As long as I'm on a YouTube kick, I thought you might enjoy seeing this slide presentation that I found from 1968-1969.
Chuck, the photographer, was apparently assigned to Taipei Air Station and most of the slides were taken in and around the Taipei area. It runs for about four and a half minutes.
12 comments:
These pics brought back some memories, I was in Taiwan, at CCK Air Base, west side, mid island, 68 thru most of 69.
A trying and emotional time of very super good and bad times combined.
I have tried to find a few friends who left from here with me, we separated at Taiwan, but I have never found them.
Part of my life seems incomplete and unfinished, not having a chance to share what happened to me then and afterward with them.
I took over 1,000 pics myself, on trips to Taichung, and on tours around Taiwan, one or two to the Taipei area as well.
Back again, the pics bring back memories and feelings every time I come here, there have been other visits in the last year.
I wish I knew where others are now now, which I knew and served with.
David Johnson, Air Force, CCK AB, Security Police Squadron, near Taichung, Taiwan, 1968 - 1969
I had a brother who served in Taiwan in 1969 and 1970. He died on October18,1970 in Taipei, Taiwan or that is what my parents were told. If you knew him, I would like to know. He was Sergeant Garrett S.Smith.
I did not know Sergeant Garrett S.Smith, that I was aware of. I was stationed to the south at CCK Air Base near Taichung.
Not sure how much truth to this, but I heard it on pretty good authority while over there, from more then one source, that when some Viet Nam Vets and other Vets caught contagious diseases, they were listed as dead and kept in quarantine and never allowed to go home. Hopefully it was only a rumor, but did get into a little trouble with the local Taiwanese Police, and receiving advice from Air Force council, that the more extreme could happen.
Sometimes too other legal matters arose, that caused similar things to happen to vets.
You never explain whether your brother's body was returned or not.
David, I must have heard that old rumor a hundred times over the years, but I never found anything to confirm it, and doubt seriously that such a thing could have been kept secret for all these years.
The locations where these people were supposedly being quarantined shifted over the years. I've heard Thailand, Okinawa, Guam, the Philippines, Hawaii and probably other places that I've long since forgotten.
I'm fairly certain that it was just another gem from the rumor mill.
Don
Thanks, I had hoped it was never true. I find that often if I make a wave, it will come back to me. Many times that is the only way to learn something, to start a fire.
I learned years ago, that foot in mouth, is often a good way to learn something new.
I had heard it from a Air Force legal council/lawyer and from a couple Base Medical Officer MDs. But maybe they were just passing on hype themselves.
I was at CCK 1968/69.6217th C.E.We were made into a hurry-up imprompto Prime Beef unit.(Prime Beef was being started stateside but they used us a a sort of trial)Was part of operation Waterfall in Cambodia Late 1968.Op was experiment for VX nerve gas. Anyone know of this and/or willing to talk about ?Will check back on this site for possible comments
Anonymous, CCK 1968/69.6217th C.E
I was at CCK 68/69, base and tarmac security. I and others in our group had problems, mostly it affected our minds, with increasing fatigue and body aches and pains.
I have read hints here and there that Agent Orange sometimes passed through or was even stored on base somewhere. But maybe worse, it was being used over seas and state side, for weed control,for the non vegetative clear strips and zones.
I was not the first one from our group to have problems, I crossed trained to Illustration graphics, and got off of the flight line, after my mind started to be affected.
Never really bot better, slowly worse, while in England, reacted to some meds, that put me in a extreme muscle spasm reaction, the likes that the docs had not apparently seen before. Spent a couple days in a full body spasm, rolled up in a ball, would not go away, finally after much pleading and crying they gave me some kind of nuero or muscle relaxant, and it slowly went away. Before that the body spasm, the first symptoms were, muscles weakness, almost could not walk, my legs would not work right, they kept wanting to give way, like they were loosing the nerve flow to control them.
Years later found out, I am not able to use the vast amount of B-12 in my blood and body, have to take fresh daily. Have talked a few other Vets around JP8 Jet fuel, it seems to cause a possbile problem with B-12 use or ???
We most likely may never find out what happened to many of us in the Military. I am just lucky I got military connection and VA disability, I chat with Vets from that time, who where in Thailand. They got exposed to Agent Orange, and cannot prove any connection unless they at least passed through Nam on there way to or from Thailand.
I am the "anonymous - CCK '68-'69", didn't know how to put in my name when I posted earlier. Upon further reflection, I need to change the dates to late '67 & most of '68. I left in Aug. or Sept. of '68. I am also the "anonymous" who posted today (12/16/2011)in response to David's post. I apologize for posting as anonymous, especially since I now see someone else posted under than too. I will post under my name, Dick, from now on. I notice that we are posting under the webmaster's "slide" page & wonder if there is a different page we should be using that I haven't found?
Dick, you can post under any of the posts here on the blog. But since this blog focuses more on the US Taiwan Defense Command in Taipei, you might have better luck visiting Kent Mathieu's "Taipei Air Station" blog, which covers the entire island, including CCK. It's at http://taipeiairstation.blogspot.com/
Also, if you're not already a member of the "Together We Served" website, I highly recommend it as a resource for finding others with whom you may have served. That site is at http://togetherweserved.com/index.jsp?finderID=104986&siteName=USAF
Don, thank you, I will go to that page. Also went to the TWS site & registered. Really like that site.
David, I thought I had posted another message to you about the cramps you had & muscle weakness but I must have pushed wrong button somewhere. I am being treated by VA, one incident that happened a few months ago involved massive charlie horse type cramps over most of my body, lasted 3 1/2 days, was given muscle relaxants by local doc on day 1 but took 2 1/2 more days to finally stop. A month after that, passed out while driving on interstate hwy., fortunately woke up just in time to find myself in the median doing 65 mph. VA is now trying to find out why that happened & if there is a connection between that incident & the muscle cramps, plus just diagnosed with Small Vessel Disease, said to be caused sometimes by Agent Orange exposure. The VA told me that I was exposed to Agent Orange, so they are keeping that in mind. They have finished neurological tests, now they are going to check heart/circulation. If you want to contact me, my email is dickelizer@gmail.com . I would like to communicate with you if you are willing...don't know the time frame of your problems but mine are just now beginning to happen, although I have had leg problems for several years (cramping, weakness - similar to yours). I had several short deployments from CCK to Nam but I believe Agent Orange was used at CCK for vegetation control in several areas. If you do not wish to communicate, that is fine, if you do, that is even better.
Current report on this topic for CCK, I always knew my physical and mental health issues had more to do then just exposure to Jet Fuel exhaust and vaccinations; always wondered about Agent Orange. Recently found a new Facebook site, CCK Air Base, Taiwan. In conversation with others there, found one TDY C_130 inspector who asked the question when he first got to CCK, what is the oily stuff on the wings. he was told, oh just Agent Orange, no big deal. Came across one who came to CCK after me, he found out that the Mosquito spraying unit had been written up for not cleaning its spray tanks after spraying herbicides, was it Agent Orange of 2 4 D or etc. So we went around the base breathing in more then DDT or Etc.
The other day ran into a Viet Nam Vet who had been TDY to CCK Air Base, a maintenance mechanic for C-130s, he asked after arriving, asked, what is the yellow green powder in the wheel well area, was told, residue left over from Spraying Agent Orange.
Today at Golden Corral, DAV Vets appreciation day, came across a Navy Cook who served 3 tours in Nam, he said everyone knew that the Taiwan Air Force Bases were know for their spray runs of Agent Orange.
David Johnson
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