1962 - Civil Service Assignment in Taiwan Part 1

What could be more exciting in the early 1960s than to snag a civil service assignment in Taiwan?

Like all overseas assignments, shortly after signing the acceptance documents, in the mail comes a large manila envelope stuffed full of paperwork, including the newly published USAF Civilian Employment, PACAF Area Information Pamphlet on Taiwan.

My friend Scott was the successful bidder for this pamphlet on eBay.  Thank you Scott...

Please remember, the time is 1962, the world was a much different place in those days.

The author put a lot of effort in writing this pamphlet, it contains useful information for those new to Taiwan.

I eliminated a few pages of the pamphlet that were for distribution purposes.

Double click on any page your want to review, the page will open in a larger size. 

We still have 40 more pages of this pamphlet to present.

We'll have the remaining pages posted in the next few days.

Please leave your comments below.  Thank you.

History of the US Air Force in Taiwan 1960

1960

1 January.      The 41^st Fighter Interceptor Squadron (327^th AD) (F-86 aircraft) was relieved of it’s alert commitment at Andersen AB, Guam.

1 January.      The accounting function of 6214^th Tactical Group was transferred to 405^th ABG, Clark AB, P.I., thereby eliminating the need for a Comptroller at Tainan AB.

4 January.      Det 2, Thirteenth Air Force was designated and organized at Taipei Air Station per PACAF GO 47, 16 Jul 59.

4 January.      MAAG Taiwan (AF personnel) were assigned to Thirteenth AF for logistical support purposes. (Det 2, Thirteenth AF.)

5 January.      Mobile Training Det No. 10, 3415^th Tech Training School. Lowery AFB, Colo., was PCS to Tainan AS to assist with the training program for the TM-61C Weapons System.

10 January.    6214^th Support Squadron was designated and organized at Taipei Air Station and assigned to 6214^th Tactical Gp per PACAF GO 74, 28 Dec 59.  PACAF GO 4, 21 Jan 60 amended the PACAF GO 74 to read 6213^th Support Squadron.  Air Task Force Thirteen (Prov) was attached to it for administrative and logistic support.

12 January.    A defecting Chinese Communist MIG-15 aircraft crash-landed and burned near Ilan.

February.        After a survey of bases on Taiwan it was decided that Kung Kuan AB would best suit the needs of USAF tactical units.

15 February.  Air Task Force Thirteen (Prov) and Det 2, Thirteenth Air Force were attached to the 6214^th Tactical Gp for courts martial jurisdiction per Thirteenth AF GO 7, 17 Feb 1960.  New organizational plan placed into effect.

March.            The Purchasing and Contracting Office moved from Taipei AS to Tainan AS.

March.            Construction of new communications building (Cotton Building) at Taipei AS was commenced at estimated cost of US $53,000. (Ed note:  The Cotton Building, named for 
SSgt Cotton who was electrocuted while attempting to shut off the power in a building across from the NCO Club, which was flooded due to a storm, his arm inadvertedly touched a bare electrical cable while he was standing on a flooded floor)      

1 March.         6212^th USAF Dispensary (Class B) was released from Thirteenth Air Force and assigned to the 6214^th Tactical Group per PACAF GO 75, 30 Dec 59.

6 March.         327^th Air Division, Andersen AFB, Guam, disposed of its last aircraft, a C-54 to Clark AFB, Philippines.

8 March.         The 41^st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was discontinued at Andersen AFB, Guam by PACAF SO G-1, 12 Jan 60.  The 327^th Air Division at Andersen AFB, Guam was discontinued by PACAF SO G-13, 23 Feb 60 and Dept of Air Force Letter 336m, 3 Feb 60.

15 March.       Air Task Force Thirteen (P) Unit Device for organizational flag was approved by the US Air Force.

10 – 20 May.  67^th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing aircraft were deployed to Kung Kuan AB.

20 May – 13 June.    CASF MOBILE YOKE (428 TFS) deployed to Kung Kuan AB.

25 May – 15 June.    868^th Tactical Missile Sq at Tainan Air Station participated in project HAPPY HOUR.

4-14 June.      18^th Tactical Fighter Wing deployed aircraft to Kung Kuan AB.

6 – 13 June.   Air Task Force Thirteen (Prov) participated in exercise CASF MOBILE YOKE per Thirteenth AF OPORD 256-60, 4 Jun 60.

6 June.            428^th TFS deployed to Kung Kuan AB.

17 June.         The Chinese Communist dumped 85,965 shells on Kinmen on the eve of President Eisenhower’s visit to ROC.

18 – 19 June.  President Eisenhower visited President Chian Kai-shek, Republic of China, at Taipei, Taiwan.

HERE is a 7:30 minute video of President Eisenhower's visit to Taiwan in June 1960.  

There is NO audio on the film.

 

19 June.   President Eisenhower and President Chiang issued a joint communiqué, pledging that their governments would “continue to stand solidly behind the Sino-US Mutual Defense Treaty in meeting the challenge posted by the Chinese Communists in the Taiwan area.”  During President Eisenhower’s visit, the Communists shelled the island of Kinmen with 88,798 shells.  Ordered to retaliate, ROC artillery destroyed eight Communist coastal guns, seven Communist fortifications and four Communist ammunition depots.

(Editor Note:  Above we see Presidents Eisenhower and Chiang standing on the Red Carpet Area just in front of Marine Corps 1 Helicopter.  Where is Eisenhower’s aircraft that brought him to Taiwan?  Where did it land?)

July – December.      The following units deployed aircraft to Kung Kuan AB, Taiwan:

                                    17-24 Aug      18^th Tactical Fighter Wing

                                   

-                                   13-20 Sep      18^th Tactical Fighter Group

                                      5-12 Oct       39^th Air Division

                                    15-22 Nov      13^th Air Division

                                     4-11 Dec       405^th Fighter Wing

July.                 The Penghu Island site became operational under the control of the 868^th TMS.

1 July.            Tainan AB assumed responsibility for the Tainan Recreation Center which had been under the Tainan Base Command.

13 July.           Area 9 at Tainan AS ceased operation with the withdrawal of all communications equipment.

4 August.  Major General Kenneth O. Sanborn assumed command of Air Task Force Thirteen (Prov) per USAF Special Order A-496, 31 March 1960.

(Editor Note:  MGen Sanborn served until 19 Aug 1962. 

1 October – 24 November.    6214^th Tactical Group conducted operations from Kan Shan AB due to runway construction and repair at Tainan AS.

4 October.      USAF approved emblem for 868^th Tactical Missile Squadron to supersede an emblem approved under a former designation, 868^th Bombardment Sq (H), Army Air Forces, 17 May 1945.

Editor Note:  The 868^th TMS was assigned to Tainan from 8 Nov 1957 to 25 Mar 1962.)

10 October.    The Provisional Signal Det 8678 AAV, Taiwan was designated a Department of the Army unit.  Its mission was to provide communications for all US military and government agencies on Taiwan.

18 November.   Det 2, 6214^th Tactical Group at Taoyuan AB and Det 3, Hsinchu AB were discontinued by PACAF GO 74, 18 Sep 60.

23 November.   6214^th Tactical Gp at Tainan Air Station notified Thirteenth Air Force that project BIG DIVIDE was completed for this station.  It was a redistribution of materiel and equipment by USAF on a world-wide basis.

26 November.  Building E of Hostel 3, occupied by personnel of 6213^th Spt Squadron burned to the ground.  No fatalities.

December.     868^th TMS had problems with “goats” leaving the armament area and entering the Chinese fields at Tainan AS.  They (goats) were used as lawn trimmers at this station.

3 December. Lt Col Henry H. Brundydge assumed command of 6213^th Support Squadron per 6213^th Spt Sq SO G-71, 3 Dec 60, vice Lt Col G. K. Sandman.

Another Look at the CCK Museum

Many of you will remember viewing our videos of the American Footsteps Museum on CCK Air Base last year.  

I thought it might be appropriate to again run these three videos for the folks that have recently found our blog.  I know there are many folks who were stationed at CCK and have only recently found the spare time to begin searching the web for sites that discuss CCK.

Here they are, the three video presentations, quite informal, made while walking around inside the CCK Museum.

Be sure to open each video to "Full Screen" view, it's so much easier to see the videos more clearly if you open full screen view.


Each video is approximately 10 minutes in length.  


I'm sure you'll see something that you will remember from your days at CCK.

If you would like to contribute something from your assignment at CCK that might be added to the items on display in the museum, please email Gene at -  nantogene@gmail.com  

Gene is our coordinator with CCK for the museum.

Your comments are always appreciated, please leave a note in a comment below.

In and Around Taipei - 1974

We're taking a break from our Taiwan Tour posts, which will resume in a day or two.
Today instead,  we'll look at a few photographs taken in 1974 in and around Taipei.

George Lane, who worked for STRATCOM and USACC visited Taiwan on a number of occasions, taking these and other beautiful photographs.

Please help us identify the location of these photos.

On final approach (flaps down) to Sungshan, 1974. 

Is this the Danshui or Keelung River?   I don't recognize the island.

Chungshan North Road?  I see the Singapore Airlines office just across the street.

No idea, close to the Main Station?

The yellow taxi moving by, this must have been one of the first Yellow taxis in Taipei.

Beautiful.......

Taipei Main Station. 1974.

You can just about hear the water falling into the pool, makes me thirsty ....

Is this an old commuter train?

Somewhere down in Ximen area?

I don't recognize this photo.  

There is an Army truck parked, a bus, lots of bicycles and pedicabs.

And, a noddle stand.

Standing on the steps of the National Taiwan Museum looking straight down the street toward the old Taipei Main Station.

Stock photo of the National Taiwan Museum and the 228 Peace Park.

The photo just above this, was taken from these steps on the museum, looking north,  toward Taipei Main Station.

National Palace Museum in 1974.

The grounds and museum are quite a bit different today.

Thank you George Lane for sharing your beautiful photographs.

George tells me he has many slides in the process of being digitized and we may soon see more of these 1970's photographs from George's collections.

Please leave your comments on these photographs below.  

I am sure many will appreciate knowing where these were taken.


So long ago, but still in our hearts.

Return to Taiwan Tour - On the Bus - Day 6

The day opened with a burst of direct sunlight showing into the hotel room.  Peeking out the window, the clouds and blue sky brought a warmth to my heart.

We packed up, and made our way to the dining room on the first floor, arriving just as the doors opened.

After breakfast, we took our bags outside the front door where our bus was parked. It was a beautiful day.

The gate to Kenting National Forest Recreation Area, just across the highway from our hotel.

 Just to the left kitty corner across the street, lots of stores and a McDonald's.

To the left of this photo was a road that went south toward the beach, a short block away.

This building is one of a few buildings that is believed to have been associated with a MAAG Taiwan R&R site run by the Taiwan government.

This gives you a better idea of the area. 

The building in the above photo (pink) can be seen in this photo on the right side.

Matching up the trees on the right of this photo with the trees on the left of the above photo.

Gene believes the cottages were located in the trees just beyond the yellow building and trees to the right of this photo.

The beach, just to the left of the above photo.

What a wonderful place to spend a few days!  A cottage, western food, a club.  
What more could you ask for?

There was a short piece on this R&R site on the Internet a few years ago.  
It still shows up but when it opens, the page has been deleted.

If anyone can help fill in the blanks on this Center, we would appreciate your thoughts.  
Maybe you spent some time here?

Everyone was waiting for us; we jumped on the bus and were off.

First stop this morning.

Lots of beautiful views from the lookout areas.

We got back in our bus and headed west toward Kaohsiung.

We pulled into a Tourist Stop which sold all kinds of fresh and dried fruit.

It was a bathroom break as well as a chance to sample all of the fresh and dry fruit.

I'm sure some of our folks took home a few bags of the dry fruit.

We came into Kaohsiung and went directly to the tunnel under the port that took us to Cijin District, an island in the harbor, where a giant seafood dinner awaited us.

Our restaurant.  A couple of blocks from the fisherman's boats. 

Nothing but fresh seafood here.

Swimming in the tank, these shrimp recently arrived at the restaurant.

They were scooped up and boiled, here is our appetizer dish.

Most of the dishes, the shrimp long gone.

When the fish arrived, it was gone moments later.

After dinner we walked a short block down to the water where the fishing boats were tied up.


All quiet here.  

We got back in our bus and drove to the north end of the island.

Our driver let us off the bus as the street ended.


Today was Saturday, lots of parents, young people and children were on the island.


A pony ride anyone.  Not sure what was in the red boxes here.


This is where our group split up.


Holly, was bothered walking uphill and my knee was swollen, so we walked down the street to the Ferry landing to sit and  wait for the rest of the group who were going up the hill to visit the Cihou fort and light house.

Here at the corner, at the hospital, we begin walking a few blocks to the Ferry Landing.

There's the Ferry Landing building just ahead.

The streets in this area of the island are blocked off to traffic.

We found a seat just by the police station to wait for rest of the group.


On the map, the fort and lighthouse are pointed out.

Gene and the rest of our group are on top of the hill in the old fort area.


Looking back to where the bus dropped us off. 

L to R:  Holly, Twan, Gene, Ted.

The air quality was very poor today, look out in the distance.


Quite a change from the Pacific Coast and Kenting yesterday.

Old bunkers at the fort

The Cihou Lighthouse.

Looks like it's in great shape.

Kaohsiung Harbor from the Lighthouse at Cihou.

As the camera swings northward across the north port entrance.

Terrible air quality.  There was no wind today.

Walking down from the fort and lighthouse, we passed this very old house.

Just outside the Ferry Landing Pedicabs waiting for fares.

These pedicabs are for tourists or locals who want to ride only on a few streets in this area.

Pedicabs are no longer a form of transportation on city streets.

We're getting in line to board the ferry which will take us back to the city landing.


This area, streets closed to traffic.  Police station just to right.

Gene, Holly and Twan walk to the ferry.
Looks like it could use a paint job.....

We're off, see ya.

We're leaving, here's a ferry arriving from the other side of the harbor.




We'll close for today.


Tomorrow, more from our 2 day stay in Kaohsiung.