Friday, May 31, 2002
U.S. team visits DMZ
By RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer
PANMUNJOM, Korea — Eleven U.S. players and coach Bruce Arena visited the demilitarized zone between South Korea and North Korea on Friday, hours before the beginning of the World Cup.
A traveling party of 23 landed by helicopter on a baseball field at U.S. Army Camp Liberty Bell a short distance from the DMZ. The Americans then took a quick bus ride to the Tae Song Don village on the South Korean side of the DMZ at the 38th parallel, 24 miles north of Seoul.
Joining Arena and other staff members were Kasey Keller, Joe-Max Moore, Claudio Reyna, DeMarcus Beasley, Tony Meola, Tony Sanneh, John O'Brien, Landon Donovan, Gregg Berhalter, Jeff Agoos and Eddie Pope.
The group, accompanied by military personnel wearing camouflage gear — and some in helmets — spent 10 minutes in Building T2, which is directly on the demarcation line and is where the armistice to end the Korean War was signed. The light blue shed has a conference table and U.S. flag in it.
“Interesting,” Keller said. “A lot of effort for a line.”
After they came through Freedom House on the South Korea side of the line, they waved to tourists who were about 200 feet away on top of a building on the North Korea side.
The U.S. players posed for pictures with military personnel and gave soldiers ceremonial coins the team had made for the World Cup. Then the Americans ate lunch with some of the troops from the 8th U.S. Army, 2nd infantry division.
About 300 American soldiers are stationed at the DMZ. Several told the players they were soccer fans and planned to attend the first-round games involving the U.S. team.
First Sgt. Monte Youngblood of Albany, Ind., who has been in the army for 19 years, said “It's a great honor to be selected up here.”
Asked to describe the mood at the DMZ, he added: “I don't know if I would say tense, but a high state of alertness.”
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U.S. team visits DMZ
