Taiwan Personnel Listing - 15 October 2018

Below, our current, updated, Taiwan Personnel Listing.

 If you served in Taiwan, we encourage you to add your name and "Nickname."

Anyone who served in Taiwan is welcome, we cover all services and all Taiwan Duty Stations.

If you find someone on the list that you would like to contact, please Email us with name.
 
We will forward your Email to that person.

Want to add your name to the Taiwan Personnel Listing? 

  

Use the listing below as a guide to what information to include in your Email. 

  
Our Email address:  taipeiairstation@yahoo.com

There was 1 addition to the Taiwan Listing this week.

When new personnel are added, their information is this color.

To view the Taiwan Personnel Listing, click,  "Read more" on the left margin below.

Taiwan Furniture - Superb Pieces

There were a lot of furniture purchases made by American families, single and unaccompanied service members, during our years in Taiwan. 

Once you saw some of the Taiwan manufactured pieces in friends homes or rooms, we were so impressed at the quality and prices, many of us were on our way to Ricardo Lynn out in Shilin, or to one of the other furniture manufacturing companies in the area.

It was easy to envision Taiwan furniture pieces siting in our homes or rooms.

It was so beautiful.  The furniture company's craftsmen would built to your specifications. 

Where could you get such magnificent furniture made to your likes and desires, anywhere in the US?  For that matter, afford the pieces?

  You could in Taiwan!

Today, Frank Smith, who we wrote about a couple weeks ago, describing his travel from  CONUS, and his arrival in Taipei, sent over another batch of beautiful photographs ... 

Here is a special piece of furniture that sits in his home today, more than 50 years after Frank returned to the US.

 Frank had this piece carved by the China Artistic Carved Furniture Company.  Their Taipei store, located kitty-corner across the street from the famous, Rose Marie Restaurant, which sat on the corner of Nanking, renamed (Nanjing) Road and Chung Shan North Road.

 Here, the famous, Rose Marie Restaurant, notice the restaurant name on both ends of the building.  

In the photo above, we are looking north, toward the old MAAG Compound, later HSA.  The furniture store would have been off to the right of this photo, on the corner.  

Looking at the address of the store, 37-9, Section 2, Chung Shan North Road, it looks like there were at least 9 shops located on that corner address. 

Frank sat down with the manager and described what he wanted. They discussed design, and wood, Frank settled on Camphor wood and the price was agreed to.

Frank was told to return at a certain date to pickup his piece.

Frank said he returned a number of times, and found that the son, of the shop owner was  carving the wood that would become his beautiful bar.

The carving took more time that was first estimated and Frank visited often.

Finally, he was told to return to the shop the following day, and the work would be completed.

This piece could be described as a Bar or it could be described as one of many other things.

 It's a Bar and it's a storage piece for liquor.

Right side

                                                         Right side door open

Left side

Left side door open

Showing everything open from left side view

All open from front

Opened top

All closed back-up.

Sign attached to back of cabinet 

Perhaps someone reading this story purchased some carved furniture from this company.

We were blessed to have been stationed in Taiwan, so much beauty everywhere, even in it's furniture.

Thanks for looking...

Duty Assignment Taipei 1961

Airman Frank Smith arrived at Sung Shan AFB in Taipei, 8 May 1961 aboard MATS Flight 741 from Clark.

Chances are, Frank flew from Clark aboard a Southern Air Transport (SAT) C-54 (DC-6)  or another of the many C-54s that flew the "Milk Run" from points in SE Asia every day of the week,  which looked like the photo below, in the early 1960s.

This photo and all others in this story are courtesy of Frank Smith, unless noted differently.
This is a really nice color photo from 1961. 
The man standing on the right "is not Frank."

For many of us, flying aboard a Southern Air Transport scheduled flight from Clark, was the first time we encountered stewardesses walking the isle passing out hot towels and hard candy. 

 Those hot towels encouraged us to relax, settle down, wipe the dust from our face and  hands, and, try to figure out just what the flavor the hard candy is supposed to be.  
 By the time we figure everything out, our aircraft has taxied to the runway, and soon we're  climbing to flight altitude toward Taipei, a 638 mile flight.

For many of us, in the early 1960s, the long trip across the Pacific was the first time we had flown. Many folks drove their cars to the west coast, some took the train.

 Frank "Puddle Jumped" across the Pacific from Travis AFB.

Frank thinks his route was:  Travis - Hickam - Guam - Clark

WESTAF Form 18 - found on Internet. 

Someone took time, which was abundant, flying across the Pacific, to note their flight information.

This is an interesting military form.  Mileage between locations included. 
What a piece of history, and the wonderful memories this old form congers up!

Frank said, "at least one of the legs of his flight, was aboard a turbo prop aircraft.

   The day our flight arrived in Taipei it was really Hot, around 100 degrees.

TSgt Callichio and Airman Harper picked me up from Sung Shan AFB"

TSgt Callichio and Airman Harper outside Taiwan Motors garage.  

"We were driving from the airport toward Taipei Air Station and came to a large bingo ditch, people were standing around and blocking traffic.

We got out of our car and looked down into the water.  A baby's, obviously deceased, was caught-up in a snag of debris.  I was shocked at the attitude of the crowd." 

Frank signed-in at Taipei Air Station and later that Monday, checked-in at the Motor Pool, where Captain Spencer, one of the Motor Pool Officer's, informed him that his duty assignment would be at Taiwan Motors.

Taipei Air Station (TAS) circa 1961-62
Double click on all the photos for larger view.

Frank was assigned to a duty position at Taiwan Motor Company, Service Department. Why would he be working there?

  Because there were no maintenance facilities on Taipei Air Station to repair vehicles, at the time.

The Blue Circle in the photo above, represents where the Taipei Air Station vehicles were parked.  No room on the station to construct maintenance facilities. 

The Red Circle in the photo above was the Dispatch Office, which controlled the movement of base vehicles, and determined when vehicles would be sent to Taiwan Motor Company for service and repairs. 

Inside the Dispatch Office (Red Circle in Photo above) The central office for all Taipei Air Station vehicles and their movements. 

Notice calendar on the wall, August 31, 1961.  There is also a MAAG phone directory hanging on the wall.

Taiwan Motor Co. was a civilian entity, located on the same street, that ran in front of Taipei Main Station, about 2 miles or so, east of the Main Station, on Chung Cheng Road.

The name of that street was changed after Frank's time in Taipei, and today the street is named, Zhongxiao West Road.

What is C.O.R. in Frank's Business Card above mean?

COR = Contracting Officer's Representative.

Who remembers the Taiwan Motor Company Service Department Garage?  Perhaps you took your car there for service.

I remember the garage, and the road in front of it.  I had shipped my new 1965 Mustang to Taipei.  I brought the first Mustang into Taiwan, never saw another one in 1965. 

Sometime in 1966,  the rocker panel paint under the car doors lifted and begin to fall off.   Because the vehicle was under "Warranty", I took the Mustang to Taiwan Motors and they repainted the areas, good job too.

Through the help of Frank Smith who took these photographs and my friend Chris Wang, Chris was able to identify the location of both, Taiwan Motors garage and their salesroom. The sales department was located very close to Taipei Main Station. 

Lets look at the maps.

Here's the location (Red Circle) of the Sales Showroom of Taiwan Motors in the early 1960's.  13 Kaifeng Street, that street name has not changed.

The showroom is gone, and that parcel of land houses some type of restaurant today.

Notice the yellow street line just to the right of the circle above, that street would have run directly into or just to the left of the old Taipei Main Station in the 1960's.  That old station was torn-down. Today, a new station sits a short distance east of where the old station sat, seen at top of this photo, maroon colored rectangle with red in center, northeast of red circle.

There are a number of Ford Dealerships in the Taipei area today.

Here's the old location of the Ford Garage where Frank was assigned duty.

The Red circle on map above - the Ford Garage -

The Ford Garage, taken 1961, Frank's photo.  Frank is standing looking westward, toward Taipei Main Station, a couple of miles away.

Photo taken from Taiwan Motors Red Circle looking East toward Yellow Circle, map above, just across the side street.

The building was the Nash/Rambler garage. Notice the "Pill Box" in back of the 2 boys directly across the street.

There was a side street between the two companies.

I don't have a photo showing both companies in one photo.

Photo courtesy Brenda Kane - HQ MAAG 1965 - 1967

 1949 Life Magazine Photo you can see side street easily in this photo.

Notice the Ford  "Woodie" wagon parked by garage door above.

Looks like the Pedicab driver is resting will waiting a fare. Got his shades on.

A nice picture of the Nash Rambler garage. looking eastward.

Still waiting for a fare, maybe the driver is catching a nap?
Photo looking eastward.

Frank had to be standing close to the Pedicab in photo above, when he took this shot, notice the pedicab side tarp blowing in the wind on left.

Look, there's a Taiwan Postal  Mailman, on his motorcycle, turning down the side street between Taiwan Motors and the Nash Rambler garage.

Photo looking eastward.

One more shot looking westward.

Does anyone remember small "Taxi's" like the one heading up the street, just to the left of the military jeep.

Inside Taiwan Motors Garage.  There's a military jeep.

Last look inside the garage.

I believe this story is one of the few that goes back to the beginning of our time in Taiwan, shown by photographs.

I suspect in 1949, we already had military in Taiwan.

Much more coming on Frank's assignment in Taiwan.

Frank sent a CD full of old photos!!!!!

  

 



 

Tainan Beach 1970s

A thought came to my mind while I was cleaning the Beach photos in this story.

"What a beautiful place Tainan was."

Photo courtesy George Hammett via Tainan Face Book page. 

The Security Police Barracks above, motorcycle parked on street next to door.
Look at this photo for a moment, beautiful and peaceful.


*******

 Last year I contacted Bill Reese, a former Security Police K-9 handler at Tainan.

 Bill served at Tainan, 1971-1973. 

 Anyone remember how many "Military Dogs" were working at Tainan?

During our conversation we discussed many things about the base and what went on behind the scenes.

I'm glad I was able to contract Bill last year. Bill passed away, this March.

Today, some of the photographs Bill graciously shared with me.

These photos, taken at Tainan Beach, during what looks to be a unit party.

Anyone remember this get-together at the beach?

Please leave your thoughts below...

Very old MAAG BEACH signage.  
Was this the entrance gate to the beach in the 1950's? 
Lots of questions about this photo and what we can see.

Before Tainan became a US Air Force facility, it was part of MAAG Taiwan.

Who stood watch at this MAAG Beach guard post?

Notice the circular bulb, which was probably red colored, hanging from the upper left of roof.

Walking along the streets outside of the base, in town, you would always see red colored balls on many street corners, and a police station in close proximity. 

Same type of BEACH signage pointing the way, courtesy Tom Roberts circa 1956-58.

Turn left and drive on toward the MAAG Beach.... 
Old style wheeled lunch wagon just in front.

Cloudy day, should be a great party.

Beach club rear entrance.

Beach Club.  Look at those comfortable Beach Chairs...
All photos courtesy Bill Reese, unless noted differently.

DOUBLE CLICK ON PHOTOS TO GET A FULL-SCREEN VIEW  

Before the games begin...


The guys have all the goodies necessary for a fun time, beer, sodas and good food.
Notice the burgers, but, are there ribs or chicken in the cooler? 
Notice the 3 bottles of BBQ sauce on the table.

Looking across the sand toward the Beach Club buildings.

OK, move that table out of the way so we can play volleyball.

Fun, fun, fun, some one always makes one of those unbelievable digs.....

Game on-going..  Beer brake for some, change players..
Good time to get a burger and head to the lounge chairs, watch the waves and talk story...

Relax..... Pretty much have the whole place to yourself.
How much would you pay to hang-out at the beach on vacation.
No cost at Tainan, back-in-the-day for you.

More folks arriving.

Is that the cement bunker in the distance?

 This is possibly a different bunker than the photo above?

This looks like the same bunker as photo just above.

 Time to head home, a mother taking a youngster into the water as a young boy races down the beach with his hands full...

What days they were.... at Tainan.