US Taiwan Defense Command: October 2010

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Key Personnel - 1975

Glenn in Taipei recently sent me some listings of United States key personnel working in Taipei, including those at USTDC and MAAG. These were published by The China News, which was Taiwan's first English paper (1949 or 1950), and which was followed by the China Post.

This is a portion of the listing for 1975 that names key personnel at USTDC, MAAG, NAMRU-2 and a few others. Click on the images to magnify them.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The Main Gate

During 2008, United Tian Mu monthly magazine published a story about Charlie Hoppe, who was a 22 year old Intelligence Officer when he arrived at USTDC in 1956. He and his wife returned to Taipei in 2008 for a visit and he brought the photo shown below with him. Charlie took the photo in 1957 and it shows the gate at the entrance of TDC as it appeared at that time. Below that is a photo of the gate as it appeared during my tour in 1973-74. Just to the left of these gates was Hsinsheng North Road.

Many thanks to Ken A. (Linkou vet) and Les D. for providing these images.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

CCK Film Clip

My friend Klaus pointed me to this short YouTube video (narrated in German) of some American pilots and aircraft at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in 1976.

I believe that the F-4 fighter aircraft were probably detached from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

MAAG -- The Big Picture

A big salute goes to LTC Scott Ellinger for locating this film from the 1950s television series, "The Big Picture." It runs about 28 minutes and describes the early efforts of the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) in training the Nationalist forces on Taiwan. If you are unable to view it, click HERE to visit the website.

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