US Taiwan Defense Command: National Grandee Hotel

Thursday, January 21, 2010

National Grandee Hotel

I received the following photos and comments from Les Duffin:

I just saw your post from Ray Richardson. The National Grandee Hotel was actually at the southwest intersection of Min Tzu East Road and Lin Sen North Road, across the street from the “back gate” of the HSA East Compound, the gate that pointed straight into the signal compound. The gate was located sort of behind the theater and library. I returned to Taipei in 1984 and took the attached photos. By that time the East Compound had become headquarters for the Chinese Military Police and their main building was directly inside that same gate. The first photo is looking north along Lin Sen Road; that’s the CMP hqs in the center and the white building on the left corner is the hotel. The second shot shows the same two buildings from a little closer perspective. The third shot is the hotel itself from the diagonally opposite corner.

The funny thing is that I didn't even recall a back gate on the south side of the east compound, but if you look at that area on Google Maps, it's right there. Search for "Riviera Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan" and go to Street View, which will put you at that intersection and you can look around from there.

Thanks again to Ray and Les for all this good info.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...: Brilliant! Thanks so much, fellas. The middle photo brings back the most memories. Walking under the...overhanging. I've been chatting with my family about this place the last couple days. This site is great.; 21 January, 2010 14:47
Anonymous said...: Also, I always entered the compound there. The shuttle bus stop was just down Min Tzu, I think.; 21 January, 2010 15:08
Bou said...: We stayed at a Guest House down that same street when we moved there in 1978. We stayed at the new corner hotel with the scads of other military families as we were getting ready to ship out. It was the National Grandee.

I don't think we ever entered in any other entrance but the 'back gate'. I do know the Rainbow Guest house where many families stayed while awaiting housing was right next to the 'front gate' to the compound.

Also, the elevator at the National Grandee was horrible. We got stuck in it a couple times.; 21 January, 2010 16:57
taipeitdc1973 said...: I remember a Mongolian BBQ fairly close to the gate behind the theater.; 21 January, 2010 18:23
Anonymous said...: After we did much Google map street viewing, Dad found where our (former) guest house building is located. South on LinSen N., past the Imperial Hotel and then take a right two streets up. That should be Lane 19 ShuangCheng. Building is up a bit on the left. There's a Blue Girl (beer) sign on it.; 22 January, 2010 13:48
Les Halfhill said...: I seem to remember it being the New American Guest House. But there might have been others.; 19 November, 2010 20:25

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

Thursday, January 21, 2010

National Grandee Hotel

6 comments:

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