Camp Hialeah Prepares to Close Down
Another US Army camp in South Korea is ready to close it’s gates for the last time:
The U.S. military plans a retreat ceremony later this week at Camp Hialeah to mark the close of the post, which has been part of the American military presence on the peninsula for more than five decades. The ceremony is set for 4 p.m. Thursday.
Located in Busan¿s Nam-gu district, the 133-acre installation served as the main receiving point for supplies, equipment and other goods slated for delivery to U.S. military installations in South Korea.
It was also at the core of the U.S. militarys operations in Busan and provided administrative, medical and other services for U.S. personnel at the Pusan Storage Facility, Pier 8, the Defense Reutilization and Management Office, and Gimhae Air Base, a South Korean air force installation.
The post¿s closing comes as part of an agreement between the U.S. and South Korea called the Amended Land Partnership Plan.
Camp Hialeah is one of the oldest US camps on the Korean peninsula and has in fact been operating since 1950 with the break out of the Korean War. Camp Hialeah served as the main logistical point during the war to bring supplies into Korea and pushed to the front line troops on the Pusan Perimeter. Since the Korean War it has remained the first logistical point for supplies coming into Korea for USFK units.
What will be interesting to see is if and when USFK will formerly hand over the facility to the Korean government due to the fraudulent environmental issue between the Korean government and USFK.
GI Korea,
I hate to revisit ancient history, but do you have any research on the current camp/installation profile in Busan?
Even though Hialeah has closed, I am curious to know what installations remain?
Busan is the only major Korean location that I have not served in.
The Pier 8 port at Pusan is still open and operated by about a platoon of soldiers from the 25th Transportation battalion:
http://19esc.korea.army.mil/25trans/517MCT.aspx
Thanks for the info.
I had heard about Pier 8 and figured that it was probably still open for business since the 7th Fleet still makes port stops.
From my Team 19 days, I also remember hearing about a Busan Storage Facility, which may still be open.
I wonder where the soldiers are living since Hialeah closed … maybe in off-post housing?
I think the soldiers actually commute from either Taegu or Jinhae. It would seem like the storage facility would be some where near Pier 8 if it is still open.
I enjoy my assignment in the Hlieach Area as I met my wife there. She used to have a boyfriend by the name of Sp/4 Carter that was assigned to Peir 8 and used to work partime in the theater in the 70th trans.
Camp Hialeah has reopened as Busan Citizens Park. The US Consulate closed down in 1999 following years of protest by rent-a-crowd Korea. An American Presence Post was established in 2007.
Indonesia has more of a presence in Busan now than the USA. The Indonesian Trade Office is right next door to Busan Station. This is inevitable given the number of Indonesian merchant marine transiting through Busan, the Indonesian 3D workers in and around Busan, the need for Indonesian oil and gas in Korea, and most important of all, the corporate governance system in Indonesia that is harmonious with Korea’s corporate governance system.
Man I forgot all about Camp Hialeah, last swung by there on the way to Jinhae during Foal Eagle 04. Looked nice and scenic, a southern flatter cousin to Camp Colbern I guess.