Next week I’m returning to Taiwan for the first time in 53 years. I served at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung as a U.S. Air Force policeman from 1968 to 1973. I recently published a memoir about those years - Made in Taiwan - which the Taipei Times reviewed and the Formosa Files podcast featured twice.
I just recorded this new podcast (below) about my book and my return to the island, including rare access to CCK. Taiwan holds a special place in my life and I’m thrilled to be going back. If you have any tips, connections or just want to say hello, please do so.
Thanks for the note. I’m running around for three weeks starting in Taipei, heading south down the west coast and then back around up the east coast. I do have a flexible itinerary, but I don’t know any Taiwanese from back in the day. I will be meeting with a few Taiwanese academics who are working on projects related to that time period. There seems to be real interest about the time when so many Americans were around. My mind was blown in 1968; pretty likely to happen again, but for different reasons. Can’t wait.
I know an American guy retired to Tainan who was stationed in Taiwan around the same era. Odds are short that you knew him, but he has some interesting stories. He’s getting on in the years so he doesn’t get out as much these days.
I watched the podcast, it was great. The time of Taiwan before I was born. If you need travel tips for the south, just ask. I going to guess the traffic will maybe surprise you, its bad and take care of walking (and driving, I am always so careful driving)
Thank you for watching the pod and I’m glad you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave any travel tips. I will have some guidance in Kaohsiung. I know it will look way different!
As a military guy you may have interest in the American POWs in Taiwan. Michael Hurst has done all the research and setup memorials at the POW camps in Taiwan. Most allied POWs were British, Canadian and Austrailan.
