Tsoying Naval Base Open House

It was hot, sunny and humid as three friends and I met up at the Kaohsiung Metro, Word Games station, in north Kaohsiung, early on Saturday, October 24th.  My friends had driven down from the Taichung area, I rode down on the High Speed Rail from Taipei.

We came together to visit Tsoying Naval Base's "Open House." 

Because Tsoying Naval Base is so large, automobile parking, overseen by Marine Corps personnel, was located on empty parking lots and grass fields close to, but inside the Tsoying Naval Base boundaries.   


Everyone then walked to a central point, close to the parking areas, lined up and passed  through a security check before loading onto buses for transport to the "Open House area" of the base, which was some distance away from the parking areas.
  

Google Earth view of the "Open House" area.

This newspaper was handed-out as we off-loaded the bus. 

The Google Earth photo and the newspaper drawing just above identify the display and performance areas.

Please click or double click on the photos for very large views.

My friends, all of us retired US Military personnel, standing just outside the Metro Station.

We walked from here to the security point and bus loading area along the street.

Jim had parked his car a few minutes earlier at one of the base parking areas.

We off-load from the bus and walked 30 yards toward the display area.

This was probably about 9:00 AM. T
The large crowds had not yet arrived.

Everyone loved the Marines.

How bout this Camo pattern the Marines are wearing.

More and more visitors arriving.

 

Taiwan Marines carrying Combat Rubber Raiding Craft.  Every Marine also carries a weapon. 

US Navy Seals also use this type of craft.

The Marine team consisted of about a dozen craft and crews.  They did some water exercises where all crew members were in the water, while 2 men upped the craft after which time the craft was overturned completely by two different men, all the while, these Marines were also carrying their weapons and gear will in the ocean.   Impressive!

The sun is beating down and the breeze has disappeared, it's HOT!

This family knows how to keep cool, dampen down the hats and keep you neck and face covered as the little boy in the orange shirt is showing us.

These three Marines were happy to practice their English with us as they stood in front of this military vehicle.

What's you opinion on this Camo?  

An Apache helicopter on display.  

Taiwan was the first country outside of the US to receive the helicopter.  
There are a number in Taiwan and more on the way.

We stayed around this area for a long time.  

All sorts of military vehicles, helicopters and equipment was on display.

It was hot and our water bottles were long empty, time to head down to the refreshment tent area to find some cold drinks.

Walking toward the food tent area.

The food and drink tents seen here,  orange and white tops.

We purchased cold bottled drinks and wolfed them down in a couple of gulps, I was dry!

Got back in line and got another cold Coca Cola orange drink with pulp.  
That orange drink was really refreshing.  

A couple of hours later, we were starving for a cold drink again.  

We walked back to the tent that sold us drinks a couple of hours or so earlier, but, the tent was gone.  Guess they sold out.

I understand that last year's "Open House" had many less attendees.  I suppose the drink tent we visited earlier in the day wasn't prepared for the tremendous attendance at this year's event and ran out of stock.

We moseyed down along the pier past a number of large Taiwan Navy Vessels.  

Everyone vesicle was open for visitors.  If you wanted to climb up inside the vessel, the lines were long.  

This looks like one of the newer "stealth" type vessels.

Lots of folks lined up to visit this ship, long lines at each of the ships.

This ship looked to be the largest on display.  I believe it's a "supply" vessel.    

The breeze has picked-up down here along the docks.

The crowds are large, and the buses keep unloading visitors.

We spotted some porta potties over behind the trees.  

Didn't really have to go, all the liquid in our bodies was pouring out as sweat, it was hot, in the high 80s with 88%  humidity...

We sat down in the shade of the trees for a bit until we all got back together.

It was after 3:00 PM, and everyone was ready to head out.

We caught one of the buses and found ourselves at a different parking area that where Jim had parked his car.  

We decided to walk off base and catch a taxicab to where our car was parked.

Here we go, hoofing it out toward a the base gate, off in the distance.

The gate is just across the street from those large buildings off in the distance, straight ahead.

 

Hey Benny, "We're about half-way to the gate."

Finally, outside the gate, we started looking for a taxi.  

Thanks to one of the Marine guards on duty, there were quite a few men on duty around this gate today, a Marine used his cell phone to call us a taxi.  Thank you sir!

Beautiful photo.  

Be sure to enlarge it by clicking or double clicking a number of times.

As former US Military men, we appreciate and understand the feelings of the Taiwan Military personnel.

It was a great honor to visit the base today. 

 We sincerely appreciate the work and efforts of those who helped us secure the invitation to visit the Open House.

Thank you to the all of the citizens of Taiwan.

We love Taiwan and it's people.....

   

John Crum has Moved On....... Updated with Obituary

It is my sad duty to inform readers of my blog, that my friend and fellow Taiwan US Military  Blogger, 
Mr. John Crum, a US Army Veteran, passed this morning at 2:00 AM.

John resided in Ohio, having moved from Florida a few years ago.

I first met John a number of years ago when he sent me a number of color photographs he had taken in Taiwan in the 1960s while assigned to STRATCOM in Taipei. His photos were the first photos of the Sea Dragon R&R Club in Taipei I had to post to my blog. It was through these photos that we were able to find the old location of that club some 45+ years later.

  He and his lovely wife were together in Taiwan during his assignment, they had an apartment Iin Grass Mountain.

Shortly after John and I met, he decided to begin a Blog, in which he spot lighted the US Army communicators assigned to Taiwan.  

John suffered a debilitating accident sometime after returning to CONUS from Taiwan.  He fell at his home, resulting in damage to his spine which caused permanent paralysis in most of his lower extremities. He had a motorized chair and was able to get around regularly until a short time ago, when he begin to weaken and shortly passed.

I spoke to John a week or so ago and he was not feeling well then.  I haven't spoken to him since that time.

We have lost another Taiwan US Military Blogger, John follows Lloyd Evans who passed a few months ago, Lloyd's web page is now down, the lights have been turned-off.

I am so thankful to have know John Crum, a man who left part of his heart in Taiwan and a man who continued to write about the men and women of the US Army Signal Corps who trained and ventured into Taiwan to carry on their duties and responsibilities.

John's Blog can be viewed below.

 Please visit and see the wonderful site he maintained, not withstanding his physical condition, never complaining about the hard work, nor shirking his desires to maintain his blog through pain and suffering.

God Bless John Crum, my wonderful friend and veteran brother.

Please pray for John's family in Ohio.

HERE is John's Blog

                                 John's Obituary

Life Changing Situations - Not So Easy....

Many of you who read this blog often, have probably wondered why the stories and photographs have trickled down significantly...

It's time to explain my absence.

Although I've updated our Taiwan Listing on a weekly basis, I've not delved into more interesting stories for a number of months.

Every year, after New Years, I usually travel to Taiwan for 3 or 4 months, return to Hawaii for 3 months or so and then fly back to Taiwan for another 3 months, sometimes longer.

This year I stayed in Taiwan a little longer because my grandson was flying into Taipei for a three week vacation.  He arrived in April. 

Some time in late February, I begin to feel different, I noticed that my usual visits to the rest room were more frequent, my urine stream began to decrease significantly and my urine turned to a deep yellow, just about orange.  I drink a lot bottled Costco water in Taiwan.  Probably consume 6 or 7 bottles a day, so I was drinking enough water.  I noticed my bowels were also smaller and darker.

My urine flow continued to be difficult.  Before these changes, I urinated 6 or 8 times a day, may days more often.  I consumed lots of liquids, many bottles of water, coffee and noodles. 

Everyone I talked with about my body changes said, "Oh, you need to drink more water."  And I would always say, something like, "I drink so much water, I'm going to the bathroom every hour."

In May, I returned to Hawaii and immediately saw my PCP (Primary Care Physician.)  My Doctor apparently had just hired a new PA (Physician's Assistant.)  I told my story to him, he gives me the greasy finger prostrate check and announces it feels normal, it's not swollen.   I tell him, "something is wrong with me."  He leaves the office,  apparently discusses my urine problem with my regular PCP and returns to tell me they were sending me to see a Urologist. 

A few days later I was in the Urologist's Office.  I tell him the whole story.  He greases up the finger and finds a bump on the right side of the prostrate.   He told me we needed to do some needle biopsies on my prostrate.  A couple of days later, I'm back in his office, he shoots his biopsy instrument into my prostrate around 15 to 20 times, I counted up to 15.  It was not painful, just a lot of pressure on the prostrate.  A few days later, I'm back in the Urologist's office for the results.  The lab results showed cancer in two different areas of my prostrate.  For you men who have gone through this, my Gleason Score for both areas was 3+4 or 7.

I was prepared for the worst, but my heart sank with he read the results.

He went into how I might go forward. I asked a few questions, and he presented me with a booklet, "100 Questions and Answers About Prostrate Canter,"

I returned home, talked with my family and tried to slow down and rest.   I read through the book, went on-line and watched a couple of You Tube videos on removing the prostrate. Checked out all the possible avenues of attack on the cancer.   

In the meantime, I was sent to have a bone scan to see if the cancer had spread.  That came back negative, but, they saw "something" around the hip, so I went back for some type of additional x-ray on my hip.  Of course, each one of these images required a follow-up visit to my Urologist's Office.

They (the Doctor who reads X-rays) saw something in my colon.  My Urologist wanted me to have a Colonoscopy to see what was causing the narrowing of the colon in a particular area. 

I just did Colonoscopy two years ago.  They did the new colonoscopy and the results were negative, clean with nothing in the colon.  The Doctor who performed the test said the colon moves and squeezes,  and probably when the X-ray was taken, it was squeezing, which made it look narrow on the X-Ray.

So, I have cancer in my Prostrate, however, nothing in my bones.  I return home to contemplate what I should.

Statistics say, more than 80% of all men will have Prostrate cancer during their lives, but a large percentage of these men will die from other causes, never knowing they had Prostrate cancer.

Those stats really made me feel good - No!

There are a number of things one might do at this stage, but they are too numerous to discuss.

I talked with my family again.  I felt that the choices I had were limited.  One of the choices was what I describe as, "Wait and Watch."  I figured, maybe I could live a few more years or longer, but if the cancer moved out of the Prostrate and into my body, it wouldn't be fun.  My wife passed with cancer 13 years ago and I don't want to go through what my wife had to experience, it was as terrible, really unbelievable, the pain and suffering she experienced.

SO.....   After much research, watching films, reading about various options, I decided it best to get rid of the cancer, remove my Prostrate.  

I had a feeling of peace flow through me after deciding.  If the cancer has not spread, and the Prostrate is removed, I should be cancer free. 

I went into hospital on a Monday morning.  I opted for the surgeon to use the "da Vince robotic apparatus."  It's the type of surgery where you are strapped to operating room table, hanging backwards with your head and body hanging down, at about 30 degrees.  Really a weird position.  

My doctor told me later in the evening that my face was all swollen after the procedure.  They cut 5 small slits into your belly and insert instruments to the perform the surgery, one is a light and camera, and other tools they need to move the tissue and fat to expose Prostrate.  The doctor is working these levers at console with a large video screen.  Quite a machine.

Actually, the most painful part of the whole experience was the hose they push up your urethra into your bladder, after the surgery.  In that plastic/rubber hose, down toward the bottom is a small balloon which is inflated to hold the urine from escaping from around the tube. 

This set-up works OK if you're laying in the bed, in the hospital.  But, when you get out and take it home for another 7 days. the problems begin. 

The hospital nurses teach you how to clean the hoses, your private parts, etc.  How to empty your urine bag, how to remove and install a new bag. how to secure a small type bag around your leg if you want to go out to the store or something.

I've gone into enough detail on this I guess.

I got the hose removed this past Tuesday and walked over to my Urologist's office.

The biopsy results were back on the Prostrate and lymph nodes that were removed during surgery.

The photo of the sliced Prostrate showed, the cancer as being quite large, but, it was completely inside the Prostrate, no cancer along the edges.  Also, all of the lymph nodes were negative for cancer.

I'm just one of thousands of men who were diagnosed with cancer this year.  

My recommendations to you:

Have you Primary Care Physician take his time in your colon, as he feels for any bumps or unusual feelings along and around your Prostrate to include the ends of the Prostrate. 

My PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test results were 2.71 in January this year but had dropped to 2.20 in June of this year.  Yet, I had quite a lot of cancer in my Prostrate, which we discovered  only by doing the needle biopsies.  

So, I would encourage all older men to see their doctor every year and take the blood tests and prostrate exams.  Don't miss these annual tests. 

I'm still physically exhausted, they cut a lot of tissue and fat and it will take time.  My bladder is beginning to come around.  I noticed it was holding more liquid this evening.  Before tonight it was escaping and I had wet diapers.  We wore diapers when we were babies, now we wear them again when necessary, but it's only until our bladder recovers, which can take up to a year for some.  BUT, - the cancer is gone!

God Bless.

Write to me at taipeiairstation@yahoo.com   


I would be happy to talk about my experiences with anyone who has questions about the whole episode I went through.

70th Anniversary of 14 US Airmen Executed by Japanese inside Taipei Prison **UPDATED**

The gathering took place last Saturday in Taipei, here's the story by the Taipei Times

The story linked here.




I received an Email from Michael Hurst,  Director of the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society.

Those of you who will be in Taipei on June 20th, should consider attending this event. 

The opening of the Chunghwa Telecom Company grounds to non-employees on June 20th for a walking tour, could very well be the only time the old prison grounds and execution area is opened to the public. 

Michael's Email......

"As many of you are aware, in 2009 the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society placed a memorial plaque on the wall of the old Taipei Prison to honour and remember the American airmen who were held there, and especially the 14 who were needlessly executed by the Japanese just 57 days before the end of the war.

 

     This year on Saturday June 20th – the 70th anniversary of this tragic event, we are holding another service by the old wall in remembrance again. This time however, prior to the memorial service, we will also be visiting the site – which was found last year - inside the Chunghwa Telecom compound, where the actual executions took place.

 

As we need to know numbers for the tour, we are asking those interested in attending to RSVP no later than Wednesday June17th by reply email if they plan to attend.

 

DETAILS –

     The ceremony will be held at the site of the old north wall of the former Taipei Prison – located at Lane 44, Chinshan South Road Sec. 2, [ 金山南路2段44巷]  which is about a block south of Hsinyi Road on the west side of the street. We are asking that people assemble in front of the Chunghwa Telecom Building at 10:30 am sharp on Saturday June 20^th to begin the morning activities. Following the tour, the ceremony will begin at 11:00 am and should last about 40 minutes.

 

     For more information please contact Michael Hurst, Director of the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society in Taipei at:   society@powtaiwan.org .

 

Please see our website at www.powtaiwan.org for further information on the POW Society and the work we do.

 

We hope you will be with us for this very special service of remembrance."

 

NOTE: 

 If you are not familiar with the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society, you should look through the web site.   See link above, in red color.

You are going to be very surprised on what went on, during WWII, in Japanese held Taiwan.

And, what Michael Hurst has done since the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society was established.

Remarkable achievements in honoring all POWs imprisoned in Taiwan. 

 

Lighters and Money Clips

Received a package in the mail from Jack Hornbeck containing a couple of gifts he picked up at Falcon Club and Club 63 during his time in Taiwan, 1966-1969.

Club 13, NCO Open Mess was the original name of the NCO Club at Taipei Air Station.

Sometime during the 1968-1969 time frame, the club was re-named Falcon Club.

I've always wondered why the name change?

Seems like the "powers to be" needed something to hang their hat on....

I'll always refer to the Taipei Air Station NCO Club as "Club 13" 

It's like they re-wrote The History of Taipei Air Station, when our Club's name was changed!

Actually, the back side of this is a large "money clip" for carrying cash you won playing the slots or your poker winnings from the Stag Bar card game.

Everyone spent time at Club 63 in Taipei.

We've seen this lighter before, and there were probably a number of different lighters that were gifted to Club 63 members through the years.

This Club 63 lighter is in "pristine" condition. 

Jack would have received this sometime in the later half of the1960's.

 

Back side of the lighter, actually the colors are a bit different front and back.

 Between the gifts that were passed out at the military clubs around the island and the monthly "Membership Nights" with free dinners and drinks and Floor Shows of questionable nature (just think what would happen if the floor shows we experienced were presented in this day....)

Why, there would be Congressional Investigations, people fired, etc...

There's hardly a military member, spouse or family member, assigned to duty in Taiwan during our time, 1951 and 1979, who would not say some thing along the line of: 

"Taiwan was the BEST assignment of my (our) military career."

Few would not agree.

Long live a Free Taiwan and it's wonderful people....

God Bless!

Thank you Jack Hornbeck for sharing your Taiwan gifts. 

MAAG Taiwan's Presence Still Found

Photo found on the Internet.

The photographer sensed history when he framed this photo.

The American military presence is still seen in Taiwan.

This, scuffed shield, propped-up on an old chair, still radiates strong feelings of peace and quietness.

MAAG Taiwan should command a prominent display area inside the Taiwan Military Museum in Taipei.

Had MAAG Taiwan's thousands of US Military Advisors not arrived in the early 1950's, Taiwan's history would be much different today.

God Bless Taiwan.... 

You might want to read some of the early history of MAAG Taiwan.

HERE 

UPDATE: - 4 October 2019

According to a note I saw while browsing on the Internet, the photo seen above was not the remains of a room in the old Sugar Building, BUT, it was a prop used in a Taiwanese Film..   

Anyone care to leave the name of the film. and possibly a link to see the film.