Guard Post (OP) Ouellette: Pics and Stories
killslowly
Guard Post Ouellette (Radar Site 3), was at the time I was there, the most forwardly deployed guard post (or so my supervisor told me). This was in 1990-91. I was one of the occupants of the bat cave (a term of endearment given to our hootch, because we slept during the day and worked the surveillance equipment at night).
It was an impressive experience for a young man at the time. You could hear the loudspeakers from NK spewing propaganda all the time. Blah blah blah in Korean. I guess it was for the benefit of the South Korean soldiers and KATUSAs stationed nearby.
I got to meet Jose Feliciano, who came to sing "Feliz Navidad" to us defenders of freedom and bastions against Communism. We were more interested in meeting the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, but got stuck due to a snow storm, and by the time we got to Camp Greaves, they were AWOL.
We got to brief every visitor that came by. A funny anecdote: A three star Marine Corps General, along with a two star Army general came for the obligatory briefing. The guard post OIC was also present. And there I was, SPC Jerry with the most obnoxious fart waiting to happen. So I let the little ninja E&E and waited for the results. Well, it was the most disgusting thing in the world. And we were underground in the cement bunker with no windows... I look at the three star general, and kind of nudge my head toward the GP OIC. He kind of smirks, and then I look at the two star, and nudge toward the two star general. Then I look at the GP OIC and and nudge to the general's direction. Nobody said a word, but it was so funny, the exchange of conspiratorial looks, everybody ended up blaming it on the GP OIC. Little things soldiers do to pass the time I guess.
One of the saddest things was observing the poor NK soldiers in their respective guardposts, doing Tae-Kwon-Do outside their buildings, doing spin kicks and other MA related moves, just to keep warm. You could see their hot breath through the thermals... They were just like me, but the enemy.
It was an impressive experience for a young man at the time. You could hear the loudspeakers from NK spewing propaganda all the time. Blah blah blah in Korean. I guess it was for the benefit of the South Korean soldiers and KATUSAs stationed nearby.
I got to meet Jose Feliciano, who came to sing "Feliz Navidad" to us defenders of freedom and bastions against Communism. We were more interested in meeting the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, but got stuck due to a snow storm, and by the time we got to Camp Greaves, they were AWOL.
We got to brief every visitor that came by. A funny anecdote: A three star Marine Corps General, along with a two star Army general came for the obligatory briefing. The guard post OIC was also present. And there I was, SPC Jerry with the most obnoxious fart waiting to happen. So I let the little ninja E&E and waited for the results. Well, it was the most disgusting thing in the world. And we were underground in the cement bunker with no windows... I look at the three star general, and kind of nudge my head toward the GP OIC. He kind of smirks, and then I look at the two star, and nudge toward the two star general. Then I look at the GP OIC and and nudge to the general's direction. Nobody said a word, but it was so funny, the exchange of conspiratorial looks, everybody ended up blaming it on the GP OIC. Little things soldiers do to pass the time I guess.
One of the saddest things was observing the poor NK soldiers in their respective guardposts, doing Tae-Kwon-Do outside their buildings, doing spin kicks and other MA related moves, just to keep warm. You could see their hot breath through the thermals... They were just like me, but the enemy.