Letters Home

Stev Pitchford was a Navy photographer at TDC during 1959-60.  Many of his excellent photographs have been enjoyed by countless visitors here.

Stev recently went through a stack of letters that he wrote to his parents years ago.  What follows are his comments about the letters, followed by excerpts from some of those that he wrote during his time in Taiwan.   I really enjoyed them because I think they're typical of letters written by young men far away from home years ago, and probably similar to letters written by today's young men and women stationed around the world.  Of course most of today's letters are probably typed on a keyboard and received by Mom and Dad within seconds after they're sent.

Mom and Dad saved the letters I wrote to them while I was in the Navy.  After about 50 years, I've gotten around to reading them.  Some things I remember pretty well, but there's a lot I don't recall.

A few remarks about Chiang Kai Shek (Gemo) and President Eisenhower (Ike) were a little impertinent, but I was a teenager at the time.  Looking back, I realize what a privilege it was to have come into personal contact with two of the most significant figures of the 20th century.

July 29, 1959  (Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA)

 

. . . . I leave at 6:30 AM August 1, by plane.  I’m not sure where I’ll wind up, but it will probably be Taiwan or Japan

. . . .The next time you hear from me it will be from across the Pacific. . .

 

August 6, 1959

 

. . . . Well, I’m here.  I got in Taipei at about 4:00 this afternoon.  There is no base here.  Taiwan Defense Command is one building on one side of town. . . .  It could be very nice.

 

. . . . I don’t know if I’ll stay here or be shipped to some other part of the island.  I’ll find out tomorrow. . . . .

 

. . . .Tomorrow . . . .  I’m staying here.  And I’m beginning to like it even more.  There are 11 people in the photo lab, and it isn’t too busy. . . .

 

. . . . I went to a Mongolian Barbecue for lunch today.  9 of us went across town on 5 motor scooters to the place.  I don’t know what it was but it was good.  We ate with chop sticks, which proved to be interesting. 

 

August 17, 1959

 

. . . .There aren’t many cars here, but that doesn’t mean anything.  There are plenty of bicycles, rickshaws, and people to make up for it. . . .

 

. . . . Seeing as how we get pretty good money and things are so cheap here, we live pretty high.  I’m going to be spoiled when I get back. . . .

 

. . . . They have American movies here.  Most of the theaters in Taipei are comparable to those in the U. S.  I’m told that one will show up anything in the states. . . .

 

August 30, 1959

 

. . . . I get mail in the oddest ways here.  Commanders bring it to me, I get some on days the mail isn’t supposed to come in, and yours just came in the middle of a typhoon. . . .

 

. . . . 4 of us are keeping the photo lab tied down during this big wind.  Right now it’s supposed to be blowing about 100 mph outside.  It’s 1:30 AM and I’ve got nothing better to do, so I’m answering your letter.  I’ll bet this is the first letter you’ve received written in the middle of a typhoon. . . .

Sept. 7, 1959

 

. . . . Probably tomorrow, I’m leaving for Matsu for about a week.  It’s an island 2 miles from the mainland.  So now I’m going to see Communist China. . . .

 

Sept. 16, 1959

 

. . . . I was on Matsu for 5 days.  That’s a group of islands 5 miles from the Communist coast.  It’s from right out of the war movies.

 

I even had my own personal jeep and driver till the last day.  Then I had to share it with an officer. . . .

 

And to top it all, I got $70 extra pay for going. . . .

 

I finally made it on board ship.  I came back on a Chinese destroyer.  I was all over the thing shooting pictures. . . .

 

 

Sept. 24, 1959

 

. . . . I went swimming for the first time last Sunday.  They’ve got a wild diving board at this pool.  Usually you use a diving board to put you where and how you want to hit the water.  Not so with this one.  It throws you any ole place it feels like.  Very exciting.

 

Monday is Confucius’ birthday, so we’ve got a long week-end. . . .

 

 

Dec. 17, 1959

 

. . . . Last week we really put out the work.  I didn’t even get one day off - - - except for the weekend.  Things like that don’t happen very often though.  We’ve been about half busy this week.

 

We’ve had a pretty cold week.  A raincoat feels pretty good now.

 

 

Jan. 26, 1960

 

. . . . I don’t know about this command.  One of our idiot generals thought it would be nice to stand an inspection once a month.  Not that that wasn’t bad enough - - - we have to wear uniforms to and from work and any other time we leave the compound.  Since we have to work in dungarees (uniforms would get stained), this will involve changing clothes every 5 minutes. . . .

 

 

Feb. 10, 1960

 

. . . . Our general’s ideas just went out the window Monday - - - hooray!  We’re back to normal now. . . .

 

 

Feb. 29, 1960

 

I went to the Admiral’s house again Saturday.  I showed “Auntie Mame.”  And I had pop corn for the first time since I’ve been on this island.

 

I was out shooting pictures all Saturday afternoon.  The Admiral’s aide got me a car to use all day, so I saw some new territory.  I thought that was pretty nice of him.

 

 

May 1, 1960

 

. . . . Gemo is throwing a tea party at the hostel tonight, so I think I’ll go bowling again.  I don’t like crowds. . . .

 

 

May 21, 1960

 

. . . . I learned today that I got my fourth stripe May 16.  I’ve been a PHG3 for almost a week now. . . .

 

 

June 16, 1960

 

. . . . I’m mad at Ike.  Just because he’s coming here, I have to work this weekend.  That messes up my swimming and I might miss a good movie. . . .

 

 

June 23, 1960

 

. . . .Ike sure messed up my weekend.  I didn’t even get to go swimming once.  And the weather was perfect.  This place looked like Ripley on the 4^th of July. . . .

 

 

July 19, 1960

 

. . . . I got myself a Zenith Trans-Oceanic radio last week.  It is an awfully potent short wave radio.  I haven’t even hitched an aerial to it, and I can get as far east as Delano, Calif. and as far west as Paris, France. . . .

 

 

Aug. 4, 1960

 

. . . . The basic reason I decided to get a recorder is that in this part of the world I hear things (on the short wave radio) I’m not sure I’ll be able to pick up in the states, and they’ll be interesting to me and maybe you to hear later.  Radio Peiping, from Communist China, is my main target here.  They tell me how horrible we “imperialist Americans” are. . . .

 

 

Aug. 11, 1960

 

. . . . I may be sitting on that front porch with you in about 25 days.  My orders came in yesterday.  I’m going to the Norton Sound - - - which didn’t shock me too much.  I leave August 30 - - - which really shocked me. . . .

 

 

Aug. 21, 1960

 

. . . . I’ll see you sometime next week.  I fly out of here on the 29^th. . . .

Stev

Taipei Volunteer Fire Department

Jim Sartor, a frequent contributor to this blog over the years, worked in J-22 (Op Center) at USTDC from 1968 to 1972.

Some time ago Jim asked me if I'd ever heard of the Taipei Volunteer Fire Department, a social organization that he belonged to during his tour in Taipei.  I'd never heard of it, but Jim recently discovered that they're still around, and have been since 1955.  You can find their website HERE.

Sounds like a fun group.  Anyone else here who remembers them?

MAAG Officers Open Mess - Part Two

A couple of days ago I posted some excellent photographs of the MAAG Officers Club that were taken in 1960 and that were provided by Elizabeth Feldmann. She has now sent me some additional images from that period.

Article from Far East Club Activities about the MAAG Officers Club and U.S. Army Captain Jerry Feldmann.

Dining Room Menu Cover

Club Menu - First Page

Club Menu - Second Page

Paul Kuo was a Taiwan artist who frequently drew cartoons under the heading "Formosan Vignette" for the China Post Newspaper.  This one depicts Jerry and Elizabeth Feldmann and their four children departing Taipei. 

Elizabeth says that she had many great experiences during their assignment to Taiwan.  Because of her husband's job, they were invited to the British Embassy for Queen Elizabeth's birthday observance.  They were also invited to the Korean ambassador's home because Captain Feldmann used to brief him some years earlier when he was stationed there.

She continued, "We used to go to Sun Moon Lake with a picnic lunch, haul all the kids and our amah and get rowed around the lake for a few hours.  I remember going roller skating at a park not far from the river. We had three of the children with us and we gathered quite a crowd watching us. (I think they were waiting for my husband or myself to fall down.) Thank goodness we didn't!

I remember going down-island to a glass blowing factory.  The bus was so old and rickety I wondered if we would make it back.  I found out what happened to all of our old coke and beer bottles.  Very young children were blowing them into big round  green and brown balls that were used with the fishing nets.  All of us women had to buy some of these so the bus was really overloaded on the way back!

There very few cars, but boy did they blow their horns...and just race all over!  I never drove over there; I was too scared!  I felt much safer in a pedicab!

We were never robbed, but the Provost Marshall who lived across the walk from us was -- his name was Capt. George -- so we hired guards and never had a problem."

MAAG Officers Open Mess

I received a very nice note from Elizabeth Feldmann, wife of Captain Gerald Feldmann, the MAAG Officers Club Officer during 1960-1961.  His club manager was Air Force Chief Warrant Officer V.W. Loiselle, whom I mentioned about a year ago.  She wrote about the exciting times in Taiwan and the beauty of the country.


Elizabeth provided these great photographs of the MAAG O-Club that were taken in 1960.

There is the front of the building, the main bar, the dining room and the lounge.  She writes that there was also a stag bar, swimming pool and a barber shop at the facility.   She and her family lived across the street in a compound that she believes was referred to as MAAGville back then.

According to old friend Kent Mathieu (Taipei Air Station blog), who was night manager at the O-Club Annex, the main club was located on Chung Shan North Road, across the street from the FASD Hostel and about a hundred yards or so to the north.

Patricia Linder

Patricia Linder, wife of the late Rear Admiral James Linder, recently notified me that her website now includes several photographs of her recent trip to Taipei.  As I wrote earlier, she spoke at the opening of the American Footsteps in Taiwan exhibit there.

The website also includes video of her television interview in Taipei, during which she discussed many of her Taiwan experiences during 1977 to 1979 when her husband was the Commander of the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command.  Her website is at PatriciaLinder.com.

I've long recommended her book "The Lady and the Tiger" which is available at Amazon for about US$20.00.  Not only did I find it an interesting and entertaining read, but historically significant as well.

1953 Flooding of MAAG Compound

I decided to take a "sabbatical from sabbatical" because of material sent my way from old friend Sarj Bloom.  These images of flooding after a 1953 typhoon are all in the archives of the ROC Government Information Office and can be found at this link.

What makes these of interest to regular readers of this blog is that they show the west compound (the Military Assistance and Advisory Group (MAAG) compound) in 1953.

The first photo appears to have been taken at the entrance to the west compound (facing out and to the northeast).   In the distance, to the left of the picture, you can see the roof of what appears to be the Story House, which is still there today.  I originally thought it might have been taken from the east compound, but I now think the angle of the Story House indicates otherwise.  All opposing views are welcome in the comments section.

I believe the next picture is facing outward from inside the west compound entrance toward Chung Shan North Road.

This picture was taken outside the MAAG compound entrance, where crews appear to be pumping water out of the compound.  Note the building slightly to the left in the distance.  It appears in the next photo as well.

This photo was taken further inside the gate, probably about where the chapel eventually stood to the left.  If you look straight ahead, you'll recognize that same cement sign that has shown up in many photographs of the west compound on this blog.  I believe the building to the left of that sign was the hospital in those days.

Reflections and Wanderings and Taking a Breather

I've been writing this blog since 2007 and, like most bloggers, I run out of new material from time to time.  It seems like those dry spells have been happening more frequently in recent months.  I used to worry about it, but then I reminded myself that the whole purpose of this effort was to assemble as much of the history of the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command as I could find, since there wasn't much of it available elsewhere.  I feel like I have accomplished most of what I hoped to do and I'm okay with that.

So if you don't see a lot of updates to this blog going forward, don't assume that I've given up on it.  Whenever I come across something interesting, I'll write about it.  For example, I submitted a FOIA request to the Naval Historian's office several months ago and maybe one day they'll get around to responding.  If they ever do so, I'll pass along whatever I receive.

In the meantime, I'll be trying to figure out a way to make all the information contained here a little easier to sort through.  The advantage of having a blog format is that readers have an opportunity to comment on each topic as it is written.  The disadvantage is that there has been a lot of information posted here since 2007 and there's no easy way to find what you're looking for.  I must confess that even I lose track of where things are sometimes.  I'll probably begin by taking a look at the tags for all entries, since there's now a hodgepodge of topics, many of which aren't very useful at all.  I have a couple of other ideas as well which I'll be exploring in the days ahead.

But I would be remiss if I didn't mention the other outstanding resources available to Taiwan veterans.  The first one I found before I ever started the blog was the website dedicated to the 6987th Security Group at Shu Linkou.  As you scroll down their main page, you'll find well-organized links in various topic areas, all of which contain many photographs.  The site is updated frequently and is a treasure trove of memories.  I'm often amazed at the sheer volume of information they've assembled.

I also heartily recommend the Taipei Air Station blog, which recently has focused on Taipei as it exists today.  It's a great resource for us "old timers" to see how much things have changed.  I always find it interesting (and maybe a little depressing sometimes) as I am reminded of the years that have passed since I was stationed in Taipei and all the changes that have taken place.

The same author maintains the Taipei Air Station website, which was actually the predecessor to his blog.  It also is a goldmine of information and photos.  I should mention that both of his sites cover far more than just Taipei Air Station.  You can find historical information about the Taipei area as well as other U.S. military units that were in Taiwan.  Please note that Kent is organizing another trip for veterans to visit Taiwan for a few days during November 2011.  I'm sure that he'd be pleased to add your name to the list.

Finally, I want to thank each and every one of the more than 63,000 visitors to the USTDC blog for dropping by here every now and then.  I especially want to thank the many folks who have contributed so much here.  I don't want to risk offending anyone by inadvertently omitting a name, but you all know who you are.  This blog would have died long ago if not for you.  It has been a tremendous pleasure corresponding with each and every one of you.  I have made many good friends here and I am most grateful for the opportunity.

May the good people of Taiwan continue to enjoy a lasting peace and the freedom to determine their own destiny.

The Canal

Back in 2008, Sarj Bloom submitted several photographs that he took during Typhoon Gloria in 1963.

He just sent me some more information that he's discovered using Google Earth:

While looking for the Canal that ran north and south east of TDC I remembered that one of the photos I took of Typhoon Gloria '63 was taken looking north towards the east of TDC. See location photo from Google Earth.

 

 

A friend of mine told me that the Canal is still there it just runs under the new raised highway. Sure enough I even confirmed it with a Google Earth photo of the water under the Highway.

 

Anyway I got my photo out and then tried to match it the best I could looking North from the new Highway that goes over the Canal.

 

Both photos are looking north and you can see the mountains that run behind Club 63 and the Grand Hotel. I think I got the approximate position on Google Earth to represent my photo.

 

I was a few blocks north of Nanjing E. Rd. or what we called Nan King E. Rd. Our intention was to walk to TDC that day but had to turn around because of the canal overflowing the road, as you can see in the 1963 photo if you look up near the trucks. Also you can see the canal on the right is hardly in it's banks.

 

That had to be a lot of heavy construction to contain that canal and then build a raised highway over it. Most of all, look at all the big buildings that have been constructed since those days. 

Amazing what time can do.

Sarj

Kind Words

Every now and then I receive an email that just makes my day.  This very nice note from Mr Qian S T was one of those.

I am a foreign Chinese and a frequent traveler to Taiwan in the 70s. 

I write to submit my humble thanks to you people for the enormous contribution and personal sacrifice you all made to underwrite and bolster democratic rule for the Chinese race, without which the entire Chinese race would have long since been subjugated under godless tyranny of the Chicoms. My profound gratitude.  

And thanks for the great nostalgic fotos of Taipei in the 60s-70s

Long Live America. Truly you guys live up to your credo:  Land of the Free and Brave.  

Your courage, conviction and sacrifice has changed the face of this Earth for the better.  Without you guys Earth would have developed into a nightmarish vision of one-third USSR, one-third Nazi Reich and one-third Japanese Empire.

Linders Depart Taipei

On April 28, 1979, Rear Admiral and Mrs. Linder departed Taipei following the closure of the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command.  I believe that the officer to the left of RADM Linder is LCDR  Skip Wright, the admiral's aide at USTDC.

Photo courtesy of Scott Ellinger