This video taken in 2021 while driving into the village on old hwy 37
from the west, down the hill and across the bridge, turning around where
the St B MP Shack was located at. They then went back across the bridge,
turning into the village and driving around some. They turned
left and headed up the hill past the little road that went past
the Rainbow Bar, and around the upper area of the village. After
a driving around some more, you can see the new bridge and
highway that runs past the southern part of the village as they
drive up a on ramp and onto the new highway that routes most of the
traffic south of the village, rather than through it.
The below video shows a convoy of Korean K9 Thunder Self Propeled
Howitzers traveling on highway 37. This road goes from the Western Corridor,
to just north of Pocheon, where it merges with route 43. It is the highway
that pases the old Camp St Barbara.
I saw one of these signs while driving from Cp. St Barbara to one of our Detachments near the JSA area. Since it did not have any information in English, I didn't think it was important. Since I didn't have a map, I was using a compass. Well, seems I was going mostly West, instead of South West. What a mistake that was. I was VERY lucky to run into a South Korean patrol IN SIDE the DMZ, and they escorted me out of it. They did not report it to the US Army, and neither did I. I was wondering why the road was so poorly maintained. It was a gravel road like the others at first, but got worse as I drove. At the point where I met the patrol, it was not much more than a trail. Seems that it was used only for DMZ Patrols. During the 60s, and early 70s, large parts of the southern boundary of the DMZ in the central area were only marked with wire. Where I came out of it in the western area, was fully fenced and had a huge gate to go through. It was guarded by South Korean soldiers. I did not understand the soldiers much earlier, but fully understood when I say which side of the gate that the guards were on, and where we came from.
After doing some checking, I found out that I had taken Rt 322 instead of 37 in Chon-gok (no signs then), and it took me more west,, than south west. I had past to the west of Camp Walley, then came back through the fence just south west of it, and ended up coming across Libby Bridge, and into the area that I was headed to.
Several sections along the cetral area of the DMZ only had these signs,
and a single strand of wire marking the South Limits even in 1970
I came very close to causing a Major Incident due to being very tired, and not paying close attention to what I was doing.
I was in D Company, 4th Maint Bn, a Direct
Support unit. I split my time between Cp
Stanley and Cp St Barbara,and was there 1969-70