Comments on: A Profile of USFK Camps in Dongducheon

By: Clive Woods

Clive Woods — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:31:37 +0000

I was at Camp Hovey from July 83 to June 84. Charlie 1/38, 2nd I.D. 11b10/11c Humped many yama’s with a 60 or a baseplate/bi-pod! If anyone can relate to that drop me a line at galaxywatcher@msn.com Do you know what a turtle ditch is? Turtle farm? TDC or TOK?? LOL. You could spit on the ground in November and it would still be there(frozen) in March,lol. Some of the guys I was there with that I can remember are: Sgt Hanlin, Ssgt.Forrester,Sgt.Childress, Sgt.Larry Miller, PFC Scott Wahl, PFC Gay, PFC Miguel Flores, Sp.4 Williams. My C.O. was Capt.George Muser. That’s all I can really remember. I am(was) PFC Clive Woods NIGHTFIGHTERS!

By: JFisher

JFisher — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:55:26 +0000

MICHAEL#235: Shoot an e-mail to me. Would like to hear your
war stories of Recruiting that you mentioned. Got some of my own.

By: JFisher

JFisher — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:17:34 +0000

JOHN#202 I went on vacation to Korea this past May/Jun. Most
buildings that were there when you were are gone. However the
“Turtle Farm” is still there as it was. It has been abandoned
for quite a while but intact. Rusting etc, but still there
even the overhang structure. I took pictures of it.

By: JFisher

JFisher — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:07:08 +0000

MICHAEL#235 I live in Northern VA. Feel free to contact me
at my email address. jfisher1946@gmail.com

By: Michael Staggs

Michael Staggs — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:55:55 +0000

JFisher, I know what you’re talking about when you mention women around the station! Much temptation and, in that area, I’m weak. I could tell you stories about a Miss Tallahassee runner up (an Air Force DEP) and FSU wet T-shirt contests!

I saw many guys thrive in recruiting, but not me. I made numbers – but I was not happy. To begin with, I suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder (although this was not known of at that time); dealing with the “public” was torture for me. I wanted to be in BDU’s with troops, not in Class A/B’s behind a desk.

I am a “lay” historian, I knew what the Japanese did to Korea in the early 1900’s and and through WWII; and the devastation left after the Korean War. This is a main reason I respect the Korean people – for what they have built from those ruins. Plus they had not forgotten what we (the US) had done to aid them. Although I was in Japan in 1970-71 and saw that they (the Japanese) had become “westernized” to the point they were losing their traditional work ethic and I fear the same may happen to S. Korea.

I loved a Korean girl during my first tour and should have married her. I’ve often wondered how my life would have been different. Instead I married another soldier which did not turn out well.

I did 6 overseas tours – two each in Korea and Germany, one in Japan and Viet Nam; as well as an extended deployment to Germany in 1972, so like you I spent a lot of time gone.

Ditto about communicating with you. I live in rural E. TX, where are you living now?

By: JFisher

JFisher — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:42:53 +0000

MICHAEL#233: I was the School Bge. Re-Up guy at Bliss 80-81′. Recruiting for me was great. I enjoyed being a soldier and talking about it as a vocation was right up my ally. Special duty pay, a GSA car, and although it
was verboten, girls had a thing for a guy in uniform that some
of us took advantage of. As long as I was making my numbers, no one bothered me. Go and come as I pleased and had no troop
responsibilities. It is certainly not for everyone. Being a
salesman takes a certain type of personality, an extrovert, and have to really love and believe in the product you are selling. I did. It became a drag when I had to be a Station Commander, responsible for my quota and the others as well.
I had (and still do) have a serious case of “yellow fever” for Korea. My wife is Korean so when a chance to flip to Re-up
with an assignment to Korea, I jumped on it. Did that for the last 10 years of my career, 6 of those in Korea. We still go back to visit often. I enjoyed communicating with you. Thanks
for your response.

By: Michael Staggs

Michael Staggs — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:27:12 +0000

JFisher, you’re right – I’m getting old and didn’t read the comment as well as I should. I recruited in FL (Tallahassee and Orlando) from ‘79-’83 and hated every minute of it. Something about begging worthless kids to do something I loved didn’t sit well with me. I was a re-enlistment NCO (additional duty – not MOS) prior to becoming a DA select field recruiter, I think that is how I got selected.
In 83-84 I was in the 2 ID and didn’t get to Seoul but once or twice. In 1987 I went back to Korea and this time I was 1SGT of an MI Co on Camp Coiner (Yongsan). I did like my time in Korea and came to respect the Koreans greatly and I did love the Army – but some one once told me “You may love the Army but it will never love you”.
I retired in 91 from Ft. Bliss (the Sergeants Major Academy) – which is where I started my career in 1966.

By: JFisher

JFisher — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:54:23 +0000

STAGGS, cmt#231. Your comments were meant for me I take it and
not for Hickman. We have a commonality. I was a Recruiter (voluntary)in CT for 5 years, 73-78′ then went over to the
other side of the MOS (Reenlistment). Stayed in that until I
retired in 88′. Was in Korea 81-84′, 227th Maint Re-up guy in
Yongsan during the same time you were in Korea. Were you in
Reenlistment? I retired from Korea in 88′. Had 24 yrs of service. You had one up on me. I loved the Army. Especially
the 7 years I was stationed in Korea. I agree with everything
you said in your comments. Thanks for your input.

By: Michael Staggs

Michael Staggs — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:53:51 +0000

W.Hickman, all you experienced I did as well. In Germany in the mid to late ‘60’s – into the ‘70’s – it seemed the Officers and NCO’s were afraid of the black soldiers. Just a suggestion of racial discrimination (whether or not it was proven) would destroy a career. Like you I had no exposure to blacks until I was drafted (I am from S. CA – if we discriminated against anyone it was Mexicans – not blacks). When you described your time as an MP supplement in TDC, I remembered doing the same in Germany after the MLK assignation.

The situation was somewhat repeated when the Army enlisted so many women in the ‘70’s and early ‘80‘s – sexual harassment, proven or not, destroyed careers.

I went into Spec. Ops in the ‘70’s and there these problems were not so evident. I then was an involuntary recruiter and was away from the Army until 1983 when I went to Camp Casey. By this time the atmosphere you described was gone, I was amazed at the change in attitude of the soldiers. In my opinion the 2 ID in 1983-84 was most professional and my tour there was one of the best I had in my 25 yr career.

By: JFisher

JFisher — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:08:48 +0000

W Hickman#229. What were the bad memories? I was with the 2nd
S&T Bn 73-74′. My bad memories were of the serious racial divide. The Army mandated films be shown to point out how badly black Americans got treated throughout history in the USA. I thought that was a good idea. That turned out in my opinion not be the case. Seems as though the black guys that were already pissed off and militant got much more pissed off. I am from Vermont. No one that I grew up with had any racial biases. We never saw any black people. We had no ill preconceived prejudices of black people. The black guys I associated with during that tour all of a sudden were “dapping” and shunned me. When I brought up the fact that there were never any slaves in Vermont and that in fact Vermonters died in the Civil War and could not be more ardent supporters of Lincoln, it did not matter. As an SSG, I had to augment the MP’s on “Courtesy Patrol” when I came up on the duty roster each week. There were far to MP’s to deal with the chaos. Fights and mayhem often. Insubordination on a daily basis. I heard that after I left General Emerson put in strong policies that got things calmed down. I still managed to have some fun on that tour but of the tours I had there over the years, that one caused me the most grief. ASCOM stockade must have filled up with soldiers that could have otherwise have made something of their lives in an
environment such as the Armed Forces that was with few exceptions totally equal in opportunity for everyone regardless of race. In my opinion. Damn shame.