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The Kunsan Air Base Home Page has undergone a makeover in 2000. Information on the various units were moved to the ".mil" domain (Military) and information is only accessible to on-base personnel. Only generalized information is available on the front page at this time. The Wolfpack Warrior base newspaper is a good source for updated information.
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HOW IT WAS!KUNSAN AIRBASE: 1954 and NOWPage 4 of 4 |
Albritton Family
Unique Website Award:
Albritton Family Homepage
|  Grey Eagle's Award of Excellence:
Miigwetch, Ottawa, Canada |
Some of the awards this site has received. To view our awards, go to Awards.
Welcome to King Eight (K-8) --
On the Riviera of Korea
Click here to view
the 1954 Welcome Brochure to Kunsan Air BaseAcknowledgment: Many thanks to Mr. Marv G. Weidner of Narrows, Virginia
for providing the 1954 Welcome Brochure.For the current Kunsan AB Welcome Brochure, click on Wolf Pack Webpage. The crew of "Old Ironsides" at Kunsan Airbase.
ATHLETIC PROGRAMS
Athletic Program: (Circa 1954)
Golf Course
with Koreans awaiting
Tee-off (Jul 00)
(Click on photo to enlarge) | |
Athletic Programs: This is an area that has seen dramatic changes. In the 1954 Welcome brochure it stated, "after you've finished a workout ... , you can take a shower right there in the gym." Also in 1953, Marv Wiedner of Narrows, Virginia remembers that there was no swimming pool. The pond used for emergency fire-fighting doubled as a swimming pool -- when it had water.
Yes, things have certainly changed. Kunsan AB now has a full-size bowling alley, weight rooms, state-of-the-art health & fitness centers, gymnasium, tennis courts, and swimming pool. They have constructed aerobics tracks for running and there are year-round sports activities. The base has an excellent athletics program with the full support of the base personnel. Sometimes they get a little too enthusiastic and heap abuse on umpires...much to the chagrin of the base commander.
The 1954 golf driving range has been expanded into a 9-hole golf-course. However, some people complain that there are more Korean businessmen on the course than American military. On any given weekend, the ratio of Koreans to Americans would be about 2:1. In fact, there was a recent expose on MBC (Korean) television about the people who had illegally "bought" base decals so they could play golf on base -- or buy American food or play the slot machines. The base revoked all the "honorary" passes in 2000 and started again.
As a reflection of the changing times, the one activity NOT mentioned in the 1954 brochure is Taekwondo karate...and other Korean martial arts variants. It is now taught on base -- and throughout Korea as well. It has achieved the status as an internationally-recognized Olympic sport. |
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RECREATION CENTER
Service Club (circa 1954):
Kunsan Theater (circa 2000):
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Service Club: According to "War Stories...Jills of K-8" by Jill Lovejoy on the 13th Bomb Squadron Homepage "The American Red Cross had established a canteen and a flight line coffee/donut/talk room set up for returning crews. Approximately 14 female Red Cross personnel were assigned and later a Field Director, Mrs. Farrar arrived. Mrs. Farrar was billeted in "our house"."
She continued, "In April 1952, the Red Cross facility was turned over to the Air Force Special Services Club and was staffed with Air Force civilian and military personnel. The Red Cross contingent was transferred to K-55."
She went on, "There were two recreational specialists (female) and the director. Ms. Lillian Lewis was the I&E specialist. We now had two additional civilian females at K-8 and another was to follow."
The Falcon Recreation Center still offers tours, but now it's for tours throughout Korea. Most of the tours are to Seoul areas for shopping, but others are to the mountain areas near the base and one-day excursions throughout Korea. In addition, Service Club offers video rental services. It has a snack bar with big-screen TV, as well as a game room with video games and pool tables. It also provides an area for the travel and car rental agency.
K-8 Service Club (1953)
Click on photo to enlarge
(Courtesy Harold Locke) The services provided by the Services Squadron from the Rec Center, Bowling Alley, Food Services and all it does to make life better for the troops earned it the 1999 Air Force Eubank Award as BEST SMALL BASE SERVICES Organization in the Air Force.
The services provided by the club now are a far cry from the 1954 service club. The activities of the old service club would seem rather tame to today's Airman. For example, a sample of activities in 1954:
1300 - Tour to Kunsan. A good opportunity to take some snapshots of Korea.
1500 - Skoshi Bingo. Here's your chance to win a prize...all under a dollar.
1700-1800 -- Record Requests. Select your favorite record from the Club's vast stock.
1830 -- Pool Singles Tournament. Be the week's champ and win a Japanese prize.
2000 -- Whist Tournament. There'll be a prize for every table.
(NOTE: The use of the Japanese word "Skoshi" meaning "small amount" would be considered "politically incorrect" in Korea today with the rise of Korean nationalism. Koreans are very sensitive about this issue. However, Bingo games are still with us, though the games have moved to the NCO Club...and the jackpots are significantly higher.)
By the time the 3d Bomb Group in the Korean War years, the old "Shimbun" theater (a converted Japanese hangar) used by the Occupation forces was gone. Initially they had only an outdoor theater, but later the Invader Theater was built. It was in the same location as the present theater. Hans Petermann of San Diego, California recalls in 1951, "I am pretty sure that the theater was built sometime after I got there. I recall that we first had an outdoor theater. In fact a USO troupe visited us and they performed outdoors on a stage at night. I specifically remember one of our spotlight equipped B-26s flying by with the light on during the show and being impressed by it. That was before they got rid of the idea of spotlighting targets. That was also after John Walmsley (the Medal of Honor winner from the 8th) went down on a mission wherein he had used the light."
Invader Base Theater (1953)
Click on photo to enlarge
(Courtesy Harold Locke) The theater in 2000 was moderately comfortable with the sound system being large speakers hung on the walls at the front. The theater was NOT listed as a 1950s building, but its exterior shape and interior looks were about the same. It's location was identical to the 1954 map. On the outside, it looked almost exactly like the 1952 photo of the theater -- before it was dryvitted -- except that there was an extension where the doorway was for a small popcorn concession stand. The interior remained rather shabby without frills and the stage had a wooden stair case to the stage area. It appeared to be almost identical to the interior of the 1954 theater, except for the theater type seats now used. 
Kunsan Base Theater (2001)
(USAF Photo) In 2001, the theater underwent renovation to upgrade its interior to stateside standards and opened again for business in July 2001. The shabby appearance disappeared though the size remained the same. The prices for the movies remained inexpensive. No comment on the movie selections, but video rentals are very popular on the base.
 Invader Theater 1952
Click on Photo to enlarge
(Courtesy Hans Petermann)Hans experiences were during the shooting-phase of the war, but by 1954 things had died down slightly so that the people at K-8 could relax a bit. Craig Hinton (formerly of the 8th Bomb Sq.) of White Bear Lake, Minnesota remembers a 4th of July celebration to really write home about. He wrote, "The one thing I remember about my time at K-8 was the 'great 4th of July fireworks display'. After a fly-over, parade, and other festivities a fireworks display was scheduled for after-dark. If my memory is correct the Wing bought $1500 worth ( a considerable sum in 1954) of fireworks in Japan for the display. After dark the troops were all gathered at the ball diamond to see the "show". All went well for the first couple of rockets and then one tipped over and fired into the stockpile of fireworks and the whole pile went up in a spectacular eruption. Rockets were flying horizontally along the ground and exploding, troops running in all directions to vacate the area! I don't think anyone got hurt when it was all over. Afterwards we all went to the club to celebrate and everyone said it was a fine ending to the 4th !!"   Parade July 4, 1954
Click on photo to enlarge
(Courtesy of Craig Hinton) |
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LIBRARY & CHAPEL
Base Library: (Circa 1954)
Son Light Inn (1999)
(Courtesy MSgt John Jones
(Click on photo to enlarge)
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The Base Library is no longer in a quonset hut. It is an air-conditioned facility with a large selection of books, CD's and magazines. Throughout the library are computer terminals linked to the Internet. The library has a very comfortable atmosphere to read or browse. Though Kunsan is considered an "isolated assignment," there even is a fair children's book section for families with children in the area.
 Base Chapel 1952
The Chapel was located where the present-day Hospital is.
(Courtesy Hans Petermann)
Chapel. Roy MacPherson (a B-26 gunner with the 90th BS) wrote about K-8 in 1953, "I recall the base chapel (or one of them) as being not much larger than a wide trolley car with benches for maybe three or four on each side and , of course, the altar at the far end. My friends Roger and George, myself, and others would attend services when our schedules allowed. Late afternoon song and prayer sessions were popular with those flying night missions. When the chaplain asked for volunteers to accompany a truck load of goods destined for one of the local orphanges in Kunsan we jumped at the opportunity, as we were not allowed off the base otherwise. I really don't recall much of the trip to Kunsan except when we arrived at our destination. It was what appeared to be a school for orphaned children. When we stopped the truck we were immediately surrounded by scores of children, mostly boys, probably between the ages of six and twelve. They seemed so happy to see us and some of them even sang a song for us. It was as if they were trying to cheer US up. This is what remains with me more than anything else about my tour of duty in Korea - maybe because I still have a photo of those kids charging our truck. I probably didn't realize it at the time, but looking back after all these years this is really what it was all about - these kids and thousands more like them and those to come. A shot at freedom."
K-8 Chapel (1953)
  Kunsan Orphanage 1951
Click on the photo to enlarge
(Courtesy Jack Boyer) Kids at the Garbage Dump 1951
Click on the photo to enlarge
(Courtesy Jack Boyer) Kids scavenging 1952
Click on the photo to enlarge
(Courtesy Gene Newman)The Chapel is located along the main road of the base, Avenue C, and reopened after its refurbishment. The "Son-Light Inn" -- the Chapel Annex is next door. Those from the Korean War era may recognize the "Son-Light Inn" as the old Hobby Shops. Though only the Son-Light Inn is listed as Korean War era building, the other two hobby shops are still there. They simply have been tied together into one building. |
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NCO/AIRMAN CLUBS
Airman and NCO Clubs: (Circa 1954)
Loring Club (Jul 00)
(Click on photo to enlarge) | |
The NCO/Airmen's club used to be the old Seabreeze NCO Club (in what used to be the RAAF area), but this has been replaced by the Loring "collocated" club where the Officers and NCO Clubs are in the same building. The Loring Club is named after Major Charles Loring, an 8th Fighter Wing Medal of Honor recipient in the Korean War. The new Loring Club has one side for officers and one side for Airman/NCOs, with game room/slot machine rooms between. Live entertainment and a variety of special nights are used to keep the personnel entertained on-base. Unfortunately, there still is a weekend exodus by base personnel to Osan or Seoul for entertainment or shopping.
Airman Club (1959)However, the most startling change from the brochure is the 1954 membership fees of $1.00 per month for NCOs and $2.00 for the tour duration for Airman. (Also note that "Top-3" in those days meant "MSgt-TSgt-SSgt"...NOT "CMSgt-SMSgt-MSgt.")
Officer's Club: Up to the mid-90s, when a fire destroyed the kitchen area, the club looked very similar to these old photographs. A tiny banquet room, small cubby-hole bar and a tiny game room for slot machines. A pleasant, but minuscule restaurant (formerly the mess) completed the O-club. Nestled under ironwood trees and adjoining the golf-course, the best that could be said about the old club was that it was "cozy" -- a polite word for "too small." Though modified extensively, the structure is the old Officer's Club from back in 1951. After the fire, the club never reopened. In early 2000, the building was undergoing renovations. In the late-90s the mess facilities became part of the Loring "collocated" club.
Interestingly, the "O-Club Annex" known as the Oriental Club is still in operation serving Korean dishes. Also the slot-machine room does a brisk business...with the proceeds going to support the clubs. Though not publicized, the slot machines make a phenomenal profit from the KOREANS.
Slot Machines: The NCO Club's popular slot machine room got into difficulties a few years back as HQ PACAF declared only members or dependents could play in the NCO club. The slot machines are a perennial money-maker for the clubs and the loss of these profits would seriously impact the clubs operations -- especially with falling club revenues due to a dwindling base population. A slot machine room was opened in the Bowling Alley and the Oriental House has continued its slot machine operations as an "O-club Annex". Perhaps there is some truth in monitors turning a "blind eye" to who is playing -- especially as there is a booming business on Korean paydays.
Though slot machines are licensed by the Korean government downtown in "Game Rooms", the payoffs are very low. That's why on payday the on-base slots machine rooms are filled with Koreans. I have Korean friends (who work on-base) who have dropped their whole paychecks in these machines...and come back the next day for more. The slots are at the Yellow Sea Bowling Alley and the "GI/dependent only" room in the Loring Club as well. That's a lot of slot machines for a small base. It's easy to figure out why -- the phenomenal profits from these machines keep the clubs running. |
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MERCURY RADIO
Mercury Radio// Officer's Club: (Circa 1954)
AFKN: (Circa 2001) -- Broadcasts radio and television across the peninsula.
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Mercury Radio Station: The On-base radio station is now AFKN-Kunsan (Armed Forces Korea Network). AFKN-Kunsan broadcasts stateside TV and radio programs for U.S. Forces. In addition, there is on-base closed-circuit TV channels, as well as satellite TV channels. Mars is still on base assisting with getting free messages to people stateside. Notice that "Gunsmoke Hill" was called "Beacon Hill" or "Signal Hill" in 1954...though the map calls the area "Water Point".
For those living off-base, AFKN-TV can be received through Korean cable television (through special arrangements of the Korean government). AFKN-TV (especially the CNN news portion) is a primary medium for Koreans trying to learn English. However, in recent years, Korean English language instruction programs have expanded and Satellite TV (with English programs) has entered the Korean market. As a result, the importance of AFKN as a teaching medium has been greatly reduced. As a sign of its decreased importance, the AFKN channels were moved to new channels in 1990 as Korean channels started clogging the airwaves.
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ROKAF
Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF):
ROKAF at Kunsan (Past and Present) 
Land Mine Field near Kunsan AB
(Aug 99)
(From My Year in Korea) The ROKAF Officer/NCO quarters (Dec 99) View from Wolfpack Park after a snowstorm.
(Courtesy Texas Rouge)
Click on photo to enlarge
 Col Moon-hyn Baek, Commander 38TFG, presents a plaque
to Col Philip Breedlove, Commander 8FW, 26 June 2000.
(Click on photo to enlarge) ROKAF F-5E 50-504 ROKAF F-5E 10-561Aircraft of Korean Air force (RoKAF)
(From Juchan Kim's Homepage) | |
 ROKAF Honor Guard for President Syngman Rhee's visit in 1954
ROKAF: The ROKAF Detachment arrived in 1953 as trainees for weather and tower operations. After the Korean War, the north end of the base was turned over to the ROKAF and some of the BOQ billets were turned over to the ROKAF for its officers.
 ROKAF Airman (1959) |  ROKAF Hangar (1959) |
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Courtesy Larry Doyle)The is the biggest change between then and now is that the ROKAF are no longer trainees. In 1958, the ROKAF assigned a squadron of F-86D/F "Sabre" fighters to Kunsan. It was the only permanently assigned flying contingent at Kunsan until after the Pueblo Incident in 1968.  ROKAF F86D at Osan (1960)
(Click on image to enlarge)For a short time, a detachment of ROK F-4s from Taegu was stationed at Kunsan. The ROKAF currently fly the aging F-5E interceptors. The 38th Fighter Group (ROKAF) (and its 111th Fighter Squadron) is manned by dedicated professionals. Because of the ROKAF manning system, many of the career ROKAF personnel at Kunsan have been stationed there for ten to fifteen years. The pilots and senior NCOs are highly trained and disciplined. Many of the ROKAF Warrant Officers/NCOs have received advanced training in the U.S. and can speak English moderately well. However, the lower ranks (under the compulsory military service) are basically short-term enlistees just putting in their time. (For more details of the formation of the ROKAF in the Korean War, go to ROKAF.)
111th Fighter Squadron
38th Fighter Group |
Though the 38th FG (ROKAF) performs its own maintenance, it still periodically needs USAF assistance for more sophisticated repair tasks or jobs requiring high-technology equipment. However, the key point that must be made is that the ROKAF is now the "host" and the USAF, the "tenant"...a big change from the post-Korean War days.
 ROKAF Ramp with F-86Fs (1978)
These Nissen quonset huts demolished in 1998
The large hangar in the rear is the original ROKAF structure.
(Courtesy Bruce Ebert of Tacoma, Washington)
(Click on image to enlarge)Notice the Quonset huts which are early 1960s or Korean war era. These structures housed the ROKAF enlisted men until a new barracks was built in 1995. The ROKAF Headquarters moved from Beacon hill (Gunsmoke Hill) to this area in the 1970s, though the ROKAF Dispensary and chapel remained remained on Beacon hill (Gunsmoke Hill). Notice in the background the ROKAF maintenance hangar and their F-86 "Sabre" jets on the ramp from 1978.
For an expanded writeup of the ROKAF at Kunsan Air Base: Past and Present, go to ROKAF. |
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For inputs or comments, contact Kalani O'Sullivan.NOTICE/DISCLAIMER: The content of this page is unofficial and the views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of anyone associated with this page or any of those linked from this site. All opinions are those of the writer and are intended for entertainment purposes only. Links to other web pages are provided for convenience and do not, in any way, constitute an endorsement of the linked pages or any commercial or private issues or products presented there. None of this site has been endorsed by the DOD, the Air Force, the 8th Fighter Wing or Mickey Mouse. All Air Force links are publicly accessible through the world-wide web. When eye-witness accounts conflict with OFFICIAL DOD materials, this website opts to lend credence to the people who were there.
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