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I arrived at Det Pohang in July 1994, only a month after North Korea's long-time dictator Kim Jong-Il died so tensions were high in the area. Det Pohang was a small unit of a dozen Marines and Sailors, and like the above statement says, we were responsible for liaison with the First ROK Marine Division and local Korean communities to coordinate exercises in the area. As the Korean peninsula is technically still at war following the ceasefire of 1953, we were also tasked with maintenance of ordnance assets on the peninsula. There were a half-dozen enlisted Marine Aviation Ordnance types, with a ground forces LtCol in charge of the Det. Most of my time there was spent working for LtCol Lonnie L. Messick, an artillery officer who has gone on to duty as an Assistant Coach with the Kent State Football program after retirement.

The Dallas Cowboys may not be much of a team, but in December the cheerleaders visited us. They apparently did this every year and made a point of hitting the small units that normally wouldn't get a USO show of their own. Thanks to these beautiful young ladies for making our month!

Of course I had to get a picture or two with them. Ahhh..those were the days!

They decided to pose with the rest of the Det for some bizarre reason as well - buncha scraggly-lookin' fools...

Eventually, all good things must pass. Fortunately I was driving the big Dodge van that day so I had a few extra minutes with them

Gunny Carl Bullock, Sgt Joe Nolan, me. This was the hallway at the "Navy Lodge" in Seoul either in prep for the Marine Corps Ball, or at Christmas for the US Forces Korea ball.

Me with yet another supermodel at the Grand Opening of Planet Hollywood in Seoul. That's me on the left. She looks taller in print and onscreen but was a gorgeous and very gracious lady...

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created: March 31, 2003