US Taiwan Defense Command: Total Number of Troops?

Monday, January 12, 2009

Total Number of Troops?

I received an email from a former Air Force guy who is doing graduate work in Taiwan. He's working on a paper and is trying to find an estimate of how many US military people were stationed in Taiwan.

I think I'm safe in saying that the number probably reached its peak during the Vietnam war, probably sometime in the late sixties or so, but I have no idea what that number would be. In addition to all the units in Taipei, including Linkou, there was Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Tainan Air Base, and of course all of the naval vessels in the waters around the island. I'm fairly sure there were other units scattered around also.

So does anyone out there have a good guesstimate?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...: I seem to remember quotes of approximately 13,000 American Servicemen on the Island proper (overheard in the HSA Admin Office in 1966). Of course there is no way I can substantiate this number, but that is what I seem to remember some 43 years later.; 12 January, 2009 20:53
Anonymous said...: When I arrived on island in 1973 I was told there was approx 7000 military personnel on the island.
I was told in 1977 there were 2000 personnel on the island.
In both cases my information came from the USACC Commander. Both gentlemen were Colonels.; 13 January, 2009 10:06
Don said...: I found an entry on Wikipedia that described the addition of several US Air Force units to CCK Air Base during the 60s and early 70s, so it's possible that there were more than 13,000 at some point during Vietnam and then a gradual decrease until our departure from Taiwan in 1979.

Just guessing.

Here's the Wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ching_Chuan_Kang_Air_Base; 13 January, 2009 10:49
Anonymous said...: I arrived in Taiwan in early 1970. We were told during our in-coming briefing that there were approximetly 14,000 US Personel on the Island at that time. The largest grouping was at CCK, and Tainan AFB's. The Navy also had a large contingent as well. Shu Lin Kou Air station in the hills north of Taipei was the largest grouping in the North of the Island. In addition to military personel, there was approximetly the same number of dependents as well. So the total number of US individuals was most likely closer to 20,000.; 18 January, 2009 00:18

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.

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USTDC

Monday, January 12, 2009

Total Number of Troops?

4 comments:

Taipei

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