We started off today with very quick breakfasts. It was an early day where we met up at 7:45 AM because the commute to Camp Humphreys was meant to take two hours. I’m not exactly sure what magic occurred because we managed to get there in less than an hour! Still, we had a wonderful time. We learned about what Camp Humphreys is and what the soldiers’ mission is. We also received a special talk from a sergeant who grew up in the Pittsburgh area. He related with us and welcomed us to the camp.
After this talk, we walked through a hall honoring both Korean and American veterans. The United States and Korea have a very tight-knit alliance and have heavily supported one another. We had the opportunity to have lunch in the military facilities and even sat with a soldier. He told us about day-to-day life in the camp and his training experience. We also asked Dr. Yun a couple questions about what the mandatory Korean service was like back in the day. According to his description, it was very harsh and lasted three whole years.
After lunch, we took a walkthrough of Camp Humphrey’s machinery. Many of them are very large and multifunctional to the point of being unique to Humphrey’s. They were designed by onsite engineers who go back and forth between typical engineering work and military service. They were all very interesting to see and we were even allowed to climb aboard a boat and take pictures.
Afterwards, we were allowed some free time. My roommate and myself explored the market streets near Seoul. I bought some clothes that I have noticed are bit more in fashion here than in the United States and we bought food from a barbeque place. I had some delicious soup and beef for dinner.
-Therese
