HISTORY OF THE FAR EAST DISTRICT

For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, HRA prepared an illustrated history titled Building Strong in Korea: A History of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District. The manuscript covers the period 1957–2017 and traces the emergence of the Far East District following the Korean War and through numerous geopolitical changes, placed within the context of the Cold War and Korea’s own political and economic history. The book covers a full range of the District’s challenges and accomplishments, including military construction, housing for U.S. personnel and their families, war readiness, pipeline construction, tunnel detection, aviation, work in Japan, culminating in the Korea Relocation Program, one of the largest military relocation programs in the world.

Research for this manuscript included work at the National Archives and the District’s headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, to collect documents, photographs, maps, digital images, and other materials. We also consulted published works and academic literature and conducted more than a dozen oral history interviews for transcription and incorporation into the manuscript. Built on these efforts, HRA produced a seven-chapter monograph covering the most important themes, topics, and projects in the history of the Far East District.

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