tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8863461026990087355.post5177879853674396718..comments2017-11-06T14:47:22.419-06:00Comments on US Taiwan Defense Command: Military Departure From TaiwanDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071798130626903767noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8863461026990087355.post-48624774161036850872012-09-16T22:56:27.061-05:002012-09-16T22:56:27.061-05:00I was 9 years old standing on a soccer field it...I was 9 years old standing on a soccer field it's a long story, but I remember, Jimmy Carter's voice, I remember having to leave. We left around March 23, 1979. I went to Dominican School and Mrs. Abbott was my teacher. <br /><br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07623628723903787533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8863461026990087355.post-78396742676036675992010-05-01T23:08:26.516-05:002010-05-01T23:08:26.516-05:00I totally agree with you Don. I know I didn't ...I totally agree with you Don. I know I didn't lead a sheltered/different life during my two tours at TDC. I was fully integrated with the local populace. I disassociate my feelings/comments from the other Quinn.<br /><br />John Quinn<br />J-6 Communications<br />63-64, 66-68titojohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11439961002930293736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8863461026990087355.post-69953013520230023402010-05-01T16:20:30.621-05:002010-05-01T16:20:30.621-05:00QUINN:
In the three years that I've been writ...QUINN:<br /><br />In the three years that I've been writing this blog, I've had many comments from folks like yourself who had nothing whatever to do with the US Taiwan Defense Command or any of the American military forces who were stationed in Taiwan.<br /><br />All of them -- business people, civilian dependents, local nationals, etc. -- have shared useful comments with the rest of us and all were polite and courteous.<br /><br />You are the very first to suggest that the American military members on Taiwan lived an insulated life and had no idea what the "real world" situation was there. Since you were a school kid at the time, some might suggest that you were far more insulated than those of us who were tasked with preserving the security of Taiwan.<br /><br />I have never found it necessary to rebut honest comments from anyone here at the blog, even in those cases where I didn't fully agree with the writer. Until now.<br /><br />This is a friendly neighborhood and I would appreciate it if you could try a little harder to keep it that way. Your personal gripes about the people of Taiwan and the men and women in the US military might be more appropriately voiced elsewhere.Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01071798130626903767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8863461026990087355.post-9807290071339893442010-05-01T15:11:28.353-05:002010-05-01T15:11:28.353-05:00it's great to finally know there's someone...it's great to finally know there's someone still out there who is my peer and was there at the same time as I was and in school. I was also there from 69-75' and although I was at Dominican until 75' when I had to go to T A S to facilitate high school I was only there for awhile as we moved back to the U.S. in that same year. I had gone back to visit my father who was a general manager of an American electronic engineering firm on Taiwan and eventually had married a Taiwanese woman. He never left the island and died there in 82'. I went to visit in 79' and spent most of the summer after my H S grad in the Philippines (3 mos). I do remember when I got called back to Taiwan by my dad and how scared my step mother was about being married to an American. I remember landing at the airport in Sept and there being some yelling and what not going on and some signs but I felt no great threat and as I always knew that the gov't had a very firm hand on local movement that only so much would be allowed to happen. I also spoke the language so that gave me a better gauge of what to expect I think as well. I remember that cocktail parties still occurred, that while my step mother may have feigned nervousness she never missed her tennis or bowling league and we were always at the American Club. I know this is a site for the military and their dependents there at the time but I have to say that I think they lived in a somewhat fabricated world while they were there in several different ways and so their perspective on what may have been happening was pretty eschewed. As far as the 2 dependents who were jailed I only remember that a little later the dependent Neil(non-military) of my dads neighbor (peitou) was killed in an auto accident and word was that there was liquor involved but I was not allowed to pry into that one. Oh yeah, they also used the whole unstable time as an excuse for me not to be able to drive as well. As I said I think it was different, and probably made to feel so for the military and the dod personnel. Everything was different for them.justmehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12239545133635866661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8863461026990087355.post-1652920243486531042009-02-24T14:01:00.000-06:002009-02-24T14:01:00.000-06:00It's great hearing from you, Jim, and I'm glad you...It's great hearing from you, Jim, and I'm glad you're enjoying all of the historical tidbits that have been deposited here.<BR/><BR/>I was surprised to see recently that this blog is averaging about 85 "hits" a day, which is way beyond what I ever expected when I launched it in July 2007. It's because of folks like yourself that I'm able to add new content on a fairly regular basis.<BR/><BR/>Keep 'em coming!<BR/><BR/>Regards,<BR/><BR/>DonDonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01071798130626903767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8863461026990087355.post-35088889275714877662009-02-24T13:35:00.000-06:002009-02-24T13:35:00.000-06:00Great bolg. I am a longtime reader (lurker) and t...Great bolg. I am a longtime reader (lurker) and this is my first post. I was an expatriate US civilian dependant living on Taiwan from 1972-1978. I graduated from Taipei American School in 1978 but had returned to Taipei to visit my family on December 14th 1978. The announcement that our government would end formal diplomatic relations with the ROC came as a complete surprise (at least to this reader) and was a very emotional time to be on the island. Most of my ROC friends were more confused than angry. Many had seen this diplomatic maneuver as an inevitable reality ever since the Shanghai Communiqué in 1972, but most were nonetheless shocked by the sudden nature of the decision. As a "cold war kid", albeit an American civilian, I was shocked and dismayed by what I perceived at the time (and still harbor strong sentiments about)as a betrayal of our nationalist allies. I freely moved around Taipei in the days immediately following President Carter's announcement and never experienced any threat to my safety. I do recall a few minor incidents in Taipei that were primarily limited to some rocks thrown through some windows, but do not recall a single incident in Tien Mou, Yangmingshan, Shihlin or Peitou, the predominate locations of the housing for most DOD, civilian and missionary families. A few of my American ex-pat friends even joked about joining in on the symbolic pelting of Warren Christophers delegation with peanuts. (An obvious reference to the President) My memory is that there was an almost resigned acceptance by the Chinese. <BR/>I do vaguely recall the details of the incarceration of the two DOD dependants that occurred after my return to college stateside in January 1979. I was kept appraised of the incident by friends who were among the last DOD dependants to remain on the island until March of 1979. Sadly I believe it involved the alcohol related beating death of another DOD dependent that took place sometime in early 1979. I do not have any information regarding the outcome of this tragic incident or the eventual fate of the two incarcerated dependents. Be advised that there is a rather large and active TAS alumni network and I will certainly make some inquiries. <BR/>Thank you for all of your research and the mounds of fascinating historical data you have provided here. <BR/>Regards.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07610261130964823635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8863461026990087355.post-54162711714257528762008-10-16T07:21:00.000-05:002008-10-16T07:21:00.000-05:00I was stationed on Taiwan from 1961 thru September...I was stationed on Taiwan from 1961 thru September 1962. I worked the Transmitter site outside Taipei. We were part of USARCAT. It was an interesting tour of duty. I was a SP4Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com