. In the 1970s, a contract modified the facilities to become a BX cafeteria on the right with a wall dividing the BX from the cafeteria. When the BX was built, the facilities was a mini-mall and then evolved into fast food stalls in the 1990s. However, when the new Centralized Complex on base is completed, the food court will also relocate to the structure and this building will be demolished.

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Base Infrastructure Changes With the Saemangeum Project proceeding by government direction -- though stopped by court order until its final decision -- the base started plans to expand its runway to accomodate larger aircraft. The Wing Commander in 1998 (then Col. Sergeant) signed off on the Saemangeum Project. The south end of the runway has a 2000 foot approach (over the water) but will be extended to by another 1000 feet. On the north end of the runway, the base intends to "purchase" land to extend the overrun about 1 mile. These modifications are essential if the base is to continue operations after the areas surrounding it start to be built up after the Saemangeum is complete.

A future problem is the challenges presented as environmental groups step up there "noise abatement campaigns." The sound of engine runups and takeoffs can be heard all the way in Kunsan City when the conditions are right. The local protest groups have complained about this problem, but local authorities have turned a "deaf ear" (pun intended) to this problem.

We are also wondering what the base is going to do about its waste treatment once it is surrounded by land fill from the Saemangeum project. (See Map of the Kunjang Tidal Reclamation Project for a map.) Currently the base has NO waste treatment facility. It has simply pumped the untreated waste directly out into the Yellow Sea to become part of the muck and mud flats. (Oysters anyone?) This method is used in some metropolitan areas such places as Oahu in Hawaii, but there are great environmental outcries over the damage to the ecology.

Reports are that a new above ground water tank and water filtration system have been approved for installation. Remembering the brown water that came out of the taps in 1996-1998 -- we think it is about time. This project to upgrade the water systems throughout the USFK was announced by Gen. Swartz in 1996. (See 1996: Waterline failures) At Kunsan, in FY96 there were over 33 waterline failures. There was the Thanksgiving Day 1995 outage and three days over the 1995 Christmas holidays. These were caused by a break in the reservoir pipeline near the village of Okku off-base. Base water started tasting "dirty" and the selling of bottled water became the norm as the base could not control the standard of the water. Though the base officials continued to say that the water was fit to drink, the water at the BX and NCO clubs continued to have a bad taste -- and started to smell bad too. It was after this that the BX and Commissary started to stock bottled water in quantity and the BX removed its water fountain from the front entrance. As if to confirm the bad water claims, the BX installed a bottled water machine in place of the water fountain.

(SITE NOTE: The base needs to carefully monitor its water sources -- reservoir and on-base wells. According to KBS News on 3 Nov 2003, twenty-nine Korean wood manufacturing companies have been charged with dumping 270,000 liters of formalin down drains that led into the Han River over a 3-year period. Formilin is an aqueous solution of formaldehyde that can affect the nervous system and even cause death in severe cases. Take a look down the Kumgang (river) embankments towards the mouth of the river. You will note the different colors of the mud as it passes each plant. All these plants supposedly have toxic waste treatment on site, so what causes all the different color mud ranging from purple to green? Look at the 3 Nov report and think about the companies in Kunsan. Are they that different? Also be aware how the Koreans reacted in 2000 when the Yongsan Mortuary dumped 4 GALLONS of formaldahyde down the drains. The Koreans press and the NGO group Green Korea reacted like the American who gave the order to dump it was a war criminal who tried to poison the entire population of Seoul. The USFK refused to give up jurisdiction, though the Prosecutors Office wanted a public hearing. (See USFK in Korea: Dumping Case for details.) There is a double standard at work, but the politics of the matter makes water treatment a sensitive issue for the USFK.)

There are also rumors that the ROKAF is planning to relocate to a NEW Kunsan Airport that was planned for the future. In the original plans in 1990, there were plans for the new airport to be constructed towards Iksan. There were also proposals that the new airport be constructed closer to Chonju. However, the rumors are that the ROKAF at Kunsan may receive the new F-15Ks to replace their aging aircraft. This may all be wishful thinking, but a new airport is in the offing -- though at this time, the exact siting has not been decided upon -- nor have any environmental impact hearings been scheduled. If the ROKAF should relocate, there will be major changes to the base.

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Are the Commissary Standards Slipping? CAVEAT EMPTOR -- BUYER BEWARE!!! We are concerned that the food quality -- especially in meats -- has been falling off. During the past summer months, we have encountered spoiled meats from the commissary.

We have many minor gripes dealing with selection and the passing of out-dated items from Osan to the Kunsan commissary. However, these "gripes" seem minor when one considers the cost of meat and western-style groceries off-base. (NOTE: We NEVER buy any fish items or fresh produce from the commissary as off-base prices are much cheaper.)

The commissary savings are significant. The biggest savings versus off-base shopping are in the meats. Our meat purchases are usually only ox-tail, kalbi, bulgogi, bacon and the cheaper cuts of beef and pork for a family of three. For example, Korean ox-tail (for traditional soup) is more expensive, but it is also much leaner. The U.S. variety is more fatty, but this doesn't matter to us -- and the cost is about half. Another Korean favorite is Kalbi. The Korean variety (even the imported meat from Australia) is much leaner. When the American kalbi (short ribs) is used, a lot of the fat has to be cut away. But again the cost is about half that of off-base -- though the price has been rising recently. The bottom-line is that the cost savings far outweighed the quality issue.

Then in the March we started to notice that many of the meats on display looked old ("freezer burn" gray) or an "off-brown color" that seemed odd. We did not complain, but neither did we buy any of these meats that looked "different."

But then something started to bother us greatly...SPOILED MEAT!!!!! At the end of summer, we noticed that there were meat items that are spoiled when we took them out of the packages from the freezer. After being purchased at the commissary, the meats were transported directly to our home and put into the two freezers we have. In July, we opened up a package of FROZEN beef bulgogi meat and immediately noticed the foul odor of the meat. We disposed of it immediately. In August, we opened up another packet of FROZEN bulgogi meat for a picnic and again noticed the spoiled meat smell. Again we disposed of it immediately. This seemed strange as these meats were bought at DIFFERENT times and stored in DIFFERENT freezers.

Then on 6 September, we bought a box of Corn Dogs at the commissary. When we brought it home, we opened the box to place the corn dogs into separate zip-loc freezer bags for freezer storage. That is when we noticed the mold on almost all the corndogs. For us, going back to base for a refund didn't make sense. To expend $2 worth of gas and an hour-and-a-half of our time to get a $3.91 refund is absurd. At first, we were just going to write it off, but because of the spoiled meat problems we had been experiencing, we thought we should let the manager know as a courtesy.

We contacted the manager (Off-base phone: 470-4144) and explained the Corn Dogs we just bought had mold on them. Before we even got to the end of the sentence, he stated bring them back with the receipt for a refund. We tried to explain that that is not what we wanted. We just wanted to let him know so he could check out the other boxes of Corn Dogs for contaminated food.

All the manager said "ok" -- and that was it. There was no "thank you for calling" -- nor any "I'm sorry about the spoiled food." Maybe he was just having a bad day, but we only hope the spoiled food problem gets fixed before someone gets food poisoning.

Our warning is that until winter arrives, be careful with the meat purchases from the commissary.

(NOTE: We did NOT call the Commander's hotline because after a decade in Kunsan, we know that the answer would be written by the manager (or another Commissary management designee) and will only "talk around" any complaint registered. We simply have no faith in the hotline system. For those who doubt us, just review the old "HOT LINE" messages from past Wing Commanders dealing with the Commissary in the Wolf Pack Warrior.

EPILOGUE (Dec 2003): After our complaint in summer, we had no more occurrences of mold or foul smelling meats. Again we were very careful to steer clear of any meats that appeared to have been defrosted (soft) after being previously frozen (by packaging date). Many times we found meat in the freezer that was partially thawed as though the freezers' electricity had been off-line for a significant period of time.)

Gone are the days back in 1946 the Army stated, "Use only food obtained from Army commissary or post exchanges. All native produce should be considered contaminated. It is especially dangerous to eat any uncooked native produce or seafood. All Korean public eating and drinking places are unsafe and must not be patronized." However, these days are now gone as the Koreans no longer use human waste as fertilizer. Nowadays, off-base produce is safe for consumption and CHEAPER IN PRICE than the commissary.

Problems with the Kunsan commissary are not new. We remember about five years ago when the base residents were complaining about the selection of foods and outdated items sent down by Osan's Commissary. The Wing Commander's answer to the complaints published in the Wolf Pack Warrior was simply, "Kunsan is NOT authorized a commissary as an unaccompanied remote tour base, so be grateful for what you've got." The implication was if you complain, you will lose the commissary. The people shut up. Then when the world-wide base closures started to affect the AAFES Commisary system, retiree cashiers were put on limited hours (under 40 hours per week) so they would not qualify for SOFA status. Suddenly new managers from "outside" appeared. We are guessing that they were brought in temporarily from Osan because they never seemed to stay more than a few months.

However, there is a new commissary that is currently under construction. This begs the question: Is Kunsan still NOT authorized a commissary -- or has the policy changed? If the policy has NOT changed, how did they get the authority to build the new structure? If the policy has changed, why is the commissary so poorly stocked?

Unlike the commissaries at Osan or Yongsan, the selections have been very limited. Most of the time there is only one brand to choose from. Sometimes the brands appear to be items that don't sell at Osan (or were approaching shelf-life expiration) and then are shipped to Kunsan. The situation at Kunsan is a "take it or leave it" proposition.

This is a minor inconvenience for long-time area retirees, but it must be infuriating to GIs who are used to stateside supermarkets. In addition, all personnel at Kunsan have stopped into the commissary at Osan atleast once in their tour and have walked away embittered when they see what Osan has compared to what Kunsan has. Osan and Kunsan have similar size active-duty populations. The only difference is that Osan is authorized dependents.

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The following photos are from SMSgt Christopher Shroyer's Photo Album on Webshots . SMSgt Shroyer, "Soup", is the Superintendent of the Information Systems Flight, 8th Communications Squadron in 2002. His photos provide an excellent tour of the base and its facilities.

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Mass Dormitory Relocation to Comply with Dorm Integrity Plan: In February about 400 members of the 8th CES, 8th Medical Group, 8th Operations Support Squadron and 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron moved to comply with the Air Force's dorm integrity plan. On 8 March, more than 800 troops made a one-day move. It is a return to the "old days" when one building or section of a building was occupied by one unit. The reasons given were for "unit cohesion, morale and overall protection issues." The move was to be done in one day -- with the exception of personnel TDY or on leave. Those personnel awaiting the return of the TDY/Leave people were be housed temporarily.

Some people snickered that in these days of terrorist activity, it was be now a lot easier to wipe out all the specialists in one area by taking out a section of a dormitory. Especially worrisome was the fact that all the pilots were now housed together by squadron in the BOQ area. We're certain that this was addressed when this plan came up. However, we have pics of mortar destroyed barracks next to the 35th TFS pilots' billets when they went to Vietnam -- when they were part of the 3rd Fighter Wing at Kunsan. The USAF lived through wars with this setup and it can live through a lot more in the future.

Airmen Billets (2002)
Click on image to enlarge

Kunsan Air Base; Osan Air Base; Kadena Air Base, Japan; and Eileson AFB, Alaska have 1+1 dorms. "The "20/20" plan, now known as the "One Plus One" Plan was approved by the Secretary of Defense for all of the services in 1997. ... The current plan calls for all of the services to offer a single room (no roommate) to all single enlisted personnel (with the exception of boot camp, ships, deployment locations, and schools), by the year 2005. The plan will then move to the next phase, which will include giving all single enlisted personnel a shared living area, plus a shared or private kitchenette." Each pair of rooms shares a bathroom and kitchen, which vary in design because there are four different floor plans. A 17-cubic-foot refrigerator, microwave, apartment-size stove, cabinets, eating counter and barstools are standard in each kitchen. Bathrooms have both a shower and a tub. Each floor is equipped with four washers and dryers, and each has a day room.

Most military members live on base in dormitories. With the bulk of the airmen living in the dormitories, the age-old problem of control of the military members was resolved. A decade ago, a large percentage of enlisted troops were allowed to find quarters off-base because there was inadequate facilities on base. Enlisted members were forced to double-up in one tiny room -- and at times triple-up. The complaint then was that under U.S. standards, a pig was guaranteed more space than an airmen. As a result, there was a bustling "real estate market" in A-town of one-room shanties. Now these buildings have been all razed and the commanders have now more direct control of their people.

In July, it was again reported that the practice of doubling up has been reinitiated due to the dormitory renovations that are going on. According to the Wolf Pack Warrior, "Recent dorm renovations have decreased available rooms by 96, and current requirements outstrip availablitlity. In order to meet current "space-required" housing requirements, in 2001 the 8th Fighter Wing obtained a waiver to AFI 32-6005 space standards. This waiver permits the doubling up of staff sergeants. ... The estimated completion date of the dorm renovation at Kunsan is scheduled for Sept 2005, and aconstruction of 17 new dorms at a rate of two per year is slated to begin shortly."

Only about 200 have approval to live off base in the local community. In these times of growing anti-Americanism and terrorist tensions, this is the best solution. As the older Korean apartments have had chronic vacancies, more and more landlords are turning to military occupants as renters. These units are mostly small two-three bedroom apartments in Sanbook-dong or Naun-dong about a fifteen minute drive from base. Others live in older homes outside of A-Town in Mimiyon.

In July 2003, the requirements for living off-base was tightened up. In the past, living off-base was approved by unit commanders, but now it is only by Wing Commander approval. Off-base residents are being "grandfathered" until they depart, but new requests will be scrutinized. There seems to be a trend in the USFK to draw the forces into the base where "force protection" measures can be maintained. As Kunsan is an unaccompanied tour, the support of non-command sponsored individuals strains the resources of the base. In the past, it was quite common to have non-command sponsored spouse arrive in Korea on a tourist visa; find a English academy job if they had a college-degree; fly to Yokota AB on space available travel and obtain their E-2 visa in Tokyo (in less than 3 days) and return to work in the area. It appears that those days are over.

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Revised "Community Standards": The major change is that the 8th Mission Support Group Commander became the approving authority for living off-base -- something previously delegated to squadron commanders. People wishing to live within the "restricted area" (Rainbow Village) must receive permission on an individual basis.

Members residing in the vicinity of A-town may proceed to their residence alone, but must do so by the most direct route available. This is a caveat to the rule of going off-base under the "buddy system" for fear of being attacked because of the anti-Americanism that was rampant in 2002. During 2002, soldiers were attacked by Koreans off camp in Yongsan and Taegu.

Drinking controls have also been tightened up. On-base personnel may only consume alcoholic beverages within facilities authorized to serve alcohol, picnic areas and at squadron or wing events. A big change was that squadron bars/lounges will not be in dormitories. During exercises, participants are not allowed to drink alcohol.

Smoking has been tightened up significantly and finally smoking has become a "no-no" requiring inclusion in the "Community Standards" regulations. There is no smoking allowed while walking or riding a bicycle in uniform. Smoking is prohibited in all public facilities -- except for inside ones dorm room. The Loring Club and all service facilities are now non-smoking areas. The entrances have also been designated as a non-smoking areas. It is not a problem UNTIL IT RAINS. Then the smokers have no where to go to smoke and stay dry. For example, I witnessed a rainy day at the Yellow Sea Bowling Lanes when smokers were huddled in the entrance as it was raining outside WITH THE DOORS OPEN -- however, a non-smoker complained to the people that it was a non-smoking area and the smell offended him. Heaviest hit are the Koreans who play the slot machines as a high-percentage of Koreans are addicted to cigarettes. Though I don't smoke now, but I understand the smoker's plight from smoking for thirty years. However, building outside shelters for smoking areas will NOT be a priority item any time in the future.

The no smoking rule reached its logical conclusion in July when the Wing Commander made it a "no-no" to smoke in the dormitory rooms. According to Col. Doughlas Tucker, 8th Mission Support Group commander, "To protect the health and welfare of our Wolf Pack members, we must minimize exposure to tobacco products on Kunsan, especially where our people reside. While most smokers are careful, smoking within dormitory rooms is a potential fire hazard, as well as a health hazard." If a smoker is caught smoking in the dorms, they could face possible non-judicial punishment under article 92, violtating a general order of the UCMJ. Smokers are authorized to smoke under the picnic shelters or bike racks outside the dormitories.

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Curfews: The anti-American violence in December 2002 caused base lock-downs and tight curfews. These curfews have been lifted, but in some areas they have been expanded. Currently the off-limits regulations that prohibit any serviceman in off-base establishments after curfew has changed an old practice where the GIs would congregate in restaurants and continue drinking.

At present, only DoD ID cardholders are allowed on base after curfew hours. This policy was to ensure that the "quality of life" of the dorm residents was protected. There is a prominent notice at the main gate check point. Presence of all foreign "entertainers" (E-6 visa) on base after curfew is prohibited. The reasons are obvious as "sleepovers" by prostitutes on base is a frowned-on occurrence. All "entertainers" must be off-base by curfew.

In addition, A-Town and Kunsan City are "off-limits" during an exercise. A-town and Kunsan City would be back on-limits 24-hours after the end of the exercise (ENDEX). In the "old days" as soon as the "fat lady sang" the troops would head to A-town to blow off steam after an exercise. Though the bar owners loved it, the Town Patrol would have a lot of incidents of drunken and disorderly behavior. Under the current system, the troops have a chance to "mellow out" and rest up before heading downtown. Of course, the club owners were not overly enthusiastic over this new policy. During normal duty days after curfew, airmen are not allowed to be in any establishment serving alcohol off-base -- including restaurants. It appears that in August the curfew policy was expanded to include all "housing areas" OUTSIDE the gates of A-town as well in an effort to stop prostitution. (NOTE: The local residents of Mimiyon (mostly farmers and blue-collar families) may not take it lightly if they knew the policy assumed that they were supporters of prostitutes.)

Due to the Iraq War, the curfew was moved up to 7:30 pm from 12:00 midnight on 19 March. On 4 April, the curfew was rescinded and returned to 12:00 midnight weekdays and 1:00 am on weekends/holidays. There were a few anti-war protests at various camps/bases on the peninsula, but no large scale or violent episodes. After the Iraq War ended, the tensions over terrorism attacks was lessened and the ROK returned to normal. Later as terrorist attacks increased again in the Middle East and Africa, the ROK did not institute anti-terrorism measures nor did the base go on heightened alerts.

On 27 July, A-town was put off limits due to an incident, but later was reopened with the curfew amended to noon-10:30 during weekdays and noon-11:30 for weekends/holidays. Needless to say the bar owners association was not very happy over these new hours as their profits started to decline dramatically. However, it was better than being off-limits. (See A-town Off-Limits for details of the incident.)

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On-base Visitors There are tighter restrictions on escorted individuals. The "Crime Watch" column in the Wolf Pack Warrior routinely has entries of people not properly supervising their individuals or escorted individuals entering restricted areas. All "entertainers" who are escorted are not allowed to remain on base after curfew.

In early 2000, all third-country nationals had to be off base at midnight on week days and 2 am on weekends. They changed it mid 2000 so you could have "guests" over night. This rule remained in effect until 2002. In 2003, the campaign agaist A-town prostitution heated up and all "entertainers" had to be off base by curfew. DoD dependents could remain on base after curfew.

Tighter controls have also been established for "overnight visitors" -- i.e., visiting family members -- staying in the dorms. In the past, there was a very liberal policy of having spouses staying in the dorms for periods up to three months (the length of stay for a tourist visa). In the past, one only needed the approval of one's unit commander along with notification of the barracks manager.

With the tighter security from the terrorist threats and the uneasy situation with the anti-American elements, the policy has been modified. We have been told that now it is for 30 days within any four month period.

Things got a lot tighter as the tensions in the North coupled with the potential Iraq hostilities heated up. USFK regulations require that all dependents on the peninsula have their locations verified in case an emergency evacuation is required. After the Iraq War, fears of terrorist retaliation increased on the peninsula.

Note from Kalani O'Sullivan: Security has indeed been increased. We knew that the Russians "entertainers" were banned from the base -- because they were from a "communist state." We simple-mindedly never thought about ethnic Koreans who are Chinese nationals as communists. However, on 11 Oct it was brought home to us that the Chinese ARE "communists" too -- regardless of being ethnic Koreans -- and cannot enter Kunsan AB.

My brother-in-law came to visit from Seoul and brought along his girlfriend, Choe Kyong-mun, who is ethnic Korean, but a Chinese national. She is the manager of the Seoul office of a Chinese import-export firm based in China. Our family took her and my brother-in-law to base to go bowling -- and then planned to stop for pizza afterwards. Her Chinese passport was presented in good faith and we weren't trying to hide a thing. However, upon seeing her Chinese passport, the Security Policeman on duty at the gate started calling everyone and consulting with others on duty at the checkpoint. I didn't know what was going on.

In fact, he started talking gibberish while pointing to my ID card (as a retired Captain) and asking if that was my brother-in-law's girlfriend, Kyong-mun. It's pretty hard to mistake an old man for a young woman. When he again pointed to my ID and asked if this was her TO MY WIFE -- without talking to me -- I started getting a bit agitated inside though I kept my temper. I couldn't figure out what kind of whacky weed he had been smoking. He kept her passport in his possession.

It was apparent there was a problem, but he wouldn't say what it was. At this point, the sergeant still had not stated that Chinese nationals could not enter the base. The fact that he did not give back her passport seemed really strange. He continued calling others. The ROKAF Security Policeman explained that Kyong-mun needed an alien registration card, but she isn't a resident and commutes between China and Seoul at three-month intervals. During this whole process, the Security Policeman kept her passport out of reach. (NOTE: Though there are about 220,000 Koreans with Chinese citizenship estimated to be working illegally in Korea, my brother-in-law's girlfriend has a business passport and it is clearly stamped in English "MANAGER" of the business firm (under her photo) along with her visa.)

Then the USAF Security Policeman told me the problem. Communists can't enter the base. I was given a "warning" that "communists" can't enter the base -- and my ID card number and pertinent facts were taken down. I assumed that I would be reported to the OSI for associating with "communists" and be investigated for possible "pinko" ties. (Sorry that my retiree sarcasm is showing.) I guess I should have thought this visit to base out, but my mind thinks of her as Korean. All I know is she is accepted by my wife's family and she treats my father-in-law as though she were his daughter. We have never talked of politics.

However, my bone to pick with this whole process was that the sergeant could have simply said at the start -- "Do you know that Chinese nationals can't enter the base?" I would have said, "Oops...No." The passport was presented in good faith without trying to hide anything. I would have left...end of discussion. If he had said that, it would have saved everyone a great deal of time and aggravation.

There is a lot of difference between impersonating another person with a false ID and presenting a passport in good faith. The Security Police need to be trained to understand the difference.

NOTE: On the Oct 17, Wolf Pack Warrior this incident was written up in Crime Watch as: "Escort Violation -- An anonymous caller called telephoned the SFCC and said a retired military member was attempting to escort a Chinese national on the installation." It seems the SFCC needs training too on how to take down better notes to denote it is their own Security Police units calling.

It's rather stange that on Nov 17, the Wolf Pack Warrior reported: "Escort violation -- A town patrolman saw an airman on base excorting a Russian entertainer outside building 1027. The town patrolman called security forces operations about the possible violation of U.S. Forces Korea Regulation 190-7. Patrolmen were briefed and dispatched." This begs two questions: (1) How did a third-country national (Russian) get on base -- past the checkpoint security and into the base without signing in? (2) Why would an airman knowing violate the regulations that would jepordize the security of the base? If this report was true, something stinks in Dodge...and the base needs to look very seriously at its Security Police base entry procedures!!!

We took her back home where she stayed with my daughter and father-in-law, while my brother-in-law, wife and I returned to base to go bowling. Later that evening on base while getting take-out pizzas for everyone at home, I would read in the Wolf Pack Warrior, how in September an ethnic Korean who was a Chinese national attempted to use another Korean national's ID card to enter the base and was turned over to the OSI. This would explain the gibberish the sergeant was saying. He thought he was in the midst of busting up some spy ring and would end up a hero for making a major collar.

(NOTE: The item in Crime Watch read: "Sept. 22: Unlawful entry to a military installation -- An on-duty security forces member called the security forces control center and stated a Korean national was attempting to gain entry using another individuals ID card. Patrolmen and a translator were briefed and ispatched. The translator made contact with the Korean national's supervisor who identificed the man as a Chinsese national. Upon further investigation, it was confirmed the nationality of the man was Chinese. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations was contacted and briefed on the situation. The man was released to the Korean National Police and Korean Imigrations for further questioning.")

Pornography Abuse on Government Computer Punished (18 Apr): Between 1-5 April a SrA of the 8th Medical Group was convicted in a General Court Martial of using a government computer for child, adult and bestiality pornography over a five-month period. He was discovered when the 8th Comm Squadron System Administrator found that he had visited several child pornography sites and reported it to the AFOSI. After seizing the computer, the government hard drive was found to contain hundreds of images and movies of pornography. A military judge sitting alone sentenced the airman to ten months confinement, reduction to E-1, total forfeitures, and a bad conduct discharge. (SOURCE: Wolf Pack Warrior, April 18, 2003)

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Kunsan Deserter found in PI:

Love-struck US serviceman deserts Army for Filipina

Posted: 2:41 AM (Manila Time) | Feb. 08, 2003
By Blanche S. Rivera
Inquirer News Service

IT DOESN'T pay for an American serviceman to be love-struck when the United States is gearing up for war.

An American airman who deserted his post in South Korea to join his girlfriend in the Philippines has been arrested and will be deported to the United States to face court martial proceedings.

Russel Andrew Mink, 22, was arrested Thursday afternoon by Bureau of Immigration agents in the town of Bacoor, outside Manila, where he was staying with his girlfriend, Anna Medina, and her son.

Immigration commissioner Andrea Domingo said Mink had been on the "wanted" list of the US Army since last year for desertion.

Mink, a weapons load crew member in the US Air Force, was detailed in Kunsan, South Korea, where he met Medina, who worked at the Pacific Club near the US base.

When her contract expired, Medina went back to the Philippines. Mink filed a leave of absence so he could visit Medina here. He left his post in Kunsan last September and did not go back.

Domingo said the US Army had canceled Mink's passport, which made him an undocumented alien and a fugitive.

Citing US Army intelligence reports, Domingo added that Mink was trying to get a visa for Medina and her son so they could go back with him to South Korea. The visa application and Mink's request for an extended leave of absence were both refused due to restrictions on US military personnel.

A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Mink will be deported next week to face court martial proceedings for desertion. He is being held at the Bureau of Immigration central office in Manila.

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From the Manila Times on 8 Feb 2003.

Love for Filipina gets GI in trouble

BECAUSE of his love for a Filipina, a US Air Force enlisted personnel is facing court martial. Immigration agents arrested Russel Andrew Mink Thursday afternoon in his girlfriend's house in Bgy. Niog 1 in Bacoor, Cavite upon the request of the US Embassy and for being an undocumented alien.

Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo yesterday said that Mink — a weapons load crew member — deserted his post at the US air base in Kunsan, South Korea last September to follow Anna Medina, who Mink met in Korea.

The US government also canceled Mink’s passport for being absent without official leave. Domingo disclosed that Mink will soon be deported to the US.

US military investigators have gathered that while in the Philippines, Mink had been trying to get a visa for Medina and her son so that they could go with him when he returns to Korea.

However, Mink’s requests for extended leave of absence and applications for a visa for Medina and her son were refused due to restrictions on US military personnel traveling to the Philippines.

-- William Depasupil

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For comments or inputs, contact Kalani O'Sullivan .

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