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Outgoing 8th US Army Commander Gets Korean Name(Korea Times Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)By By Jung Sung-ki Lt. Gen. Charles C. Campbell, outgoing commander of the U.S. 8th Army here, received the Korean name of ``Kim Han-soo,'' honoring his commitment to security on the Korean Peninsula, from a pro-U.S. civic group, the United States Forces Korea (USFK) said on Thursday. During a farewell ceremony in Yongsan Garrison, Seoul, the Korea-U.S. Alliance Friendship Society presented a memorial frame containing Campbell's Korean name written in Chinese characters in ink painting _ Kim (NN) Han (uU)-soo (au) _, it said in a statement. ``We made that name for honoring his strenuous efforts to defend our country during his service period here,'' Seo Jin-seop, president of the association, said. The last name implies ``a man who protects South Korea,'' he added. Han means Korea, and Soo, protect or protection. Campbell is the third recipient of a Korean name after former USFK commander Gen. Leon J. LaPorte and Lieutenant General Gary R. Trexler, commander of U.S. 7TH Air Force in Osan, Kyonggi Province. LaPorte was given the Korean name of ``Na (NU) Bo (UA)-tae (A),'' meaning great treasure, while Trexler had the name of ``Han (uU) Woong (e)-bi (THORN),'' an Air Force hero on the Korean Peninsula. Campbell took over as the 8th U.S. Army commander in November 2002. He also has served as chief of staff of the United Nations Command (UNC) and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC). The three-star general is scheduled to leave South Korea in April as he has been nominated to be deputy commanding general and chief of staff for U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort McPherson, Georgia, a USFK spokesman said. Lt. Gen. David P. Valcourt is to assume the top post for the U.S. 8th Army. Valcourt is serving as special assistant to the commanding general of the United States Army Europe and the 7th U.S. Army in Germany. He was a special aide to Gen. B. B. Bell, the new USFK commander, while Bell served as chief of the U.S. ground troops in Europe. Earlier this month, Bell received three flags from USFK, UNC and CFC. About 29,500 U.S. soldiers are now stationed here but their numbers are set to decline to 25,000 by 2008 as part of Washington's worldwide realignment of forces. |