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740-year-old landmark receives facelift for Arbor Day

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chad Thompson
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Its roots date back to about 1270 A.D. It has seen the rise and fall of nations. It has seen countless wars and conflicts, and if this tree could talk it would surely have a lot of knowledge and wisdom to pass along.

The Enheng-jungui Ginkgo Tree located on Osan's golf course was declared a registered local landmark by the city of Songtan in 1994.

Trees such as this are an important piece of traditional Korean culture and have often been a focal point of village life.

According to tradition, most villages had some type of tree, which was often thought to influence the prosperity, fertility, health and fortune of the village.

Korean history also shows that people hold many of the large old trees in high regard due to much of the deforestation that occurred during the Korean War. A tree that has lived more than seven centuries carries a lot of history in its branches and should be treated with respect.

Mr. Kwon, Song Kun, an environmental engineer with the 51st Civil Engineer Squadron, said because of this fact the engineers have done some much needed pruning and renovation on the tree.

"The tree has not been taken proper care of for a long time," Mr. Kwon said.

He said with the help of a certified arborist, the 51st CES worked about nine days fixing the old ginkgo.

They cut off dead, rotten and broken branches; repaired the main bole and replaced the boundary fence around the tree, Mr. Kwon said.

There are different reasons for pruning -- safety, health or aesthetics. He said in this case the work was done to extend its life, encourage new growth and increase beauty.

The work was completed in part to celebrate Arbor Day, he added.

Arbor Day is a holiday celebrated around the world where groups of people get together and plant trees. In the United States the holiday is celebrated every year on the last Friday in April.

In 1872, J. Sterling Morton, ex-governor of Nebraska, and Secretary of Agriculture under President Grover Cleveland had a hand, or in some people's eyes a green thumb, in originating the tree-planting festival known as Arbor Day.

Editor's Note: The 51st Fighter Wing historian contributed the facts and history of the ginkgo tree to this article.