Migration
Yongsan's Navy Club closes as part of Korean reallocation of US forces
Stars and Stripes
May 8, 2015
Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. Forces Korea; Rear Adm. Lisa Franchetti, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea; Randy Quimby, director of the Navy Club; U.S. Naval Forces Korea Command Master Chief James Honea; and Command Sgt. Maj. John Wayne Troxell, command sergeant major of U.S. Forces Korea cut a cake in front of former employees and guests during a closure ceremony for the Navy Club at the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul, Thursday, May 7, 2015. (Wendy Wyman/U.S. Navy)
SEOUL — The Navy Club ended the final chapter of its long four-decade run at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan on Thursday.
Rear Adm. Lisa Franchetti, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea, spoke to more than 100 military and civilian guests at a closure ceremony focused on the club’s history.
“Today, we salute the Navy Club employees, past and present, for their faithful service to generations of servicemembers and their families stationed in Seoul,” Franchetti said.
The closure is due to the relocation of U.S. Naval Forces Korea headquarters to Busan in July and the move by other naval personnel further south to Camp Humphreys.
The restaurant was established in 1969 as Parker’s Place. In 1975, it became an official U.S. Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation outlet and was rechristened with its current name.
The Navy Club has been a favorite for units to hold luncheons and had a number of renovations during its lifespan, including its famed “jungle room.”
The MWR facility has been voted “Best in the Pacific” by Stars and Stripes readers for 16 straight years.