We have all read about and seen references to the U2, Gary Powers and not a whole lot more.
These days, the U2 is seldom mentioned and, as time passes our memories fade.
I was aware of U2 aircraft in Taiwan and I have touched on them in previous posts to this blog.
Yesterday, by way of a post and link on the CCK Facebook page, I watched an interesting video about an incident which took place in New Mexico in August 1959 when a U2 landed without power at the Cortez New Mexico municipal airport after the aircraft's engine had shut down.
You can watch this remarkable story, personally told by the pilot, now retired General H. Mike Hua, ROCAF HERE
The video begins in Mandarin but quickly switches to English. The video will touch your heart.
Relax, be patient and watch it all the way through. General Mike Hua is truly a remarkable and blessed man.
The whole U2 Project was declassified by the CIA in September 1998.
A video story of the U2 aircraft in Taiwan's 35th Squadron
(The Blackcat Squadron) as well as information on the CIA's
Detachment "H" at Taoyuan Air Base is explained in another very interesting video narrated by General Mike Hua, ROCAF (Retired) which you can watch HERE.
(The Blackcat Squadron) as well as information on the CIA's
Detachment "H" at Taoyuan Air Base is explained in another very interesting video narrated by General Mike Hua, ROCAF (Retired) which you can watch HERE.
There is a wealth of information in this video.
Below: Peking - 1966 - U2 distorted photograph.
(The CIA will not let us see how clear those photos really were)
Photographed by a Taiwan U2 aircraft on mission over northern China.
If you've visited Beijing, you will recognize the attraction on every one's list,
shown in this old photograph, the Forbidden City and directly across the street,
Tieneman Square (white rectangle.)
Any of our friends who were associated with this program in Taiwan care to chime in on this story?
I know that Taipei AS ran some communications out at Taoyuan Air Base back-in-the-day, which probably were tied to this operation in some way.
More information on the Blackcat Squadron can be found at the Taiwan Air Power Blog HERE.
4 comments:
General Hua later studied at Purdue and became involved with the IDF project at AIDC.
That photo of Peiking was not taken in 1966 but in 1962.
Is there a Japanese base on Taiwan today?
I knew General Hua in Purdue as a graduate student. He was a patriot, gentleman, a scholar, and a real mentor to a young pup like me. I looked up and to him and have unbounded respect and admiration for him and his peers in Taiwan.
vic tang PhD (MIT)
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