| Story of the Barrier Fence |
 The Korean DMZ is a 4,000 meter buffer zone between North and South Korea. Strict rules are outlined in the Korean Armistice Agreement regarding the movement of troops and weapons in the DMZ. Before the barrier fence was constructed in the American sector of the DMZ, the southern boundary was delineated with a tape. It was known as the "south tape". The southern half of the DMZ was defined by the military demarcation line (MDL) running through center of the DMZ, with the "south tape" defining the southern boundary of the DMZ. |
 This is a picture of PFC Don Lopez in a foxhole. Soldiers on the DMZ liked to refer to this duty as "time in the hole." We were equipped with an M-16 rifle, an M-79 grenade launcher, and hand grenades. The barrier fence was guarded by two shifts. The longest and toughest shift was the night during the winter months. The night shift would be briefed about 3PM. This included dissemination of the challenge password for the night and any special instructions. My first night on the fence was April 16, 1969, the day after a naval reconnaissance plane was shot down by North Korea. Both 1968 and 1969 were rough years on the DMZ with numerous firefights and North Korean infiltration. The special instructions for April 16 included a strong warning to us to expect possible contact with the North Koreans. |
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and Lieutentant William Greenhut on DMZ 2/23 Infantry  Lt. Miller's full name is David K. Miller. I include his middle initial because I told everyone it stood for "KATUSA." He celebrated his 20th birthday in Korea so the waitress in the "O" club called him 'Lt. Babysan.' |
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and Lieutenant Miller walking the barrier fence 2/23 Infantry  Line officers walked the fence twice each day along the division front. |
