homebrewer_99 said:
Not quite. I'm a DA Civilian (GS-12). I was at Casey and Hovey 2 years ago modifying the 120mm Mortars there and at Taegu.
I'm going back to Casey to teach some LARs and soldiers on the M109A6 Paladin. I'm the Equipement Specialist for the Paladin. At least for another 20 months. I'll retire with almost 36 years service in '09.
So, do you want me to throw back a couple Oriental Budweisers, Hite or Cass' for you? You know I will.
How about a Combat Bottle of Soju? I'll be there 2 weeks I know I can do it...:rockin:
I've never heard of a kettle shop, but my curiosity is up...talk to me brother...have I been missing something right under my nose???
Hey, do you have any recommendation for sightseeing around TDC? I really like history. I spent hours at the palaces in downtown Seoul last time. Lots of nice pics.
I was sentenced to mechanized infantry when at Casey, during Gulf I. Great unit!!!! (5/20 INF) but being airborne, I just couldn't deal with living in tracks. So, I know those 120s well. (and ITVs, 113s, Bradleys, etc)
Yeah, dude! Do the combat bottle! The "soju" they sell in the states is NOT the same. When I went to the ropes course at Cheju-Do, I saw 5L combat bottles of Jinro's finest. Dayum!
Not sure if they still have it, but me and my bud used to get bottles of "Oscar" (Korean peach-flavored champagne) and do whole-bottle nose-shots (shake it up, plug one nostril....you get the idea). Crazy stuff, but when you....get to dance with the peace-loving brothers in the North up in the Z....you find ways to intensify your time on pass.
A kettle shop is a little shop where you go to drink "kettles": soju mixed with a liter of fruit juice, served with a bucket of ice. Yum! Tasty. They are brightly lit (to keep you awake) and full of candy (munchies). You don't even know what hit you till you try to walk out. Doh! You can always tell who was at the kettle shops in next morning's PT run. Phew!
I can't think of anything sightseeing-worthy around TDC. There is an area called Second Market that is good for *real* Korean shopping. Head out the main gate of Casey and turn left--walk for about a click. There is a short bus ride to Soyo-san, which is a national park and semi-holy mountain. The ROKS and Katusas loved it. I did, too. Neat place, especially after the motor pool zoo of Casey. ONe of the few places where I feel like I got to see Korea, as opposed to GI-Korea, if you know what I mean.
Otherwise, take a bus to Munsan and get the official tour over the river. There is also a tour, I think, to JSA (ask at MWR at Casey or Yongsan). Joint Security Area (JSA) is where you'll see the truce talks table with the actual border going across it. I did some time at JSA. Freaky place. You stand there for three hours in your Bs staring at some NKPA dude who smells.
The real institutions downrange in TDC: the Rock-n-Roll Together Club ( the "T Club"), the Silver Star, the Dragon Club, and the New House. They are probably gone, but at the T Club, we saw guys' initials and dates carved into the tables from the 50s.
Or...go out Hovey side and try Toko-Ri. Woof! Those agashis are ruthless. We used to take turtles there to welcome them in-country. Do the clubs there even have names?
Otherwise, we snuck out to Yongsan/Itaewon.
Man, I'd love to see some pics of Casey/TDC when you get back. PM me! Have a great trip and kam-sa-hap-ni-da for your service, brother.
Cheers