Get a good guidebook and some

maps. Spend a little quality time re- searching at your local bookstore or online. These links might be helpful:  Battlefi eld Guides, http://bit.ly/

psbattlefi eldguides  Discovering Korea blog “Re- membering the Korean War,” http:// bit.ly/rememberingkoreanwar  Guidebooks for WWI Battle-

fi elds, http://bit.ly/greatwarguide  Major and Mrs. Holt’s Battle-

fi eld Guidebooks WWI and WWII, www.guide-books.co.uk  Vietnam Travel Guide war sites,

http://bit.ly/vietnamwarsites Time it right. Sites can be geo-

graphically spread out and require a signifi cant amount of time to visit them in earnest. Be sure to accurate- ly calculate the distances between the locations you plan to visit, based on whatever mode of transportation you’re planning on using. This is a big trip. You don’t want to be rushed. Plan accordingly. Prevent traveler’s regret. Noth- ing is more disappointing than show- ing up at a site you’ve been waiting to see only to fi nd the gates are closed. Research the operating/opening hours of your selected sites before you arrive because the times could vary from month to month. Some- times sites are staff ed by volunteers who might or might not keep to a strict work schedule. Leave things the way you fi nd

them. You’re probably well aware even 100 years later, inert and un- exploded ordnance can be found throughout many once war-torn re- gions. Don’t touch ordnance or take newly discovered munitions with you. Pack the extras:  You know you’ll be taking a lot of

pictures, so plan to bring extra cam- era batteries and memory cards. Don’t forget the camera charger.  Bring a GPS loaded with coun-

try-specifi c maps, and you won’t have to worry about ever being lost.

The Peace Bell Pavilion in Imjingak, South Korea, marks the division point where war raged (above) in the 1950s.

MONTH 2005 MILITARY OFFICER 75

The Korean War (1950-53) The Korean War often is called the forgotten war, overshadowed by World War I and the Vietnam War and overlooked in many history texts. Unlike Vietnam or World War II, tensions on the Korean peninsula still run high; a formal peace agreement with North Korea never was signed, and thousands of servicemembers are stationed in South Korea today to counter North Korean aggression. Be sure to tour the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and the joint-security

area (JSA), the closest you can get to North Korea from the south with- out being arrested or antagonized. KoriDoor can help you organize an official DMZ tour at http://bit.ly/koridoordmz. The resort town of Imjingak, 7 miles from the Demarcation Line be-

tween the North and South, calls itself “the forefront of tourism related to the Korean Conflict.” Find out more about the town and its various war memorials at http://bit.ly/visitkoreaimjingak. It’s undoubtedly more difficult to visit battlefields in Korea, but

groups like the Korean War Veterans Association Revisit Program (www.kwva.org/revisit) make re- turning easier. Where South Korea lacks in military sites, it makes up in scenery — and Seoul is a true mod- ern megacity with all the amenities and spots of cultural significance you’d expect.