USTDC

Photo of USTDC courtesy of Les Duffin

Friday, July 20, 2007

USTDC History

I've searched all over the web for an official history of the US Taiwan Defense Command. The closest I could find was at the Veterans Affairs Commission Executive Yuan, R. O. C. website:

The first chief of the U.S. Military Assistance Group, William C. Chase, arrived in Taiwan on January 23, 1951, and on May 1st that year, he organized the U. S. Army Military Assistance and Advisory Group in Taiwan. (on December 1, 1960, the Group in Taiwan was renamed as the U. S. Army Military Assistance Group in R.O.C.) On October 20, 1952, he established the Formosa Liaison Center. On December 3, 1954, the U.S. and ROC governments signed the Mutual Defense Treaty between the USA and ROC in Washington D.C., and on April 25, 1955, the Formosa Liaison Center underwent reorganization and emerged as the U.S. Formosa Defense Command, and thereafter renamed as the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command on November 1st of that year. Twenty-eight years later, the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command held its final flag retreat ceremony in the afternoon of April 26, 1979. The U.S. Military Assistance and Advisory Group Chief, Col. Thompson left Taiwan thereafter, officially closing the doors of the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command. In the early days, the U. S. Army Military Assistance Group executed three important missions, including providing consultation assistance to the government, military training assistance, and new weapon and armament usage instructions and training. From 1951 henceforth, William C. Chase and other 11 U.S. military assistance group members took residence in the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu. In the 28 years that followed, the U.S. military delegation assigned to the U. S. Army Military Assistance Group reached a one-time high of 2,347 members, and at least one supervisory U.S. non-commissioned officer had been assigned to each ROC military battalion unit.
If anyone knows where I might be able to locate an official DOD unit history, please let me know.

Don

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