1975-1985: Red Horse

Co C USASTRATCOM Long Lines Battalion South:

1964 - 1965: It appears that the original designation of the Kunsan Hawk unit was B Battery 6th Battalion 44th ADA. On Nike Hercules Ordnance Support Unit History 12th Ordnance Detachment and Other Support Units, Charles Rudicil in the 1964 - 1965 period wrote, "The 12th Ord Det (GM)(GS) was located in Camp Ames and provided backup to the DS Detachments. Mostly they did the missile rebuild program that was in effect at the time. Actually, though I was assigned to the 12th, I never spent a day with it. When I arrived in Korea, there were 23 Missile Support Detachments and 5 conventional automotive support companies assigned to the 4th Ord Bn. The CO, LTC Mearns, set up a "Guided Missile Office, South" at Camp Humphries, staffed it with a Captain, a WO, and a MSG, and placed the 5 southern missile detachments under the operational control of the GMO, South. Guess who the WO was? The Captain, later Major, was Gerald Harber and the MSG was Jerry Brown. The 12th Ord Det, the 16th Ord Det (GM)(DS) at Camp Humphries, and the 30th Ord Det (GM)(DS) at Sea Range were the Nike units, supporting the 4/44th ADA (NIKE) and the 6/44th ADA (HAWK)." It was not a very good arrangement but the best they could do with the large number of units assigned to the 4th Ord Bn."

He continued, "About halfway through my tour, 8th Army started playing with the COSTAR TO&Es and formed a Guided Missile Company, North (Provisional) and a Guided Missile Company, South (Provisional). All of the NIKE detachments, to include the 226th General Support Detachment at ASCOM Depot, were assigned as platoons in the South Missile Company, which was assigned to the 55th Trans Bn (AVN). I was assigned to the Operations Office (the old GMO, South) of the South Missile Company and we were given the job of making the COSTAR concept work. We were still messing with it when I departed Korea, and when the ADA won the battle with Ordnance over control of support detachments, the 4/44th DSP was formed from the remnants of the South Missile Company. Now how's that for a story? It's all true and factual and I even have a few copies of old orders to prove it. But I'm sure you've heard all this before. I'm just giving it to you from my perspective. What's that I said about who knows what will fall out when you dust off the cobwebs?"


Site 44 Hawk Hill (Aug 65) (Courtesy William E. Dickert)

William E. Dickert (Bill) wrote that he was a launcher platoon leader in 1964-1965 and had quite a few photos of Kunsan AB and the Admin site. Bill wrote:

  I have located my prints of both the B/6/44 site and Kunsan AFB.  Both are old and faded but readable.  I will try to get them reproduced in a PDF format that I can e-mail to you.  Both are "D" (22" X 34") sized engineering drawings.

The Kunsan AFB print is titled "PACIFIC AIR FORCES, MASTER PLAN, BASIC LAYOUT PLAN, KUNSAN AIR BASE (K-8) KOREA" and has a latest revision date of 26 FEB 65.  The scale is 1" = 400' so the details are quite small.  

The print for B/6/44 is titled "DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, EIGHT UNITED STATES ARMY, KOREA, TAC 5 SITE 44 (515867), HUMPHREYS DISTRICT COMMAND, ENG - 75 (R-2), INVENTORY OF MILITARY REAL PROPERTY - ARMY.  Here the latest revision is rev 5, dated JAN 1965.  

For the record:  

The Army constructed a 9 man BOQ that is designated T-395. This building was a straight sided Quonset hut (20' X 72') with an attached concrete block latrine facility (20' X 33').  T-395 was located on the Southeast corner of the intersection of Avenue "A" and West 9th Street.  At that time, we had the honor of having the BOQ closest to the K-8 OOM ("O" Club), which was in building 387 at that time, making it easy for us to crawl home from one of the monthly "Hail and Farewell" dinners at the club.  We were also located very close to the North end of Runway 17, so we got the full effect of alert force F-100 takeoffs when the wind was from the South.  


Kunsan Hawk Billet Area (Aug 65) (Courtesy William E. Dickert)

The Administrative area was in an area bounded by West 1st Street to the South, West 2nd Street to the North, Avenue A to the West and Avenue B to the East.  The admin area consisted of buildings T-1267 and 1268 along with T 1620 through 1626.  Again, all of the buildings with the exception of the latrine facility were built of straight sided Quonset huts.  In 1965-66 they were all painted a very ugly split-pea soup green inside and out!  Just south of our admin area was Apron 36, the ROKAF pad, which was loaded with F-86's.  

T-1267 was the motor pool hooch for the motor pool crew and T-1268 was the maintenance shop consisting of a 2-bay garage plus storeroom and office.  This area (shown as S-504) was enclosed by a chain link fence creating our motor pool hardstand, with the access gate opening onto West 2nd Avenue.  T-1627 was 20' X 24'.  T-1628 was 44' X 33'.  

T-1620 contained the administrative offices, rec room, armory and quartermaster stores.  It was a "T" shaped building, the main part measuring 20' X 96' with the "T" addition 2-' X 48'.  

T-1621 and T-1622 were the "lower 4" hooches.  These buildings were open bay platoon style buildings.  Each building was 20' X 96'.  

S-1623 was the community latrine.  It was concrete block construction and measured 39' 4" by 29" 4"  

T-1624 was the E-5 hooch and was the same size as 1621 and 1622.  

T-1625 was the E-6 hooch and was 20' X 48'.  

T-1626 was the Senior NCO hooch and was the same size as T-1625.

Kunsan AB Aerial View (Aug 65) (Courtesy William E. Dickert)

Kunsan Main Gate (Aug 65) (Courtesy William E. Dickert)

There is only one of these quonset huts remaining in the ROKAF area. It appears to be used for storage. The other quonsets (T-1620 - T-1626) were turned over to the ROKAF after the Army left. The quonsets unbelievably were still in use as ROKAF enlisted billeting until the mid-1990s. They were torn down to construct a modern two-story dormitory for the enlisted with a ROK Base Exchange (about the size of a shoppette) in 1995.

The BOQ was torn down long ago. The area is now a parking lot for the two-story officer billets along Avenue A. The officer's club had a fire in the 1990s and never reopened. Instead a collocated officer-NCO club (Loring Club) was constructed on the main base section along Avenue C. In 2001, the club was refurbished and reopened as the Golf Course clubhouse. The bar still exists that the officers crawl home from on occasion after some of the unit parties there.

William E. Dickert later wrote about the Changhang ferry and less than optimal vehicle driving conditions, "In 1965 the battery went to Sea Range in November. I drove one of the 2 M-151's we had (B-2?). Clutch linkage broke somewhere between the pedal and the clutch. I learned how to start it in neutral, warm it up, shut it off, put the tranny in first, and restart. Got really good at clutchless shifting. Got to ChangHang and there was that damn ferry! Somehow I drove it on without a clutch and did not run off into the water off the back. Backed off on the Kunsan side, again with no clutch. The AP's at the main gate had a fit when I rolled through in first with the old man saluting back."

Ferry to Changhang (Aug 65) (Courtesy William E. Dickert)

"I recall the ferry as being a converted deck type cargo barge with an old, worn out Detroit diesel (slickied, no doubt, from the base), buried deep in the barge. Never did look down into the engine compartment because I was afraid to see how deep the water was. Most of the time the aft 2 or 3 feet was awash in smooth water. I remember the trip across against the tide taking upwards of 1 1/2 hours. Trying to find some photos of the barge from hell."

The Sea Range in Taechon is long gone. The ferry from Changhang still operates, but now there is no need for a car ferry. The ferry is strictly for passengers. Vehicular traffic use the Kumgang Estuary Dam Bridge which connects Kunsan to Changhang.

View to the north from the top of the site. (Sep 65) (Courtesy William E. Dickert)

View to the west with Kunsan AFB in the distance (Sep 65) (Courtesy William E. Dickert)

View to the southwest looking out over the Yellow Sea and the estuary to the south of the site. (Sep 65) (Courtesy William E. Dickert)

View southeast from the hilltop over the salt pans. Note the mess tent in the lower left corner. This tent was replaced by a rebuilt slab-sided Quonset building (Sep 65) (Courtesy William E. Dickert)

View looks west into a sunset. (Sep 65) (Courtesy William E. Dickert)

Picture at Sea Range around Thanksgiving 1965. This is one of our birds at launch. (Dec 65) (Courtesy William E. Dickert)

1964 - 1969: (D-6-44: Biin) Phillip M. Johnson of Dallas, TX wrote in Jan 2005, "I was in Btty D, 6th Msl Bn, 44th Arty (HAWK) in 1964-1965. We were in a little village called Piin. I've been trying to find anything on the web about my old unit. I have no pictures of my time in Korea, and would love to have a picture of our sign over the main gate that said "Home of Murphy's Law". Also would love to have a picture of the sign post that stood outside the orderly room that was made up of a bunch of mileage distances to different places in the world. I've been looking at pictures of army installations in Korea today, and I can't believe how modern it is. In my day, we lived in tents and quanset huts, and showed movies on a sheet hung to the side of a tent. Now American soldiers can have their dependents with them, Korea makes cars, and telecommunications equipment, and everyone has cable TV. Incredible !!! In 1964-65 it was like stepping back in time a couple hundred years. The villagers mourned when a baby was born and rejoiced when someone died because they got to go live on Happy Mountain. People in the village of Piin had no concept of the rest of the world, and thought America was on the other side of the next mountain. Once, one of them asked me if there was a jeep in my village. I said yes we have jeeps in my village, and she said "More than one?" Unbelievable !!!!!"

Later we found the following images on the Korea: Tour of Duty site under the ADA units.

Sign post outside D-6-44 Orderly Room in Biin showing 2km to Yellow Sea. (Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending))

"Heading North from Biin, and taking the left fork in the road immediately north of town, and staying as close to the ocean as possible, you came to the D Btry Tac Site. Heading north from Biin and taking the right fork in the road, thus heading somewhat north easterly for a while to get over some mountains, you eventually reached Taechon where, if you turned hard left, you would, in half an hour or so, reach Taechon Hae Soo YokJang (spelling??) which is where Annual Service Practice for Nike and HAWK was held; Sea Rangeeeee for short. There was a Nike Hercules battery, B Btry of ??? BN, overlooking Sea Range and they actually fired the Nike Missiles from that site over the ocean to the West."

(NOTE: At Camp Echo Hill, Kenneth Wisz who was the Nike E/4/44 at Kimje in 1974 wrote, "On the map I'm attaching you'll see b/4/44 which was b/2/44 when I was in Korea. It was known as sea (special eighth army) range. That is where the annual service practices were held every summer with live Nike and Hawk firings at drones flown over the Yellow Sea at Daechon (Taechon) beach.")

Hayward added, "Continuing North from Taechon, and just south of Hong Song, was Reno Hill, the BN HQ for the 6th of the 44th (HAWK). Reno hill also hosted the AADCAP and some sort of long-lines radio relay site (Unicorn Tac, I think) on top of the mountain just to the West. C Btry, 6th of the 44th was somewhere north by north west of Hong Song, on a hill overlooking the ocean. A Btry, 6th of the 44th was on a hill just to the north of Osan AB."

He later wrote, "The admin area was on the east side of the main street of Piin a little south of the police station which was on the west side of the street." He continued, "Biin was the admin site for D Btry, 6/44 and was a few miles south of the tac site. It was a straight shot south from Biin to Kunsan. The tac site was to the north, but you had to leave the MSR and bear west. " He went on, "The abbreviated HAWK DSU was placed at Biin after the ASP at Sea Range in 1965. ... I lived in the BOQ there at Biin when I wasn't up to no good in the 'vil'."

"The admin area in Piin is, as you have properly understood my information, the billeting and admin area for D/6/44ADA. There was a BOQ, Enlisted Barracks, Mess Hall, Motor Pool, Supply Room, Arms Room, a small PX, theatre, barber shop, etc. I am fairly certain that the KATUSA's also had a barracks there also. Depending on alert status the troops would spend varying amounts of time on the tac site where there were bunks. Food was prepared in the admin area mess hall and trucked to the tac site."

After the U.S. turned the HAWKS over to the ROK in the 1980s, Hayward said, "It is my understanding that when the US gave the HAWK units to the ROK that the Koreans simply moved into the admin area in Piin and might even still be occupying the location."

Tactical site at Biin (D/6/44ADA): The Hawk acquisition radar unit was located at Biin just a little south of Chunchung-dae (Chunchung Beach) about 30km from Kunsan.Hayward S. Melville wrote the Tactical Site located in Biin supported the actual HAWK site at Kunsan, B/6/44ADA. This tac site would provide the target acquisition information for the B Battery Fire Control Unit on the hill at Kunsan. He wrote, "By tac site I mean Tactical Site and I am referring to the actual HAWK Site for B/6/44ADA. This site was located to the north maybe 6 or 10 clicks. Just north of Piin as it existed in those days was a fork in the road with the main road bearing off to the right and the minor road being the left fork. By minor, I mean MINOR; real country road that didn't go anywhere that I can remember except to the tac site (it didn't end at the tac site, but I never went any further. The left fork was not the road numbered route 21 on today's maps, but veered to the west of route 21 just north of Piin. The tac site was located on a hill at the tip of the little peninsula located to the north and west of Piin. Route 21 is what I mistakenly called the MSR earlier; I don't think it was ever a real MSR, but it was the main road from Piin to Taechon."

"So, the HAWK tac site that was D/6/44 and located somewhat NW of Piin was a permanent site and was totally distinct and different from the HAWK Battery that was established each year from September through November at Sea Range. There was no permanent HAWK installation of any sort at Sea Range for the other nine months of the year. However, since D/6/44 was the closest HAWK unit to Sea Range, the Brigade made it the host battery on several occasions, but when this happened the "real D/6/44 tac site" was essentially deactivated for the 3 month duration of the Sea Range ASP. There was a permanent missile site, B Btry of ???? Bn, ??? Bde, located just to the east of the Sea Range firing location, but it was a NIKE Hercules site manned by US Army troops."

(NOTE: At Camp Echo Hill, the battery is identified as b/4/44 -- which was formerly b/2/44)

1968: (B-6-44, Kunsan) John Lashnits was the CO of B-6-44 from around February 1968 to June 1968 when he returned to Homestead. He wrote in May 2006, "I was with the 6th Bn 44th Artillery (HAWK) from July 1967 to August 1968. Initially I was Fire Control Platoon Leader at A-6-44, then moved to D-6-44 (we were host battery at Sea Range for a while that year), then to HQ-6-44 as Asst S3, then to B-6-44 as Battery Commander. So, my time at Bravo was roughly Feb. 1968 to August 1968. It was good duty, and we had an excellent group of guys making up the battery in those days. We were there for the Blue House Incident and arrival of the 4th TFW with Chuck Yeager and the F-4's. (See Pueblo Incident for Kunsan AB buildup.) Despite parts shortages and being under strength, with a lot of effort by all Bravo was able to start passing ORE's (Operational Readiness Exams) consistently. We had a 38th Brigade Command Inspection in July and earned an Excellent rating. We also had good relations with the AF types when I was there. We arranged for coordinated "runs" by the F-4's against our site and would regularly "lock them up" with our tracking radars. They loaned us a portable radio for communication with the flights. I had my Private Pilot's license at the time, and as I prepared to return to the US, the AF guys arranged for me to checkout in a G-suit and ride in the back seat on a practice mission up northeast of Seoul - it was one of the highlights of my tour in Korea. Lots of good memories (the bad ones fade faster, I know). Thanks for keeping this stuff "alive"."

1969 - 1970: (D-6-44, Biin) Bill Dodds of Lebanon, TN added in Sep 2005, that he was at Biin from June 69 to July 70 with D-6-44, just N of Kunsan. "We had a daily mail run to Kunsan for our mail and supplies, it was a 4 hr round trip plus the ferry ride." The ferry is still there but no longer transports trucks -- they have the Kumgang Estuary Dam bridge now -- and its less than an hour drive to Biin.

1969 - 1970: (B-6-44, Kunsan) Al Waschka was a 1Lt Platoon leader, D-6/44 in Biin from August 1970 - December 1970 and XO B-6/44 in Kunsan from December 1970 - August 1971. He wrote: "A few comments on chronology of the Hawk units on and around Kunsan. I was assigned to D-6/44 as Service Platoon Leader in the summer of 1970. I was at Biin for a few months and then was reassigned as Executive Officer B-6/44 on Kunsan until August 1971. During the time I was there the unit was definitely a part of the 6th Batallion, 44th Artillery, which was a unit of the 38th Artillery Brigade. As you said, 6/44 was headquartered at Reno Hill. 38th Bde Hq was at Osan. I can't shed any light on the transition from 6/44 to 2/44, but it was definitely 6/44 in the from August 1970 to August 1971 when I left."

Al continued, "Life at Biin was pretty primitive. I remember if I wanted something to eat late I had to go to the back door of the NCO club and ask the cook. No radio, no television, not a lot to do. I looked forward to an occasional visit to Kunsan to the officer's club and BX. I re-established the darkroom while I was there and started trying to set up a ham radio station, but I went to B-6/44 before I got my radio from home. When I moved to Kunsan it was like moving to the big city."

Hawk Site outside Kunsan AB. Note how the mountain is denuded of vegetation at the top. (1969) (Unknown, Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending))

Hawk Site outside Kunsan AB. Note how the mountain is denuded of vegetation at the top. (Mar 1969) (Unknown, Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending))


Hawk Site Entry Gate looking out over Yellow Sea. (Mar 1969) (Unknown, Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending))


Barracks on Kunsan AB. The barracks in rear were new for USAF Permanent Party, while the Army got the quonsets. (Mar 1969) (Unknown, Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending))




B-Battery Orderly Room on Kunsan AB. (1969) (Unknown, Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending))

1969 - 1970: (B-6-44, Kunsan) Jim Cates of Lawson, MO wrote in the guestbook in March 2006, "I was at B/6/44 in 68-69 as C&A Section Chief. Winter was so cold, and the five gallon jerrycans that provided fuel for the barracks heaters always ran out during the night. We just tried to keep warm in our bunks hoping some brave soul would get up to refill the cans and restart the heater. It was a long cold trek from the barracks to the latrine and shower. Up on the hill the water tank would often go empty and we had to use that outhouse on the hillside. The cold winter wind blew in through the bottom opening and up through the hole, if you didn't make a tight seal with your butt, you could get wet. I remember we once did a one night bivouac, without mosquito netting, everyone's face was swollen from mosquito bites we could hardly recognize each other. Many FTAs were spoken. How many games of spades did we play in the ready room? I have many more memories from Korea. I miss those good times and good friends, and my youth."

William P Caloia wrote in the guestbook of 94ADA (1999), "Also served in a HAWK unit at Kunsan AB Korea B/2/44 ADA 1969-70." This would mean that by 1969, the original designation of B Battery 6th Battalion 44th ADA had been changed to the B Battery 2nd Battalion 44th ADA. However, people such as Al Waschka contradict this stating that it was definitely "B/6/44" at least up until August 1971. Until otherwise notified, we hold this as the B/2/44 info is questionable.

Dave Hamrick wrote on Classmates.com, "I was part of a 150 man Army Unit on an Air Force base at Kunsan, Korea. We were with "B" Battery of the 44th Artillery, a Hawk Missile Unit; Air Defense. We would go to the tactical site everyday which was about a mile up on a mountain about 10 miles from the air base. Our purpose was to protect the Air Base and the fighter planes. We were known for having the highest shit house in Korea on that mountain and actually had an outhouse with the moon cut in the door. Poor duty for 13 months, but better than some places." He wrote on the Hawk Contact Page that he was a member of B/6/44 38th Brigade, "Was in Kunsan 9/69 to 9/70. Was radar mechanic on "rabbit ears" radar. Made many trips to the ville, had great fun on truck rides to the mountain, and loved guard duty on the hill. Played some golf on air base course, worked out at gym, did the craft shops airmen had, and loved to go to enlisted men's club and drink with buds" On 8/17/99, he wrote in the Fort Bliss Guestbook, "Just thought I would put some information on this site and see if any of my old buds look at it ever. Took basic Oct. '68, AIT in Hawk Missile 24Bravo MOS until July '69. Went to Korea in Aug. '69 to Oct.'70. Stationed on Air Force base in Kunsan for a year (small Army compound of about 160 men). Came back to Fort Bliss to instruct on radar (rabbit ears tracking radar, can't think what it was called). Got out Oct.'71 and moved back to Panhandle of Texas where I grew up. In Amarillo for last 28 years. If you were at any of these places at the times mentioned, send me an e-mail." Lots of things have changed. The NCO club was the old Building 1100 which was demolished in 2002, though the Gym is in the same location -- but replaced with a new structure in 2004. The golf course is still there and the crafts shops he mentions are now part of the Son Light Inn of the Base Chapel. The "ville" (A-town) was brand new then -- a GI bar row.

Quonset hut on Kunsan AB: On the sign: "Battery Commander Cpt George Kleix; XO 1Lt Jeffery Zemak; 1st Sgt Francis Rizzuto" (1969) (Ray Vivrette )

Former SP5 Charles R. [Bob] West wrote that he was at Kunsan but did a lot of traveling. "In country from 12/15/68 to 1/15/70. I was 23R20, "Mr. TDY", thanks to getting on 8th Army Pistol Team."

1972 - 1973: (B-1-44, Kunsan) In 1972, the designation was changed to B Battery 1st Battalion 44th ADA. The difference in designation between "B/2/44" and "B/1/44" was explained by Ken Wisz saying that in 1972 all the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade's units were redesignated. He stated, "As far as the Kunsan Hawk Btry designation goes, my guess would be that it was b 2nd/44th in 1969/70 and later became b 1st/44th after the redesignation of of the 38th ada bde battalions in 1972 when the 4th/44th became the 2nd/44 th." According to Global Security, it was "redesignated on 30 December 1965 as the 1st Battalion, 44th Artillery, it reactivated on 1 March 1966 at Fort Bliss, TX. The 1st battalion, was redesignated on 1 September 1971 as the 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery. It inactivated on 30 June 1980 in Korea."

On Nike Hercules Ordnance Support Unit History 12th Ordnance Detachment and Other Support Units, Doyle Piland wrote about the 1972 - 1973 period, "It appears that regardless of which unit designations were changed to what, the mission of the 30th Ordnance Company, Nike Platoon was the combined mission of the 12th Ord Det and the 226th Od Det. The missions of the 16th Ord Det and the 30th Ord Det were then taken over by what was the 4/44th ADA DSP when I was there. The 4/44th DSP supported six Nike Hercules Batteries. The 30th Ord Co Nike Platoon was located at Camp Ames and provided backup support to two ROK Army battalion DSPs and the 4/44th (2/44th) DSP. It also provided support for the ASCOM Depot and the Special Ammunition Storage Company at Camp Ames which was the depot storage for all Nike and Hawk Missiles. The Nike Platoon had two HAWK technicians attached and some HAWK missile test sets. These technicians did all the complete round checkout for hawk missiles in storage."

(R) Plotting Board in Battery Control Central (BCC) (1969) (Unknown, Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending)); (L) TCC and Status Panel on wall in BCC (1969) (Unknown, Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending))

Tactical Control Console (TCC) in Battery Control Central. This is where the Tactical Control Officer (TCO) worked (Mar 1969) (Unknown, Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending))


"A" and "B" Section Control Consoles in BCC. Night Vision Red Lighting. (Mar 1969) (Unknown, Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending))


"A" and "B" Section Control Consoles in BCC. Normal lighting. (Mar 1969) (Unknown, Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending))


Remote BCC. (Mar 1969) (Unknown, Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending))


Instrumentation. (Mar 1969) (Unknown, Korea: Tour of Duty (Permission Pending))

1973-1974: (B-1-44, Kunsan) Hal Stansbury of Memphis, TN wrote in Mar 2005, "Wow..was s-1 at 1/44 reno hill 1973 then battery commander of Bravo Battery Kunsan 1973..we were rated highest combat ready unit of any Hawk Battery in 38Th brigade in 14 years in 1973 ... that's after putting half the unit in jail or out of service for massive quanity of dope smoking and an occasional assault ... what a year -- a transition between the draft and volunteer Army ... so how many of you guys still have enough live brain cells to remember 1973 ... I'll never forget the first sgt and I finding a dope garden on the missle site ... what a crew ... how we could get a missle ready light not to mention find the fire button still amazes me. You guys also led the Brigade in the V.D. rate that year ... 70% of you have to be Eunichs by now. You were a trip ... God Bless you all."

Michael Goshi wrote, "I served in B Battery 1st Battalion-44th ADA in 1973. The men in the battery went to the hill on diesel trucks through the main gate on the paved road. This was the same road out of the main gate that went to A town and eventually Kunsan."

NOTE: We wish to thank Michael Goshi for correcting the error on our part of misidentifying the hill's location. We at first thought it was situated it a half mile north of the base, but as Michael pointed out it was east of the base. Mahalo ... from this information we were able to find the location of the site -- though with a bit of difficulty.

Michael continued, " From this road, about a third of the way to A-town, we used to take a right turn into a dirt road. There used to be some small stores at the corner on the Kunsan AFB of the intersection. I have pictures of these stores." This is the intersection in Okku village where the road continues straight ahead to pass over the levee and on to Kunsan. He indicates turns right. This road is now a paved two lane road.

Intersection off road to Kunsan to TAC site

He continued, "We used to continue on the road for perhaps five minutes. The road gradually turned slightly to the left before we got to the base of the hill. There were only rice fields on both sides of the dirt road. There was some small hills in the distance on the left side."

Road to site after turn off from main road

If one turns left at the traffic circle and go straight for about a mile, you will see an irrigation sluice. Turn right to the fishing village of Oeeu-dong. The hills will be on your left. Michael's description fits the description of the hill that the present road runs into. From the distance one will see the hill with a ROK Army building on top.

From Bottom of Hill

End of Dirt Road Prior to Turn

He continued, "When we got to the base of the hill the road turned 90 degrees to go up the hill. It was a typical three tiered missile site with a road that spiraled to the top. Launchers in the bottom, buildings in the middle and radars at the very top." Currently when you follow the road to Oeeu-dong village, you will see two small stores with a road between on your left. This road turns into a gravel road that will lead to the hilltop. The view below is just after you reach the gravel road to your left.

View Back After Turn Off to Hill

Halfway up entry road

He went on, "The entire trip probably took no more that 15 to 20 minutes from our billets to the top of the hill. Five minutes from our quonset hut barracks to the main gate, 5 minutes to get to the dirt road, 5 minutes to the base of the hill and 3 to 5 to get to the top. It took longer during the winter as we needed to have snow chains. I don't think that the distance from our barracks on the base to the hill was not more than five to seven miles. However, because we had to take a huge U to get there and because most of the travel on dirt roads the trip took longer."

Missile Launching Crew 1973

1973 Shot of Site

"From the top of the missile site we looked over the rice fields into the mud flats and Kunsan AFB on the right. The picture on page 14 from the helicopter is a picture of the site as I remember in 1973."

Generator Shed Toward Heli-pad	Hawk Missile Launcher
Intersection of Switchback Road	Kunsan Side of Middle Road.jpg
Missile Maintenance Area 1973	Tac Site From Dirt Entry Road
Top of Radar Hill	Turn Off at Bottom
View From Top Toward Entry Road	View of Village Below

1974 - 1975: Kenneth Wisz who was with the Nike unit at Kimje in 1974 wrote, "The Hawk site just outside of Kunsan AB was B/1/44." He later wrote, "It was located on a hill just outside of Kunsan AB but as to what direction I don't know. I only stopped there via ch47 chopper on the shuttle run that landed at most of the 1/44 and 2/44 sites plus the main radar base at Mangil-san critic." It was very close to Kunsan AB from H708 (b/144) as the flight was only 5 minutes. The chopper would refuel at Kunsan and make the rest of its rounds.

Kirk Dongu wrote in 2004, "I served as a 31M20 from August 1974-September 1975 at A-1-44 ADA. Except for the battery, it was pretty much the same duty up there. Except, we always thought you guys were lucky, being in civilization at Kunsan AFB. We were over an hour via dirt roads to K6 (Camp Humpreys), which was our admin spt base, etc. I returned in Nov, 2001 from a 3 year hitch as a federal civilian employee with 1st Signal Bde in Seoul. While back, I managed to get down to Kunsan. Boy, has that changed, as has everything in Korea. Looking back, we were truly living on the edge of the regular world."

1977 - 1978: (B-1-44, Kunsan) One of the HAWK technicians mentioned above was Brian Kuehl. He was a 24L20 Improved Hawk launcher and mechanical systems mechanic who worked in the Direct Support (DS) unit for the 1/44 ADA from April 77 to April 78. He wrote, "I was in the DS unit of 1/44 ADA from april 77 to April 78. Then returned to the DS of 2/71st ADA hawk from 79 to 81. Worked at Sea Range in the summers of 79 and 80. Helped provide range support to the ROK army when they fired their first live rounds of improved hawk with 1/44 after we turned it over to them. 1/44 battalion hq was at reno hill and the dsd was at camp howard, close to Pyongtek. 2/71st was hq at Euijonbu (Camp Red Cloud) with the DS unit at CampTobongson, about 5 miles away. 2/71st was the northern most unit whose tac sites covered the dmz. Was pretty tense during the unrest after Pak Chong Hi was killed in 1980 (I think 80)."

(NOTE: On October 26, 1979, Park Chung-Hee was assassinated by Kim Chae-gyu, director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency. Tension rose and the threat of military aggression by North Korea became ominous as its troop movements were widely reported. The 8th TFW went on a state of alert. Then on the night of December 12, Major General Chun Doo-Hwan, Commander of the Defense Security Command, ousted General Chong Sung-hwa. General Chun became the new strong man in South Korea. The Kwangju Uprising -- about a 100km south -- from May 19-22, 1980 where some 200,000 citizens and students clashed with police and military forces did not ease the tensions any either.)

Brian continued later, "...the hill's operation was just like that of the other improved hawk firing batteries in Korea. One week a month each battery would be in state 3 which is hot state. That meant that they would have radar operators and fire control people on constant watch 24 hours a day. The bunkers would have launcher crewmen in them and live birds would be on the launchers. State three meant that if they were handed off a target from the air force controllers they had three minutes to have a bird in the air. But a good crewman could arm a launcher in less than a minute. Snap up the umbillicals and set the safe switches to arm."

"The next battery had about ten minutes. They would be in the same state of readiness but all but a couple of fire control operators could be sleeping in the ready rooms, which were right by the equipment. The other two batteries were down for maintenance and training."

"What that meant was for one week a month you were manning equipment and jumping at every blip until you heard the IFF return, then another week you could relax but you stayed on the hill and played cards and maintained and watched the equipment. Then the two weeks in off state you lived down in the admin area and partied most of the night."

"I was in a DSD. We were called when the battery level mechanics had a problem they couldn't fix. The next level of maint were factory tech reps so we had the serious jobs since Raytheon tech reps didn't get dirty or go out in bad weather. Except for Pete and Rudy. Anybody in 38 Brigade during the mid to late 70's knew them. They were really sharp and worked hard. Some of the others weren't quite so motivated."

"The only real difference between b 1/44 and the other batteries was that bravo was the most fun to do a site call since they had the best ville to visit after work or the sea breeze club on base."

"Also many of the Air Force pilots like to play buzz the tac site when we were up working on the radars. But we paid them back when they returned from their joyrides and we brought a high power illuminator lock radar up out of dummy load into full radiate and watch then scramble and break formation when all their threat lights came on as they crossed the mountain top on the return trip. Received a few "talking tos" about that but the battery commander knew the jet jockeys were always harrassing us and had it coming. It was all in fun. During those years Korea was about the only place where Hawk missile people really had a serious mission that wasn't all training and mock simulations."

Hayward S. Melville wrote, "I think you have the site positioned correctly as I remember that looking at Kunsan AB from the B Btry tac site had the ocean on our right. ... It seems to me that we had to go north of the tac site, then east, and then south again to get to the site. And, yes, we did have fun with the AF by tracking them with our radars. Even more fun was to have the launchers with missiles (unarmed, of course) under direction of the tracking radars so the missiles would be pointing directly at the aircraft as they overflew the site. We were eventually directed not to do this by some nervous AF General who couldn't believe that anyone in the Army was smart enough to play such a prank. I guess they thought we would shoot them down by mistake. In reality, in those days, the readiness posture of HAWK was so poor that if any missiles ever left the launcher they probably fell off (it did happen)!"

B Battery Yearbook: 1978

Karl Hamner wrote, "I was stationed at Kunsan AB with B Battery 1st BN 44th ADA (Improved HAWK) from May 1977 to May 1978. The Battery Commander was Captain Delosantos. My MOS was 24C10 "Improved Hawk Firing Section Mechanic". I worked on the AN MPQ/46 high power radar illuminator, zero length launcher, launcher loader, and J-Box. The I-Hawk missile was a certified round so there was very little maintenance required. You sent it back if it didn't work."

Improved-Hawk Missile Launcher 1977

I-Hawk TAC Site 1977

Karl continued, "The TAC site was located outside the base southeast of the airfield - we called it "The Rock". You could see the perimeter lights from Kunsan AB at night - it was the highest hill around. We went to work every day in the back of an open duce and a half truck - even in winter. From the TAC site you could see the entire airbase and yellow sea. At low tide the harbor south of the field would go dry except for narrow channels and Koreans would harvest sea food from the mud flats. There were also salt flats - the Koreans would flood them with sea water and collect the salt when the water evaporated."

Karl went on, "The ROK Army had 20mm Vulcan guns on the south end of the field overlooking the yellow sea. The ROK Air Force was still flying F-86 Saber jets - I have some pix of these too. During Operation "Team Spirit" we mobilized our battery and set up a firing section at the south end of the runway. ROK Army soldiers illuminated fishing boats going in and out of the harbor with powerful spotlights. I slept on the ground under my radar. The loud noise of the heat exchanger kept me up all night."

Enlisted Billeting on Kunsan AB: Officers would have been in the BOQ area on the north end of the base. Al Waschka a 1Lt Platoon Leader with B-6/44 from December 1970 - August 1971 wrote, "The BOQ was initially a quonset hut between the Officer's club and the runway. Soon after I arrived we took possession of a new concrete block building across the street. There were four or five rooms and a latrine in that building. The Battery Commander and a couple other officers stayed in the old building. I was lucky to get into the new building. While I was there I set up a ham radio station in my room with a wire antenna on the roof. I was regularly able to talk all over eastern asia, and occasionally got openings to the western US, but never back to the east coast." The quonset hut that Al mentioned remained in the same location, unoccupied and used for the O-club storage until the mid-1990s when it was torn down. The "new building" we are not sure of as there is no longer any structure like that in the area. In the 1980s, two story concrete structures were erected for the junior officers.

Al Waschka went on, "I recognized the pictures of the quonset huts. B-6/44 had two quonset huts (I think the ones pictured). The one on the left was the battery headquarters with offices, arms room and supply room. The one on the right was enlisted barracks."

There were two areas for Army enlisted personnel on Kunsan AB. One was on the south side of the base across the taxiway. The second was on the south side of the main base near the 2-story prefab barracks. This second area was the Hawk unit compound.

Morning Manning Truck	View toward Orderly Room
Army Billets in Winter 1973	Billets facing Hanger side

To get to these enlisted billets, the personnel would have to drive from the main gate directly past Avenue "C" (running north-south through the base) until Avenue "B" -- which crossed the taxiway to the south side of the base. They would turn left on Avenue "B" and go about one block until they hit the ROKAF area. The billets were on the right.

Karl Hamner was at Kunsan between 1977-1978 and added, "I was looking at the ROK Air Force history in your web site and found a nice picture of those crappy barracks where B/1/44 was housed in 1977. I remember this very clearly as the ROK flight line was right next door as the attached photo shows. Also, I ordered Ramen noodles from the Bulgogi House all the time. It was right behind our barracks. My house man would bring it to my room. Never had any problems and I'm sure the Koreans appreciated the business." Karl added as a footnote to the photo, "PS - My room is the second barracks on the right first room on the left."

These barracks would revert to the ROKAF later. The ROKAF section of this site states, "The enlisted men lived in Nissen quonset huts near the flightline area. (NOTE: This quonset hut remained in use until the mid-1990s when a new modern barracks was built.) There was a small "restaurant" for the ROKAF in the area called the "Bulgogi House" that was off-limits to USAF personnel. Though all facilities on base were inspected by the Veterinary Services, the vegetables used were from the local economy and fertilized with human "night soil." Thus any food prepared for the Koreans was considered unfit for American consumption."

The use of these barracks by the Army was be corroborated by Rex A. Clough, formerly of the 51st AMS PMEL, who wrote, "The Army tenant units were billeted in the south end of the base across from the DCM complex. They were housed in old quonset huts with a central latrine. ... The army also had quonset huts beside the Airforce Enlisted Barracks (Pre-fab 2 story with central latrine). I can't remember the exact location of these barracks (it has been 28 years), but I do remember that the Army did complain that the Air Force really had it easy."

Karl Hamner added, "I also have some pix of the Army barracks complex. They were miserable tin and 2x4 construction with concrete floors and crude plywood partitions much like a cubicle with (2) men per room. You could stand on your tip toes and look into your neighbors room. There was one central kerosene heater per barracks and NO air conditioning. In the winter many soldiers were too lazy to walk to the latrine at night so they would crack the door and urinate in the snow. The smell was awful when summer arrived. We slept in our sleeping bags during winter - the barracks was always very cold. I found snow on the floor one morning that had blown in through a crack in the wall."

Hamner and Johnny
Click on Photo to Enlarge
(Courtesy Karl Hamner)

Karl added that they had a houseman named "Johnny" who spoke English well and was highly opinionated. He also added that everyone adored him.

CH-47 Downing
Click on Photo to Enlarge
(Courtesy Karl Hamner)

Karl went on, "While I was at Kunsan, North Korea shot down a CH-47 over the DMZ - there was a big stink about it and we went on alert. I have the original article published in the Korean Herald. Also, an Airmen from the 8th TFW murdered two prostitutes in A-Town, was tried by Korean authorities, and sent to Suwan Prison for life."</