Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Bryant Maude | A group of service members and civilians with the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment...... read more read more
CAMP HENRY, South Korea – A group of 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command service members and civilians departed the parking lot of the Evergreen Club on Camp Walker bound for cultural tour at Geoje Island, South Korea, June 29.
The trip was sponsored by a group of Korean nationals who are longstanding members of the Good Neighbor Program and organized by the 19th ESC community relations office.
The first stop was the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Company, which is the second largest shipbuilder in the world and one of the "Big Three" shipbuilders of South Korea.
“I didn’t know there was such a company that built ships here in Korea,” said Lt. Col. Rajesh Lobrecht, 19th ESC G-1 adjutant, who participated on tour with his three children.
After a 13-minute introductory video, the group boarded two DSME buses and took a driving tour of the company’s shipyard. The group was informed that DSME boasts the largest dry-dock in the world.
“The shipyard tour was really nice,” said Romar Banzon, son of Lt. Col. Roy Banzon. “I’m trying to take engineering in college, so I’m interested in seeing them building these ships.”
Group members had the chance to look down from the observation point to get a sense of the company size, which is comprised of 25,000 workers and earned $11.4 billion in 2010.
“I am amazed and awed at the operation here. The ships are big, and the equipment they use is incredible,” Lobrecht said.
After the visit to the shipyard, the group boarded the buses bound for their next destination – lunch at the Beef Rack. The Beef Rack is a restaurant where soldiers and civilians were able to select their own meet and side dishes and then cook them on small grills at their table.
“We tried the bulgogi, kimchi, spicy chicken and rice,” said Spc. Lisa Taylor, who went on the tour with her husband and three kids. “We wanted to get out and see something different.”
The next stop of the tour was supposed to be Oedo Island, but due to high winds and rain, the tour guides made a quick adjustment and took the group to the village of Geoje where they toured the Kim Young-sam Presidential Archives and Exhibit Hall, which was named after the 14th president of South Korea.
“I was a little disappointed that we couldn’t go to Oedo Island, but this is pretty nice. It allows us to get to learn a little more of Korean history,” Romar Banzon said.
The Exhibit Hall is housed in a modern two story stone building next to a traditional wood home that Kim Young Sam grew up in and featured a large assortment of artifacts from President Kim’s time in office that the group members got to interact with.
The final stop for the Island tour was at the Geoje POW Camp, which opened its doors in 1951 to house Chinese and North Korean soldiers who were captured during the Korean War.
“This place is more interesting than I expected,” said Dannielle Trevino, wife of James Trevino, 6th Signal Center.
The camp allowed soldiers the opportunity to see firsthand a component of war that often goes unrecognized. The tour group was able to walk the grounds and see what life as a POW was like through exhibits illustrating fights, captures, surrenders and insurrections.
“It had a lot of original artifacts that depict the actual history of what went on here,” Trevino said.
| Date Taken: | 07.03.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 07.03.2012 02:41 |
| Story ID: | 91034 |
| Location: | CAMP HENRY, 27, KR |
| Web Views: | 333 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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