Uijeongbu, location of M*A*S*H

Uijeongbu, location of <em>M*A*S*H</em>

The village of Uijeongbu, which served as the home of the US 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in the TV series M*A*S*H.

Commentary about this image by Bob Jagger

Uijeongbu, which was then just a village located north of Seoul. The dwellings were thatched with rice straw and the peoplemade tunnels under the houses, lit a fire at one end, where any small breeze would move the heat along and keep the floors warm but leaving them vulnerable to fires.

In the American television series about the Korean War, M*A*S*H, this place served as the home of the ‘Mobile Army Surgical Hospital’. (To be honest, the show M*A*S*H did not really ring true to our experiences in Korea.) Uijeongbu is now a city with United States and Korean military bases.

People in villages like Uijeongbu had to make use of anything that gave them shelter. The people had to put up with pretty rough conditions. They lived in cases or whatever they could find, such as packing cases or items they borrowed from the army. They had been knocked around a fair bit during the war and the land was pretty battered, although there was still some rice in the paddy fields.

My understanding was that the Korean people had been pushed out of their home villages surrounding Seoul and Pusan and when they returned, they found nothing there. The villagers were mostly old men (popasan) older women (mamasan) and children, the men who could have fixed things up for them having been called into the South Korean ROK Army (Republic of Korea Army).

You can possibly see their makeshift shelters and the destroyed homes as well as thatched roofs.

The foreground was clear space in the village. Throughout most of Korea at that time there really were no roads, just tracks.

A gunner mate, Sid Goodhue, and I once stayed in one of the villages.

Community contributions

25 comments have been posted about Uijeongbu, location of M*A*S*H

What do you know?

Anonymous

Posted: 16 Sep 2023

Arrived 1959, assigned to 1st Corps, "C" Battery, 3rd Gun Battalion, 38th Artillery, stationed at compound in 0uijeongbu that housed the 280mm canons, referred to as the "Atomic Gun". Housed in quonset huts.
Village adjacent to compound fence was friendly with many villagers employed by military as mess help etc. Drove to Seoul via MSR 43 (military supply route). Camp Red Cloud to let off steam.

Bob gibilterra

Posted: 27 Aug 2023

69 camp Stanly cold as as hell uijeongbu
I core b co. Use to drive to camp red cloud for supply went home emergency leave...

SP 4 Richard McCleaf

Posted: 26 May 2023

Arrived on December 19, 1963.
Went to the 51st signal battalion.
Near camp Red Cloud, I corps.
Froze my ass off in an unheated Quonset hut for the first week.
Slept in a sleeping bag with all my clothes on. Finally got cold weather gear: parka and Mickey Mouse boots. Pulled lots of guard duty. Jumped on a duce and a half
Went to the bayonet bowl and saw Bob Hope. Didn’t leave until late December, spent two Christmases in land of the frozen chosen. Took 17 days on a slow boat, military sea transport: US General W. A. Mann.
Finally made it under the golden gate to San Francisco and the land of the big PX…kissed to soil.

Ken R.

Posted: 27 Mar 2023

I was at Camp Stanley 1978-1979. Best duty I ever had but the hardest.

Andy Brecht US Army Retired

Posted: 07 Feb 2023

Have been to the site, was station at Camp Essayons 81-83 in Uijeongbu, and also Camp Stanley 85-87
Camp Stanton 88-90 enjoyed my time in Korea.

Frank

Posted: 07 Aug 2022

1SGTNewman I WAS STATIONED IN PUPYOUNG NI 54/55 We were the Engineer unit just up the road, later we moved to Uijeongbu, and constructed Camp Red Cloud.. love to get in contact.

Anonymous

Posted: 01 Aug 2022

I was with the 55 the MP Company below Camp Red Cloud in Uijongbu in 66 and 67
SP/4 Smith

1SGT Newman

Posted: 20 Jun 2022

I was cadre at Camp Jecelyn, home of the 1 Corps NCO Academy, 1955,56, 57. Closest village was Pup Yong Ni, across the river. Would enjoy hearing from anyone from those years.

Bill

Posted: 13 Dec 2021

Was there in 70-71 at 121 ada co c. Red cloud. I remember Rosie’s also

Mark Thompson

Posted: 31 Oct 2021

79-80 ; 82-83 Camp Hovey Toko -Ri Tongduchon , Camp Casey. Bco 1/23rd & 79-80; Cco 1/23rd 82-83.

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