Seoul-Okinawa-Guam, July 2011

This post is taken from the Executive Summary and photos/captions of my report on this trip.  If you'd like the more detailed report, let me know, I'd be happy to send it to you!

The U.S. military presence in Korea, Okinawa, and Guam represents a majority of our strategic presence in Asia.  These areas are currently in a state of flux, though mostly at the political level at this point in time.  Korea is the most stable of the three at present but it is also the most strategically positioned, tactically forward, and therefore tense environment.  Okinawa and Guam are vital players in the national political negotiations of U.S. force realignment between America and Japan.  Weaving through all three of these areas is a complex convergence of histories and cultures that will no doubt shape the future in ways that may be difficult to predict and detect, but which nonetheless deserve future study and discussion at all levels of military and government.

                The common thread of this trip was, in my opinion, the role of the United States as big brother and how each area responds to that relationship.  South Korea clearly embraces its alliance with the U.S., and our commitment of forces there is key to the myriad of unification scenarios that exist.  However, South Korea is also very much in competition with its Asian neighbors economically and desires to preserve its cultural distinctiveness after so many shameful years of colonization, so its attitude toward the U.S. can also become adversarial very quickly and with little warning, though the issues do not pose a threat to a continued strong relationship.  The prefecture of Okinawa, in contrast, is in a state of perpetual political conflict which has players at very different levels of government- from the national governments of Japan and the U.S. to the prefectural and even municipal governments on Okinawa- voicing strong opinions about how Big Brother is living in their neighborhood.  The unincorporated territory of Guam is another player in the U.S. force realignment which is connected to Okinawa.  While the Guam government is naturally pro-American, its dependence on Japanese, Korean, and even Chinese tourism, coupled with a vocal cultural minority vying for more independence from the States and against anti-force enlargement creates an environment that requires Big Brother to tread lightly there, as well.  Indeed, transparency and constant reassurance is needed in all these areas to maintain the U.S. presence with continued success.

The Panmunjom facility at the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone.  The Republic of Korea soldiers standing in the foreground only assume these positions when visitors are present, which can be many times each day- otherwise, they sit inside the Freedom Center behind the cameraman, which is not allowed to be photographed due in part to the large amount of surveillance equipment mounted on the building pointed toward the North.  A North Korean solider can be seen at the top of the steps across the way, observing the visitors: there is also another soldier on duty, observing from within a room to the right of the soldier.

A sculpture at the Tunnel #3 site on the DMZ conveys a desire for unification of the North and South.  Tunnel #3 itself was not allowed to be photographed, and is one of four tunnels discovered so far for the express purpose of infiltration.

The Dorasan Train Station, which now has a rail line that connects North and South and travels to Pyongyang.  No trains run through this station- it is rather a product of the Sunshine Policy of the past South Korean government to improve relations with the North.  It remains as a tourist destination and a symbol of desired unification.

A large picture poster of Dokdo Island, called Takeshima in Japanese.  This is part of a temporary exhibit at the War Museum which claims to desire to educate the Korean people on the issues surrounding the territory dispute but is also unashamedly accusatory in its propaganda campaign against the Japanese position.

The “Statue of Brothers” outside of the War Memorial of Korea museum in Seoul.  Its purpose is to promote the concept of unification, but it is interesting to note how each of the figures is sculpted.  The South Korean is the fully equipped soldier, listed as the “older brother” on the plaque, who is physically larger than the North Korean younger brother refugee seeking protection.

The Chibichirigama historical cave site in Yomitan Village, Okinawa.  On April 2, 1945, toward the conclusion of the Battle of Okinawa, 84 Okinawans of the 139 men, women and children hiding in the cave committed fratricide and suicide, pressured by the Japanese soldiers to do so, for fear of being captured and tortured by the Americans: 47 of the slain were infants and children under 12 years old.  The site is still well maintained by the city but is virtually unknown to Americans and Japanese alike.  It is indicative of many other instances of suicide that occurred during the Battle of Okinawa.

Inside the cave, a sampling of bottles and earthenware used by the refugees is left as an exhibit without additional explanation: among the items are pieces of bone and teeth.

A picture of the ubiquitous Okinawan shi-shi, or shisa, dogs or lions, as they are called various names.  These sculptures are placed, almost exclusively in pairs as shown here, at the entrance to homes and civic buildings of importance.  Similar statues can be seen in mainland Japan and China, but not nearly as profusely and usually alone sitting on a rooftop.  This display type marks Okinawa as distinct and the Okinawan people have continued a concerted effort to make it so, which is, in my opinion, indicative of the continued effort for Okinawa to maintain its Ryukyu culture separate from the nation of Japan.

A vinyl sign is posted outside the main gate of Marine Corps Camp Courtney, home to the Headquarters of III Marine Expeditionary Force and 3d Marine Division.  It is printed in both English and Japanese, and says, “To AAFES:  Do Not Impose Excessive Workload on Employees by Establishment of Unreasonable Productivity (Norm)!”  I was not able to learn who wrote it but the kanji appears to be division from the Zukeran workers organization.  An almost constant presence of protests in written form is the normal environment surrounding the bases, run by an organized minority of citizens who do not represent the majority of Okinawan people or their interests.

Guam’s headquarters for the Soka Gakkai International- USA Chapter, off of main route 1.  Soka Gakkai is a Japanese Buddhist denomination that is powerful enough to support its own political party, the New Komeito Party, which has a significant presence in Japanese national politics.  The organization also boasts a strong international following.

A recreation area off of route 1 with a sign stating “Alcohol Free Zone:” the place was littered with cigarette butts and other trash, including beer cans.  There are other signs on the island but they are far outnumbered by the number of bars, clubs, convenient stores, radio and TV stations that strongly advertise alcohol.  

A historic monument site of Japanese artillery fortifications on Guam.  The Japanese flag is flown along with the U.S. and the Guam flags.  In fact, Japanese flags are flown in other areas around the island, as well, and it is my opinion that it is done deliberately in order to make peaceful overtures to the Japanese resident population and to the Japanese tourist population which accounts for about 75% of Guam’s tourism.

The Sergeant Yokoi Cave dedication site at the Tolofolo Falls museum center.  Japanese soldier Sgt Yokoi survived in hiding near the waterfalls for 27 years, and was brought out of the jungle in 1972.  He is regarded as a hero in every publication on the island, but I was not able to discover any information as to why he chose to stay there for 27 years!  

The last two pictures were taken in the Pacific War Memorial attraction site, which was created by former Marine John Gerber, who is depicted in the second photo.  He was a resident Guamanian who successfully petitioned the Governor’s office to rename Marine Drive (a prominent section of route 1 which goes through the most popular Tumon tourist area) to Marine Corps Drive, which was understood by residents to represent the Marine Corps but confused visitors.