US Taiwan Defense Command: USTDC Chiefs of Staff

Saturday, November 13, 2010

USTDC Chiefs of Staff

I recently posted the complete list of all the admirals who served as USTDC Commander. Historically, the Air Force assigned a brigadier general as Chief of Staff to each of the USTDC Commanders. However, the very first Chief of Staff under the first USTDC Commander was Navy Rear Admiral Charles Cochran Kirkpatrick. RADM Frank W. Fenno had been Commander of the Formosa Liaison Center in 1955 until it was renamed USTDC .

RADM Frank W. Fenno

1955 - 1956

RADM Charles Cochran Kirkpatrick

1956 - 1957

Major General Harold Huntley Bassett
1957 - 1958

Major General Neil D. Van Sickle
Oct 1958 - 1959

Brigadier General William G. Lee Jr.
1959 - 1960

Major General Robert Francis Worden
Aug 1960 - Aug 1962

Brigadier General Frederick J. Sutterlin
23 Aug 1962 - Aug 1964

Major General Kenneth O. Sanborn
1964-1967

Lieutenant General Carlos M. Talbott
May 1967 - Jul 1968

Brigadier General John A. Des Portes
Jul 1968 - Sep 1970

Brigadier General Clarence J. Douglas Jr.
Sep 1970 - Aug 1972

Major General William C. Burrows
Aug 1972 - Jul 1974

Brigadier General David O. Williams Jr.
Jun 1974 - Apr 1976

Brigadier General Dan A. Brooksher
Apr 1976 - Jul 1978

6 comments:

titojohn said...: The Chief of Staff 64-67 was BGEN Kenneth O. Sanborn. I don't know exact dates.; 13 November, 2010 09:05
Don said...: According to his Air Force biography, he was in Taipei from 1960 to 1965, filling various positions including Chief of MAAG.

Based on John's comment and the bio, I think for now I'll plug him in for the period 1964-1965 as TDC Chief of Staff. If I find out otherwise later, I'll change it.; 13 November, 2010 10:24
Anonymous said...: He was Commander of the 13th AF
in, at least 60-62, if the 60-65
is correct.; 14 November, 2010 05:43
Sarj Bloom said...: I think you have the dates right on Sutterlin and Sanborn. I sent you a photo of the group of officers at the change of command in 1962 and at the far right is Sutterlin. Melson was speaking and you can see Smoot in the ranks with everyone else. I also may have told you that the first day anyone could go out after Typhoon Gloria Sept 63 I saw Sanborn in civies walking down Canal Rd. going away from TDC as I was walking towards it. I didn't know if I should salute or not and decided not to. I'll email the photo again of the group of officers.; 14 November, 2010 09:48
Sarj Bloom said...: Another thing about Sutterlin. I wonder if I took the portrait of him? No way of telling I guess, but we did shoot officer portraits; 14 November, 2010 09:54
Anonymous said...: This page, and your whole site, is a great testament to those who served Taiwan for the U.S. military. Our time on Taiwan was life-changing and obviously unforgettable.

Thank you,

John Des Portes (son of TDC Chief of Staff Brig. General John A. Des Portes)
Tucson, Arizona; 11 October, 2014 06:51

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, November 13, 2010

USTDC Chiefs of Staff

6 comments:

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