Large Planes and Old Cars

Photographs courtesy Peter Ciccarello

This C-124 Globemaster II Tail 0-21048 sits on the tarmac at Sung Shan in 1963. I researched this aircraft and found that the Georgia ANG later inherited the plane from the Air Force.

No other aircraft can been seen in this photo. Anyone recognize the parking area?

This 1939 Plymouth 4 door sedan was owned by Peter Ciccarello, then a PFC stationed at the Sugar Building. A nice parking spot along the Keelung River.

Peter had purchased the car from another GI who was leaving the island. Peter said he paid $250.00 for the car, drove it until his tour tour was complete in 1963 and sold the car to another GI for $250.00. These old cars passed from single GI to single GI for years.

Rules in 1963 required a military person to own the car for 5 years before it could be sold outside of the military.

Of course none of the normal military folks would have been in Taiwan for a 5 year period, therefore, no cars were sold on the civilian market until sometime after Peter left Taiwan in 1963.

Can someone remember when the regulations were changed to allow the sale of military owned vehicles to civilians.

Wheels of any type were transportation to young GI's back in the day. In those days, there were few cars on the road and you could park just about any place your heart desired.

Many young GI's in the early days had motorcycles.

Restaurant on the Water - 店飯大上水

More photographs from Peter Ciccarello, who served at the Sugar Building, assigned to USARSCAT, during 1962 and 1963.

Can anyone identify where this restaurant was tied up?

My guess was in the Keelung River some place close to the Grand Hotel.

I believe it had disappeared by the time I arrived in Taipei in late 1965.



This was something very different from the Floating Restaurant in Hong Kong harbour.

The sign board as your approach the gate could be a display of daily specials.

Another piece of history is found and recorded,

Thanks to Peter Ciccarello, taking time to send in his photographs.

Translation courtesy of Ken Lee.

I would appreciate anything you might have to share, please e-mail me.

CCK - Chinese Lessons and Downtown Taichung

I received a nice note from Keith Almund who served at CCK 1972-1973.

Keith expressed his feelings about his Taiwan experience, "Looking back, I was very lucky to have been assigned to CCK. Being on Taiwan was one of the best experiences of my life and I had the opportunity to work with some of the best people I've ever encountered anywhere."

I receive a lot of e-mail from folks who served all over Taiwan. Just about everyone who writes expresses the same same feelings Keith expressed above. No matter where you served in Taiwan, as you look back, it was a wonderful time in your life.

Keith included a few photographs of some interesting items he picked-up on the base, including this cover of the base brochure distributed the early 1970s.

Double click on any photo to see it in a larger view...

Here is a new map of downtown Taichung picked up last month on a visit to Taiwan.

The city is growing out and up. Many beautiful new buildings now dot the city and many of the places we once knew have disappeared to new construction.


This map, the back cover of the CCK base brochure, identifies some of the locations US military personnel had an interest in. Some of the MAAG places noted on earlier maps of Taichung have disappeared from this 1970s map.

And, here are a couple of cards that will tweak your memory. Local folks were appreciative of our attempts to speak Chinese. You could go a long way in Taichung with a good attitude, a smile on your face and a few words of Chinese.

How about these library hours of operation!

Everyone who served in Taiwan would be proud of what has happened in the country since your departure.

Everywhere you look, new construction is going up, the streets are clean, the people are happy and going about business as usual. Their spirit grabs you.

I felt a sadness in my heart as my China Airlines flight lifted off the runway and we began our flight back home. I'll return soon, Taiwan is a part of me.

Your time served in Taiwan was not in vain!

New Friends - Our Taiwan Trip

I stood in line to have by photo taken with this nice looking young lady.

We met so many new acquaintances on our recent trip to Taiwan. Here is a young lady who was a guide for a group of tourists from the mainland. When asked by one of the men with our our group if she would mind taking pictures with us, she graciously agreed. Who could turn down a photograph with such a lovely young woman?

This lady recently e-mailed Gene, our group leader and fellow traveler.

Dear Eugene,

This is from Cindy, who met you and your friends in Taiwan, a girl in "you are what you eat" T-shirt.

Still remember me? I am in Nanjing of Guangxi province now, nearby Guilin. Here is branch company.

Please kindly send my regards to your friends.

Best wishes,
Cindy

I told you this would be a wonderful trip! We're going again, you better come along on our next trip.

What's Showing at the Theater?

Click on the schedule for a large view

I always wondered when a Movie Schedule would be found.

Peter Ciccarello, who worked in the Comm Center, 1962-1963, at the Sugar Building mailed this Movie Schedule and a few more items to share with us.

I could not find the admission prices for a normal film on the schedule, but there was a "Advanced Admission" film, Pocketful of Miracles staring Glenn Ford, Hope Lange and Betty Davis with increased admission charges of 40 cents for adults and 15 cents for children. Makes you wonder what the normal cost was for a child, maybe kids were free?

The films followed a certain route across the Taipei area.

It looks like the first run for films was the MAAG Theater, which I assume was the new theater in the HSA East Compound, then to Taipei Air Station, then on to Linkou Air Station, then to Tien Mou and finally ends up at Grass Mountain.

Movies were always a Big doing in Taiwan, especially for the children. George McAdams, who was 8 years old when he arrived in Taipei in 1958, recalls his experiences when he was a young boy attending movies at Taipei Air Station."when I saw the picture of the movie theater, that was something I really remember. We actually saw THE TEN COMMANDMENTS there, which because only a one reel player was used, and the film sometimes came unwound, made the 4 hour movie a 6-hour extravaganza! "

Most of us spent many a evening at the theater, crunching on a bag of popcorn and washing it down with a coke.

And lastly, we all stood up in respect when the National Anthem was shown on the big screen.


How times have changed....