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2/71 Reunion

2nd Missile Battalion, 71st Artillery

(Nike-Hercules)

Taiwan 1958-1959

Volume 2

Letter 4

December 1998

From the Editor

This newsletter will try and bring you up to date on the

September 1998 reunion and a few things that have occurred

since the reunion. Approximately 70 percent of our mem-

bers did not attend the reunion, so this newsletter will try to

capture the flavor of the events as well as the text of some of

the key presentations. We have also included some snap-

shots taken at the reunion. Unfortunately, we don’t have the

text of the five presentations by battery representatives at the

reunion banquet, nor the presentation to the Air Defense

Artillery Advanced Officers Class. If you weren’t there, you

missed a most memorable event.

2-71 (Taiwan) Is Back,

by Dave O’Connell, D Battery

The 2-71(Taiwan) is back, its support groups intact.

What a reunion, what electricity, what men and what women

they married; so much laughter, so many tears. Forty years

became forty days; forty days became forty hours; and forty

hours turned into yesterday. No longer lost in the veil of

Cold War security, this special unit, this tripwire, this

landmine of men that stood in the breach and dared the Red

Chinese to go to war with the United States is back, back

until the last man folds the colors of the 2nd Msl. Bn., 71st

Artillery (Taiwan) Association.

Eighty plus men attended in person, but every member

of the 2-71(Taiwan) and support groups was there in spirit.

Whereas the bond shared by soldiers of conflict transcends

time and place; sooner or later virtually every troop’s name

came up during bull sessions or through pictures, stories,

videos, etc. You men unable to attend were truly missed, but

your presence in our stories, in our photos, in our tapes and

videos, in our hearts placed you among your fellow veterans,

gave you a seat at the table.

Medal ceremonies were conducted by both the U. S.

Army and the Republic of China. The very fact that these

ceremonies took place are indicative of the great job each of

you did personally for his country and reflects on the

courage and skills of the entire 2nd Msl. Bn., 71st Artillery/

Support Groups on Taiwan in successfully completing its

mission.

Would you believe a Marine Corporal received a

standing ovation from the men and guests of the 2-71 at the

Chinese Medal Ceremony? While we were dug in up island

a “few good men” were dug in down island guarding an

airfield at Ping Tung. One of these men was nineteen year

old Cpl. Richard Feeney. He is the one American respon-

sible for working with the Republic of China in developing

and authorizing the 823 Campaign Badge of Honor, recog-

nizing and thanking Chinese and American Veterans of the

1958 Taiwan Straits Crisis. Without a typewriter or com-

puter and with his own funds Richie hunted down over eight

hundred 1958 Taiwan Veterans for this one-time award. He

is a “plugger,” the kind of Marine you like covering your

southern flank.

The reunion was a success for all of us. There are no

words, really, that can express my feeling with regard to the

whole affair, the men, the unit, the honors, the camaraderie,

the closure. It was too moving for words to see the men

honored by two nations for an unselfish act performed forty

years ago. It was too moving for words to observe and

experience the camaraderie of the men casting off forty years

of separation as if it were just a weekend pass. For me

personally it was like a dream come true.

Wondering why the reunion was so electrifying and

satisfying for all of us, I ran my thoughts about it by Bob

Mackintosh. Bob offered the following words to think

about; words that I now pass on to you.

“Most people don’t realize it until too late in life, but the

friendships made in the military, are very special and

different than other friendships. It is probably shared

experiences and the fact that it is a total immersion - 24

hours a day - in the job at hand with the same small group.”

See you all at the next reunion! Yes! The 2-71 (Taiwan)

is back!