Camp Garry Owen
Camp Pelham

In 2004 Camp Garry Owen closed and preperations were made to transfer ownership of the facility to the Republic of Korea. This tranfer was completed in 2005. Mention of this shift was made in US-ROK Land Partnership Plan in 2002, when the expected date of closure was 2008.

Camp Garry Owen covered just over 64 acres and was home to 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, including the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, A Troop, B Troop and C Troop. Its primary mission was to provide Cavalry support for 2nd Infantry Division. The population of the camp was approximately 800, with 650 of that being US Military personnel and 130 being civilians employed by the Department of the Army. Camp Garry Owen was located near Camp Howze, and the closest urban center was Munsan, located 1.5 miles from the facility with a population of 60,000. Camp Garry Owen was 26.5 miles from Seoul. Its climate features included, on average, summers between 80 and 90 ^oF, winters between -5 and 30 ^oF, and 40-48" of rain during a rainy season between July and August.

Camp Garry Owen was reactivated as a site name, the site being formerly known as Camp Pelham. Camp Pelham was located 8 miles from the demilitarized zone that separated the Republic of Korea and US forces from more than a million North Korean troops. Units included the Bradley-equipped Troop A, 5-17th Cavalry, A Battery, 1-4th Field Artillery, as well as the 2nd Eng Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. During January and February 1971, the 6th Battalion, 37th Field Artillery (+) moved from Camp Pelham to Camp Essayons to provide more responsive support to the Division. The 1st Battalion, 15th Field Artillery was stationed at Camp Pelham with the 2nd Infantry Division in defensive positions. With a change of mission for the 2nd Infantry Division, the Battalion moved to Camp Stanley in February 1971.

Camp Garry Owen North was one of the 42 camps north of Seoul authorized Hardship Duty Pay of $150 per month as of 1 January 2001. The Hardship Duty Pay is paid to troops who are permanently assigned to areas where it is authorized or who serve 30 consecutive days of temporary duty in those areas. Several factors are considered in determining whether a location qualified for the pay: climate, physical and social isolation, sanitation, disease, medical facilities, housing, food, recreational and community facilities, political violence, harassment and crime. The extra pay provides meaningful financial recognition to troops assigned in areas where living conditions are substantially below US standards.

"Garry Owen" was an old Irish quickstep that could be traced back to the 1800s. It was known to have been used by Irish regiments as a drinking song. The story goes that one of the Irish "melting pot" members of the 7th Cavalry was singing the song under the influence of alcohol, and General Custer wandered by, liked the cadence, and soon began to hum the tune himself. Garry Owen is derived from Gaelic meaning Owen's garden, a suburb of Limerick. The tune has a lively beat that accentuates the cadence of marching horses, and for that reason was adopted as the regimental song soon after General Custer arrived to take over the 7th Cavalry. It was the last song played by the band for General Custer's men as they left the Terry Column at the Rosebud River and rode into history.

Army Community Service was not available. The 2nd Infantry Division's 17 installations operated on a hub system that gave Division soldiers access to services not available on their installations. Camp Garry Owen was near Camp Howze, which offered many of the services not available on Camp Garry Owen. No Housing Office, Education Center, or Family Employment Assistance was provided at Camp Giant. Family Quarters were not available. All but 76 of the Division's soldiers served one-year unaccompanied tours. All soldiers lived in on-post quarters.

Central Post Information

Hospitals Available:

• Civilian hospitals available for emergency cases only

MWR Facilities Available:

• Recreation Center
• Library
• Gymnasium
• Arts & Crafts
• Swimming Pool
• Outdoor Tennis/Basketball

AAFES Facilities Available:

• Post Exchange
• Snack Bar
• Airline Ticket Office
• Tailor Shop
• Taxi Stand

General Area Information

National Parks and Resorts : Tobong, Soyo and Surak Mountains are all in the area, as is the Songdu Resort. Also, there are many parks, resorts, historical sites and entertainment areas in Korea. Because of the country's size and excellent transortation system, all these sites are within a day's travel from anywhere in the Division area. On-post tour and travel offices, Morale, Welfare and Recreation offices, and the USO offer regular excursions.

Nearby Facilities and Places of Interest:

• Hunting = None nearby. Hunting available at Cheju-Do (310 miles away).
• Fishing = None nearby. Fishing at Inchon (40 miles away).
• Skiing = None nearby. Travel to popular Mt. Sorak can be arranged thru Tour & Travel.
• Swimming and Boating = No boating.
• Swimming pool available.