US Taiwan Defense Command: Taiwan Report Index

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Taiwan Report Index

During the past few months, I've posted pages from the "Taiwan Report - Taipei Edition," a booklet that was published by the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command in 1973. The booklet was sent to American servicemen and women being assigned to Taiwan and it was designed to ease their transition into their new surroundings. It's a great historical record of life in the Taipei area as experienced by American military personnel 35 years ago.

Les Duffin kept a copy of the booklet all these years and has been kind enough to scan and share all 118 pages. I've posted them pretty much as I've received them, but the 15 chapters (plus intro and quick reference sections) are not always easy to find in the chronological format of a blog.

So today's post contains the complete index to Taiwan Report, with individual links to each section. My objective is to make it easier for readers to "thumb through" the booklet from page 1 to page 118. I'm also adding a link somewhere in the right-hand column of the blog so you can come directly to this posting at any time in the future.

Keep in mind that if you click on each of the pages within each chapter, you'll be able to view the full-size image.

Thanks again to Les for having the foresight to preserve this historical document and for taking the time to share it with all of us.

3 comments:

gene said...: Great stuff. Lookin it over I can not find pages 10 & 11. Page 9 is a map of the HSA Compounds the naxt Page is Page 12 the first page of "Chapter 1: US Military Units in the Taipei Area (Part 1)'. and page 18, 19 & 20
The last page in "chapter 1: US Military Units in the Taipei Area (Part 3)" is a phot on page 17. The first page on Chapter 2: History and Facts (Part 1) is page 21.
Thanks
Gene; 05 March, 2009 04:19
Don said...: Gene, I assume that the missing pages were either blank or were just filler pages that Les decided not to scan.

I posted all the pages that I received.; 05 March, 2009 08:16
Don said...: Okay Gene, Les just sent me pages 10 and 11 of the Intro section of Taiwan Report and I added them a few minutes ago.

Thanks for catching that.; 08 March, 2009 21:09

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

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Taiwan Report Index

3 comments:

Taipei

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