US Taiwan Defense Command: Useful Maps

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Useful Maps

These are maps that were included in the Taiwan Report, a glossy booklet that was mailed to individuals pending assignment to Taiwan. This edition was published during FY 1973 and it was the source for most of the recent compound photos I've been posting.

As always, you can click on any image to see a larger version.

Many thanks to Les, who held on to a copy of the booklet and who took the time to scan some of its pages for us.

5 comments:

Sarj Bloom said...: Wow! the maps are great. The info and photos are just getting better and better. Thanks to all that are sending in stuff.; 19 August, 2008 07:18
Anonymous said...: Don,

Ditto to Sarj comments! Where did you get these maps?!?! This helps put TAS location (#29) in clear perspective. Great job!

Regards

John Hurst; 19 August, 2008 09:11
Don said...: Yeah, aren't these great? All three of them came from that Taiwan Report booklet that I've been talking about. I decided to post all three maps at the same time to really lay out where everything was.

I had a stack of the booklets in my office at TDC for sponsors to send out to new arrivals and it never occurred to me to keep a copy. But Les Duffin did, and he's been kind enough to scan and forward several pages to me, the guys at Linkou and to the TAS site. I've already posted several of them and I'll be posting more for at least the next week. Really great stuff!

I noticed that there are some things missing from the compound maps though. Where in the West Compound was PMO? Also, they omitted USTDC from the East Compound map. Maybe they didn't want the Chicoms to know where we were located. ;-)

No,I'm pretty sure they knew very well where to find us!; 19 August, 2008 09:47
Anonymous said...: If memory serves me right PMO was located within building 300.

Building 300 is where I began my Mandarin lessons in 1965.

Great maps.

Thanks for posting.; 26 August, 2008 19:09
Anonymous said...: Yep, PMO was in Bldg 300. The desk sergeant was across from the service station.; 27 August, 2008 13:41

Overview

The United States Taiwan Defense Command was a sub-unified command which reported directly to the Commander-in-Chief Pacific (CINCPAC). The command was composed of personnel from all branches of the U.S. armed forces and had its headquarters in Taipei.

Operational since November 1, 1955, USTDC was a planning headquarters for the defense of Taiwan and the Pescadores. In the event of hostilities, the Commander, USTDC, would have assumed an operational role and coordinated with the Government of the Republic of China in the defense of Taiwan and the Pescadores. In the event of such a contingency, three existing service commanders would have reported to the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command commander. The 327th Air Division commander would be the air component commander, the Taiwan Patrol Force commander would be the naval component commander, and the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) would be the Army component commander.

In addition to planning and peacetime responsibilities, the Commander of USTDC was assigned as the Single Senior Military Representative of Commander-in-Chief Pacific (CINCPAC). As such, he served as CINCPAC's single military spokesman on Taiwan -- exclusive of the miliitary assistance program -- and assumed responsibility for coordinating administrative and other policy matters for all U.S. armed forces on Taiwan on behalf of CINCPAC.

After twenty-three years, five months and twenty-six days of operation, the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command held its final flag retreat ceremony during the afternoon of April 26, 1979. Marine SSG D. J. Gemmecke lowered the colors for the last time.

Rear Admiral James P. Linder, the last USTDC Commander, departed Taiwan on April 28, 1979, accompanied by his wife Patricia.

Today there is no trace of the large American military compound on Chung Shan North Road in which USTDC was located. The area now contains a modern art museum, a park and a large sports stadium.

I am not a historian, but I do recognize that history unrecorded is history lost. My objective here is simply to record some of my own experiences as an Air Force enlisted man during my assignment to USTDC from 10 June 1973 until 4 September 1974, and to provide a platform for others to do the same.

Feel free to comment on any of these entries or to e-mail me with your own experiences and photographs. My e-mail address is displayed at the top and bottom of this column, or you can comment on any of my entries by clicking on "Comments" directly under each one.

Don Wiggins
SMSgt (Ret), USAF
Arkansas, USA
USTDC, J-12

Regarding Photographs

To the best of my knowledge, all photographs on this blog are either in the public domain or are displayed with the permission of their owners.

Owned photographs remain the sole property of the individuals who provided them. They are not to be downloaded, copied or reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of their owners.

Send all requests for consent to me, through the email link at the bottom of this column, and I will pass them along to the owner of the photographs.

If you see any photographs here, past or present, which you believe have been inappropriately posted, contact me at the email address shown at the bottom of this column and they will be removed.

USTDC

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Useful Maps

5 comments:

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