Please click on any photograph to see a larger viewGeorge Marcy, now residing in Texas found these 52 year old photographs taken on Kinmen Island and sent them for us to enjoy.
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George writes:
"Here are some of my photographs. One is of the Kinmen Crew I was on the Island with. I regret I can’t remember any of their names and regrettably I did not write them down. These were the only times any of us wore anything other than a bathing suit and a 45 strapped on. I am third from the left in the back row in the crew picture. The other is a picture taken when the Generalissimo visited I am the second to the right of him squatting. The building in the rear was the officers billet and on the other side of the hill behind it was Little Kinmen and then the coast of China. A lot closer than it seemed. We used to watch the shelling from the top of the hill as the Chinese would fire back and forth at each other. After I left they got to where they could lob shells over the hill. Glad I was gone. The was a Major named Ford who was out there when I was there that had trained the gunners so well that they would knock off the Mainlands Loudspeakers that constantly blared propaganda at the island. Then the Red Chinese would run around and put them back up and he would have the gunners pick them off again."
"Here are some of my photographs. One is of the Kinmen Crew I was on the Island with. I regret I can’t remember any of their names and regrettably I did not write them down. These were the only times any of us wore anything other than a bathing suit and a 45 strapped on. I am third from the left in the back row in the crew picture. The other is a picture taken when the Generalissimo visited I am the second to the right of him squatting. The building in the rear was the officers billet and on the other side of the hill behind it was Little Kinmen and then the coast of China. A lot closer than it seemed. We used to watch the shelling from the top of the hill as the Chinese would fire back and forth at each other. After I left they got to where they could lob shells over the hill. Glad I was gone. The was a Major named Ford who was out there when I was there that had trained the gunners so well that they would knock off the Mainlands Loudspeakers that constantly blared propaganda at the island. Then the Red Chinese would run around and put them back up and he would have the gunners pick them off again."
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek stands for photographs on Kinmen.
Our Kinmen Defense Command Advisory Team (KDCAT) photographed in July 1956
Front Row - Left to Right: LTC Flynn, MAJ Hampton, CPT Steffens, CPT McDevitt, MAJ Harrington, COL Kaiser, MAJ Gabel, LTC Sunday, MAJ Evans, MAJ Kerris,
MAJ Perry.
Second Row - Left to Right: SFC Fisci, SOP2 Spitz, SFC Guerrero,. MSGT Jones, MSGT Middleton, SP3 Evans, PFC Grau, MSGT Ward, SFC Sheppard, MSGT Kobo,
SFC Puryear, SFC Allen.
Third Row - Left to Right: SGT Johnson, TSGT Davis, SP3 Marcy
3 comments:
Looking at these men standing on Kinmen, in their familiar khaki uniforms, which I personally believe were probably the most overall pleasant looking uniforms ever worn, sent a bolt of pride striking through my body. These men, many who had never heard the word Formosa in their lives were standing just a short distance from the Chinese mainland. These and other US military who preceded us into Taiwan, took point and led the way. I’m proud of what MAAG Taiwan was able to accomplish during its sojourn in Taiwan and those accomplishments make me proud to be a US Military Taiwan Veteran. History will judge our service on this island. Many of these men, as well as the others who preceded and followed them, have already passed, may God bless each one. MAAG Taiwan was a “band of brothers” no matter who you were or where you worked. We were all here to assist the Taiwan military which we did in so many ways. I want to say to each one who reads this paragraph, well done friend
As a Taiwanese, I served as a Taiwan Army NCO from 1995-1997 in Kinmen. Before viewing your blog, I was not even aware that so many MAAG Taiwan members were based in Kinmen. Thank you all indeed for your support during the period of hot/cold war between Taiwan and Mainland China.
Also may I ask when the first two photos were taken? According to the official record, Generalissimo Chiang did visit KDCAT on Aug 8, 1957. But no record appears that Chiang did so in 1956. Thanks if you or George can help verify this...
George Marcy. I have changed my Internet Mail from when you wrote to me back in 2008. I wonder if you could check back in. I have some questions for you. Thank you. Kent Mathieu taipeiairstation@yahoo.com
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