By With the current Key Resolve exercise in South Korea concluded I figured now would be a good time to write a little bit about where the US Marines participating in the exercise are based out of, Camp Mujuk near Pohang:
Camp Mujuk means “invincible” in Korean and is an 84 acre facility located approximately 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul and 6 kilometers south of the port city of Pohang. The camp was established in 1980 to assist the III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) with training deployments to the Korean peninsula. The camp used to be owned by the ROK Marine Corps, but as part of the camp close outs and consolidations that began back in 2004, Camp Mujuk became the responsibility of the US Marine Corps to maintain:
When viewed on Google Earth the small size of this facility is quite evident:
Camp Mujuk’s location is Pohang is important because it is only about a mile from the home base of the 1st ROK Marine Corps Division. The camp is used as a base to house Marines that rotate to the peninsula for various exercises such as Foal Eagle, Key Resolve, and Ulchi Focus Lens (UFL), which is where US Marines train with their ROK Marine Corps counterparts. Though the US Marines only come on the peninsula to train with their ROK Marine counterparts they are still subject to anti-US protests at just about every training exercise they conduct on the peninsula to include even this years 2010 Key Resolve exercise:
In past protests, demonstrators actually were jailed when they assaulted US Marines during amphibious landing exercises:
In preparation for these regular training exercises a small detachment of Marines man the camp full time. According to Global Security.com the camp is manned with 32 Marines full time who usually rotate out after 6 months. With such a small full time troop presence at Camp Mujuk this means that the camp has limited facilities such as a mini-PX and barber shop:
The camp does have the ROK Hard Cafe, which I suspect visiting troops probably share chuckle about when they see the cafe’s name:
Besides being a camp for visiting Marines to house themselves at during training exercises the camp also serves to maintain pre-positioned aviation and ground ordinance facilities in the area. Here is a look at the facilities that Camp Mujuk has for visiting Marines:
Here Camp Mujuk’s headquarters area with the American and ROK flags flying overhead:
I am curious what the other two flag poles are used for if anyone knows?
You can see the camp’s gym on the right of this picture that I’m sure gets plenty of use when visiting Marines are on the base:
Besides getting a good work out and the gym, visiting US Marines also get plenty exercise by training with their ROK Marine counterparts:
00309-N-9573A-002 CAMP MUJUK, Republic of Korea (March 9, 2010) Marines from 3D Marine Logistics Battalion and Republic of Korean (ROK) Marines warm up with a set of jumping jacks before conducting training at the ROK Mountain Warfare Training Center. The 3D Marine Logistics Battalion is stationed in Okinawa, Japan, and is in Korea to participate in Key Resolve/Foal Eagle 2010. Exercise Freedom Banner involves the movement of U.S. Marine Corps equipment on Maritime Propositioning Force ships and is part of Exercise Foal Eagle. Key Resolve is primarily a command-post exercise with computer-based simulations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Bobbie G. Attaway)
When Marines are not training they are also trying to make a positive impact within the Korean community by conducting Good Neighbor activities such as sponsoring orphanages:
The barracks the US Marines stay at are about three years old and are apartment style with refrigerators, microwaves, and washers & dryers:
Like other US camps in Korea, Camp Mujuk also has markers commemorating Heroes of the Korean War such as Marine Corporal Joseph Vittori who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions during the Korean War:
Corporal Vittori was killed in action against the Chinese on September 16, 1951. Here is his Medal of Honor citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Automatic Rifleman in Company F, Second Battalion, First Marines, First Marine Division (Reinforced), in actions against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 15 and 16 September 1951. With a forward platoon suffering heavy casualties and forced to withdraw under a vicious enemy counterattack as his company assaulted strong hostile forces entrenched on Hill 749, Corporal Vittori boldly rushed through the withdrawing troops with two other volunteers from his reserve platoon and plunged directly into the midst of the enemy. Overwhelming them in a fierce hand-to-hand struggle, he enabled his company to consolidate its positions to meet further imminent on slaughts. Quick to respond to an urgent call for a rifleman to defend a heavy machine gun positioned on the extreme point of the northern flank and virtually isolated from the remainder of the unit when the enemy again struck in force during the night, he assumed position under the devastating barrage and, fighting a singlehanded battle, leaped from one flank to the other, covering each foxhole in turn as casualties continued to mount, manning a machine gun when the gunner was struck down and making repeated trips through the heaviest shellfire to replenish ammunition. With the situation becoming extremely critical, reinforcing units to the rear pinned down under the blistering attack and foxholes left practically void by dead and wounded for a distance of 100 yards (91 m), Corporal Vittori continued his valiant stand, refusing to give ground as the enemy penetrated to within feet of his position, simulating strength in the line and denying the foe physical occupation of the ground. Mortally wounded by enemy machine-gun and rifle bullets while persisting in his magnificent defense of the sector where approximately 200 enemy dead were found the following morning, Corporal Vittori, by his fortitude, stouthearted courage and great personal valor, had kept the point position intact despite the tremendous odds and undoubtedly prevented the entire battalion position from collapsing. His extraordinary heroism throughout the furious night-long battle reflects the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Here is another Marine hero commemorated at Camp Mujuk, Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Gordon:
Lieutenant Colonel Gordon was a veteran of World War II before seeing service in the Korean War. During the war he was the pilot of a AD-2 Skyraider or Marine Attack Squadron 121. On November 18, 1951, while on a combat mission over North Korea, his aircraft was struck by anti-aircraft fire and caught fire. LTC Gordon tried to bail out at a low altitude but was killed during the attempt. Lieutenant Colonel Gordon was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
That is it for the Camp Mujuk history lesson, which as readers can see isn’t much considering it is a small camp that has a small permanent troop presence, but that doesn’t mean the camp isn’t important. It is the premier site to host training between two important allied forces; the US Marines and the ROK Marine Corps. The importance of this camp will ensure that it will continue to play an important part of the US-ROK alliance long after many other camps of similar size are closed on the peninsula.
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Note: Special thanks to ROK Drop reader and contributor Jim for forwarding most of the above pictures to me to post on.
It is the sad reality. No mistake...
10:19 pm on March 24th, 2010 1
The other poles are for the USMC flag and the UN flag.
Key Resolve has been over for a week.
10:34 pm on March 24th, 2010 2
I started typing this up last week and didn't finish it until now. Correction made.
Do you know when the USMC and UN flags are flown?
11:19 pm on March 24th, 2010 3
Good guess KT Customer. The other staffs are for general officer flags. When a general or admiral visits the camp, their flag will be raised.
12:35 am on March 25th, 2010 4
I have a friend who was stationed here in the mid 1980s. I'll fire off an email to him to see if he can solve the mystery. May take awhile to get an answer as he's in Afghanistan now.
7:12 am on March 25th, 2010 5
My guess is that flagpoles are reserved for each RoK and USMC flags.
8:36 am on March 25th, 2010 6
I think the flags are reserved for the State of Texas and the McDonald's flags (that's what I'd put up). LOL
I'm sure Chickenhead can shed more light on it……..
11:06 am on March 25th, 2010 7
"That is it for the Camp Mujuk history lesson, which as readers can see isn’t much considering it is a small camp".
It was enough history for me, reading about Corporal Vittori and Lt Col Gordan. How much history does a camp need?
2:05 pm on April 4th, 2010 8
I was stationed at camp Mu Juk in 2006 with the Navy Seabees who actually maintain the facilities on the camp. The camp had no paved roads then and they were just starting to build those fancy new buildings. It looks great! I cant find it on google earth does anyone know the lat long?
2:09 pm on April 4th, 2010 9
MU JUK is a Chinese phrase translated to Korean which directly translated to English means No Enemy. If you have no enemy then you are invincible.
2:45 am on April 5th, 2010 10
"I am curious what the other two flag poles are used for if anyone knows?"
"I’m sure Chickenhead can shed more light on it…….."
I can!
The pole on the right is actually a monument to the Flag of the Unknown Country. Started in 1981, by the late General Franklin U. C. Knickerbocker III, it has been a tradition on Camp Mujuk to honor the unknown countries which have fearlessly supported the mission even when lacking a presence. For this reason, no flag is flown in the daytime in a show of solidarity and gratitude for their assistance.
At sunset, there is a Raising of the Flag of the Unknown Country ceremony at which point a clear flag composed of transparent polypropylene sheeting is raised to symbolize "the noise of other nations stand ever close even when their assistance cannot be seen". This replaced the original flag of woven Bakelite fiber in 1984.
Interestingly enough, one of the original Bakelite flags is kept on display in the Camp Mujuk Interactive Museum of History and Impressionist Dance. It was added to the collection following a $290,000 restoration effort by the military-affiliated University of Maryland University College, Department of Redundancy Department, after it was luckily discovered by the Second Assistant Deputy Camp Historian who stumbled across it being used as a doormat in a Pohang glass house where he was luckily conducting comparative history field research.
The pole on the left is reserved for joint exercises with French troupes de marines. Upon arrival, the French marines traditionally walk single file, arms upraised, from the camp main gate to the pole where they raise a pure white flag. Traditionally, it is made from bedsheets or woven rags but other materials have been used depending on availability.
In 6-hour shifts, the youngest 4 enlisted members of the French marines are assigned pole-shaking duty to insure the flag is properly furled for conspicuous display. This particular pole, the only one of its kind in the world, is mounted on a platform supported by the suspension system salvaged from the jeep Jerry Lewis rode in on a USO tour in the mid 60s.
Upon leaving the camp, the flag is generally left flying while the French marines attempt to slink out without being seen. Tradition has it that all non-French military members on the camp pretend not to notice.
In 1989, relations between Korea and France hit an all-time low with the infamous Wine Spot Scandal where a leaky bottle of wine caused the white flag to resemble the flag of Japan when the wind caught it at the top of the flagpole.
While ugly accusations flew from all sides, it is generally believed to have been an accident. DNA testing in the late 90s confirmed the grapes to be of a strain only grown in France which disproved long-running speculation that a batch of defective screw tops manufactured for Jinro Port around that time was to blame.
The original flag from the Wine Spot Scandal is hanging in the Camp Mujuk Interactive Museum of History and Impressionist Dance in the foyer between the damaged remains of "Ol' Pinky", the famous 11 inch cannon from the Battle of Slicky Hill, and Marlon Brando's sequined ballet shoes.
I hope this little slice of history was of some use in adding to the knowledge of the much under-appreciated Camp Mujuk.
I actually know quite a bit of obscure USFK history so feel free to ask if you have any questions.
3:02 am on April 5th, 2010 11
[DELETED BY ADMIN - Personal Attack]
8:37 am on April 5th, 2010 12
Outstanding way to start my day! I appreciate that you've put all of that effort into making everyone just a little bit smarter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7w64fbqYQY
11:43 am on April 5th, 2010 13
Awww, Imapos…
Are you French?
12:03 pm on April 5th, 2010 14
My friend got back to me. He's not exactly sure but suspects its for USMC and ROKMC flags as previously stated.
1:35 pm on April 5th, 2010 15
I'm not going to insult like you did but I do agree a lot of posters spend a lot of time writing long, senseless, nonproductive posts. There's certainly more to life than this.
1:05 pm on July 30th, 2010 16
ChickenHead, I don't know where you got your info but I think your way off. I was with 1st bat 2nd mar and we went to Camp Mujuk in 1983. The place was a HOLE. We lived in huts made out of plywood 3 feet off the ground. The only building there was a little cinder block building used as HQ and BAS. There was only 1 flag pole and we flew old glory with the Korean flag just below. I was on the color guard a couple of times.
Christ that place sucked. The pisser was a drum filled with gravel half buried in the ground. The shower was a tent with wooden pallets for floor. Water was piped in from a water buffalo, some times warmed a little but mostly so cold your balls crawled up near your kidneys.
Anyway CH, check your source.
3:11 pm on July 30th, 2010 17
The camp is now a permanent USMC installation. It previously, as an expeditionary camp, was operated by 9th Engineer Support Battalion, and manned by temporarily assigned Marines taken out of 9th ESB's hide. Until it became an official USMC installation, it was owned by the city of Pohang.
It is nothing like what Marines of the 80s remember.
5:24 am on August 5th, 2010 18
I have no idea what has happened in the last 6 years but I was COrporal of the Guard at this camp from October 2003-April 2004 and the place was still a hole when I was there. I was supprised to see the pictures of the place considering when i was ther we had sea huts and a K-span to sleep in. Now if in the last 6 years it has changed that dramatically I would be suprised. Some of the pictures look like the ROK base that is only a few miles away. If anyone wants to see pics of the place from 6 years ago to verify the validity of my story I'd be happy to share. Also the flag poles are for the USMC flag and the staff general flag. I raised and lovered flags there for over 6 months so I think I know which ones we flew. I was out of the 9th ESB on Okinawa and to be more specific I was a 1391 with Bulf Fuel company.
11:12 am on September 26th, 2010 19
I have fond memories of Camp Mujuk (Muchuk as we called it then) despite it being "a hole". We BUILT those sea huts and began what was to become the first chow hall of the place. I think it matters more what we do and with whom that determines the quality of our memories of a time and place. I was surprised to see photos of real buildings and "modern" facilities there. It almost seems inappropriate for Muchuk to evolve like that. Operations "Bear Hunt" and "Team Spirit" just wouldn't have been the same having anything better than the sea huts and rice paddy terraces to which we retreated, tired, wet, and cold. Anything more might have caused culture shock.
During my three visits to Pohang and Muchuk, I made some great friends, then lost track of most of them. I'd love to find a site that facilitates reunions for us CSSD, BSSG, MSSG engineers and the Grunts with whom we served. Semper fi, Fellas.
7:16 am on September 27th, 2010 20
The additional flag poles are for posting Admiral and General flags when they are on deck. I was station at Det Pohang on the ROK base in 2000-2001 and we often visited with the Marines and Sailors at MEC-P as it was referred to then. In 2001 they started calling it Camp Mujuk again. The Ordnance Detachment was transferred from the Navy to the Marines and the Marines moved the Ordnancemen to the Camp from the ROK base. I was stationed there again a few years ago and it has transitioned from shacks and dirt/gravel road to an actual representation of a military installation. Impressive accomadations for a place that houses so few.
1:47 am on November 24th, 2010 21
Wow…23 years have passed. I recall it by Camp "Mudchuck", it was mud to our knees when we arrived. Tents and huts is all there was.
And Semper Fi to all. Nice they built a memorial for the helicopter incidents. Yes, I was there at that same Team Spirit; God saved me.
I am trying to remember where exactly in the Pohang area did we enjoy the nightlife and girl activities.
2:52 am on November 24th, 2010 22
Dooly's, Arirang… The bath house…
10:27 pm on January 23rd, 2011 23
[...] Re: Only Obama would fly the Chi-com flag at the same height as the American flag Originally Posted by apdst Whatta loser. Flying the US flag at the same level as flags from other nations is something commonly done. You are blowing this out of proportion. Stuff like this is common in ROK and I am pretty sure it is common anywhere there is a US military installation on foreign soil. BUsh in Korea Independent Lens . SEOUL TRAIN . Timeline: North Korea | PBS A Profile of Camp Mujuk, South Korea | ROK Drop [...]
11:05 am on February 2nd, 2011 24
I was stationed here in the early 80's. It resembled something out of MASH. Looks great now.
12:36 am on February 3rd, 2011 25
Hey, Joe… Which detachment were you with…? Or were you one of the BLTs passing through for training…? I was an engineer who "visited" regularly from Okinawa to enjoy the MASH lifestyle. Give me a hint, Man. I'm looking for fellow Marines from the day.
Peaker
2:28 am on May 23rd, 2011 26
Boy ,this brings back memories of team spirit 84.Yes I remenber mud and tents (yes like mash).Catching a duce and half out to town for liberty,club new mexico, club texas,etc.. One of best times on deployment.9th e.s.b. 1391 having lots of fun….
8:18 am on August 19th, 2011 27
I was in Mu Juk in 1992 around October I believe. Man what a difference from then to now. Then we had tin buildings for barrack. The ROK Hard was there but the Exchange was in a Semi-Trailer and there was 1 shower with 4 nozzles to shower all Marines there. The camp itself was quite a bit smaller and the chow hall was just a small building with plywood walls hardly no lights. Wow times have changed.
5:51 am on October 11th, 2011 28
I was in SKorea in 1983 for Bear Hunt. I always thought we were near a town called Uncheon. But on checking maps, we were near DMZ but I don’t see Uncheon. Some guys used to call the camp Moon-chuck. We ferried jeeps from port at Inchon–took 12 hours. The Bear Hunt base was Army, and our part was all mud covered roads (for tracked vehicles). We had a firing range called Nightmare Range off the base. Yes, I was with Arty Regiment (The outhouse was painted “Regimental USO” and “You Yell, We Shell”:-) ANyone know the name of the base? There was a small town outside the gate where we took liberty and also built a house for an older lady there. Would love to go back and visit both, also a retreat at Sanjong Lake (?) that we went to. For laughs–Army had large porta potty trucks come and clean out their potties, we had to lug the 55 gallon drums to a truck, take OFF BASE, fill with diesel and ignie and stir (Add salt to taste). Korean gate guards thought that was funny as heck, until the smoke drifted to their area…. an anyone help me with the names here? Where was it in relation to DMZ? I can’t find it on maps.
5:41 pm on October 11th, 2011 29
Scott, there is the village of Uncheon near Nightmare Range and Sanjeong Lake. Click this link from Google Maps which will show you where it is located.
You were probably staying at Camp Kaiser. Click this link to read more about Camp Kaiser. Nightmare Range is still used today by both the ROK and US Armies. Sanjeong Lake is also still a very nice place to visit though it gets insanely packed on holidays.
10:37 pm on November 6th, 2011 30
Judging by the view from Google Maps, Mu Juk looks grown up now. It was a muddy mess when I was there in 1987, with just a handful of single-level permanent buildings. Billeting for transient Marines was in plywood huts, which were only slightly more comfortable than our canvas two-man shelters. The floor of the shower tent was made of wooden pallets. And we ate our meals outdoors.
But liberty in town was crazy fun.
11:10 am on November 16th, 2011 31
Thanks “GI Korea”. Nightmare Range was just outside the base, the road forked or went left and right. It was less than a mile off base–does this sound like Kaiser? There was a back bridge on the base named after a Marine that had been working on the power pole and a helo came in and somehow he fell off and was killed. This was in Oct or Nov of 1983 and it was right in front of the PX tent.
I remember one day in November, one of the Marines came stumbling into the squad tent all dazed and mumbled “Hey yo, a bunch of our guys just got killed in the barracks in Beruit!” That was the suicide attack. The casualty lists were up on the wall at the BAS for a few weeks and everyone stopped to look, it was a hard time for us all.
The office tents all had Marine Corps green signs outside them listing their section, the company office always had a coffee sign back on Okinawa, and when we got to Korea, there in black paint stenciled on the green background on the sign was “HQ CO Office Capt. So-And-So CO”, and in little letters in the corner “Coffee still 25c”. Of course, the paths were bordered with painted rocks and were kept raked by “Prives with nothing else to do” (Dumb enough to get caught smoking a cig or laughing at a joke someone just told by a SNCO).
Each section got to come up with their own slogan and had it on the signs outside–”Mangudai Supply”, “Motor T–We Bad Axe” (Originally they had it as “We may not go down in history, but we’ll go down on your sister” and the XO had a stroke over that, so it was of course, changed quickly!) etc.
Anyone remember the 500 won paper sacks of fried shrimp and french fries? We went to take some jeeps to the port and stopped in Yongsan, Casey, Red Cloud, etc. It was Thanksgiving, and the Gunny had told us to save our turkey c-rations so we could have turkey loaf on that day, but we got to an Army base and tried the chow hall just in case.
The Army guys had just secured from chow and were cleaning up, but these guys actually opened up for us and gave us seconds, etc. I never forgot that courtesy that they extended to us. I also never forgot that when I went into one of their barracks to use the head, (Had to explain that word to the SSgt–they cal it a latrine I think) I had to see the Platoon Sgt to get the duty roll of toilet paper, and had to leave my ID card with him–we laughed about that, because in the Corps, we have to see the “Police Sgt” (basically the unit supply-guy or something like that) to sign out the squad toilet seat (Kept hanging on the wall with the unit name on it) or scrub brushes, but never to get a roll of TP which the Army didn’t leave in the stalls, yet we always did.
I thought this USA SSGT was going to measure the sheets on the roll to see how many I’d used! Remember in the old Corps when one of the stalls in any head was painted “VD Only”?