Camp St Barbara Korea
Camp St Barbara Korea
Home of I Corps Artillery
from 1954 to 1971
I saw one of these signs while driving from Cp. St Barbara to one of our Detachments near the JSA area. Since it did not have any information in English, I didn't think it was important. Since I didn't have a map, I was using a compass. Well, seems I was going mostly West, instead of South West. What a mistake that was. I was VERY lucky to run into a South Korean patrol IN SIDE the DMZ, and they escorted me out of it. They did not report it to the US Army, and neither did I. I was wondering why the road was so poorly maintained. It was a gravel road like the others at first, but got worse as I drove. At the point where I met the patrol, it was not much more than a trail. Seems that it was used only for DMZ Patrols. During the 60s, and early 70s, large parts of the southern boundary of the DMZ in the central area were only marked with wire. Where I came out of it in the western area, was fully fenced and had a huge gate to go through. It was guarded by South Korean soldiers. I did not understand the soldiers much earlier, but fully understood when I say which side of the gate that the guards were on, and where we came from.
After doing some checking, I found out that I had taken Rt 322 instead of 37 in Chon-gok (no signs then), and it took me more west,, than south west. I had past to the west of Camp Walley, then came back through the fence just south west of it, and ended up coming across Libby Bridge, and into the area that I was headed to.
Several sections along the cetral area of the DMZ only had these signs,
and a single strand of wire marking the South Limits even in 1970
I came very close to causing a Major Incident due to being very tired, and not paying close attention to what I was doing.
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