USAG Humphreys hosts local stakeholders for strategic tour

By Pom Tong "Peter" YuMarch 12, 2023

USAG Humphreys hosts local stakeholders for strategic tour
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – At the conclusion of a tour on U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys on Feb. 28, 2023, members of Association of Korea-America Alliance pause for a photo after laying flowers at the base of a monument honoring Chief Warrant Officer 2 Benjamin K. Humphreys. Humphreys, the namesake of the installation, was killed in a helicopter accident during a mission on Nov. 13, 1961. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Estevan Hidalgo) VIEW ORIGINAL
USAG Humphreys hosts local stakeholders for strategic tour
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During a tour of U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys on Feb. 28, 2023, members of Association of Korea-America Alliance listen as a museum curator explains an exhibit. The 2nd Infantry Division, Eighth Army and Korean Theater of Operations Museum was among the stops the group visited during their four-hour tour. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Estevan Hidalgo) VIEW ORIGINAL
USAG Humphreys hosts local stakeholders for strategic tour
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A member of the Association of Korea-America Alliance reads a display at the 2nd Infantry Division, Eighth Army and Korean Theater of Operations Museum on U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys on Feb. 28, 2023. The museum was one of many stops during the four-hour tour. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Estevan Hidalgo) VIEW ORIGINAL
USAG Humphreys hosts local stakeholders for strategic tour
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During a tour of U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys on Feb. 28, 2023, Jo Jae-bok, the secretary general for Association of Korea-America Alliance, salutes a display honoring fallen service members at the Korean War Memorial Monument, located adjacent to the U.S. Forces Korea headquarters. Jo was among 25 members to participate in the four-hour tour of the installation. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Estevan Hidalgo) VIEW ORIGINAL

U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys hosted 25 members of Association of Korea-America Alliance for a four-hour Strategic and Security Alliance Tour, Feb. 28, 2023.

The SSAT is a monthly program aimed at strengthening the ROK-U.S. Alliance by informing various stakeholders about the installation and its tenants, and their history along with their past, current and future missions.

The tour opened with a few stops at key monuments on USAG Humphreys. The group first visited the U.S. Eighth Army Memorial Monument, which honors U.S. Army Soldiers who were among the nearly 40,000 U.S. service members who died during the Korean War. The guests then stopped by the Gen. Walton H. Walker statue, a nearly 10-foot-tall bronze statue honoring the commanding general of the Eighth Army at the start of the Korean War. Lastly, AKAA members made their way to the Korean War Memorial Monument adjacent to the U.S. Forces Korea headquarters. The main tower symbolizes the Korean War and Operation Chromite, while the base of the monument details major land, air and sea battles during the Korean War.

The next portion of the visit included a brief stop at the USAG Humphreys headquarters building, where Col. Seth C. Graves, the USAG Humphreys garrison commander, met them.

“Welcome to Camp Humphreys,” said Graves when meeting the AKAA members. “I hope you can take this opportunity to learn more about USFK and USAG Humphreys, and why the U.S.-ROK Alliance is so important to all of us.”

The group also visited the 2nd Infantry Division, Eighth Army and Korean Theater of Operations Museum, where they saw historical photos and artifacts from various U.S. conflicts, including World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Many AKAA members were surprised to learn the museum, which initially opened at Camp Casey in 1965, moved to Camp Red Cloud in 1993 before finally moving to Camp Humphreys in 2022.

The tour concluded with a stop at Beacon Hill Memorial Park, which honors those who lost their lives while serving at Camp Humphreys. The park consists of several monuments, including one honoring Chief Warrant Officer 2 Benjamin K. Humphreys, who was killed in a helicopter accident during a mission on Nov. 13, 1961, and the namesake of the installation. Another monument is dedicated to Capt. Reginald B. Desiderio, who was killed in action Nov. 27, 1950, and whom the USAG Humphreys airfield is named after.

“Col. Graves was so kind and nice – we appreciated his warm welcome,” said Mr. Song-Young Gyu, AKAA president. “This tour was a great opportunity for us to learn more about Camp Humphreys and the history of USFK. Hopefully, this tour can be extended to others.”