Republic of China 1958 -1959

   
 
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These photos were taken by Lieutenant Colonel  Roy Rayle, with a Nikon 35mm SLR camera using mostly Kodachrome transparency (slide) film.  They were provided to us by his son Bruce.

To see a photo click on the thumbnail next to the description.
 
Chinese tanks on highway between Taipei and Hsinchu prepare for review by Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, the Shah of Iran, during his five-day state visit to Taiwan (May 1958).
US Army Major and four Chinese Army Officers at motor pool, possibly at Chungli. c.1957-1959 The Major's two name plates show that his name starts with DISSIN- and ends in -ER.
Army Major Bill Sands in the red dress; his wife Betty on the left. Upstairs at the Hsinchu Officers Club, Christmastime 1958.
Upstairs at the Hsinchu Officers Club at Christmastime, 1958.
Terry's American Restaurant on a major street in Taipei (1957-1959).

The Friends Of China Club. This was allegedly owned by Madame Chiang and was used to eavesdrop on westerners (c. 1957-1959).  To the left of the entrance notice a sign (with a red block at the top) for the China News sold inside.  The headline on it says "USSR Spurns In Reply".  Click here for Article on FOC listening.

Taiwan Provincial Museum, Taipei (1957-1959).  The lake was full of golden colored Carp. 

The Google Earth map shows the location in present-day Taipei. As a point of reference, Tamsui is in the upper left corner.

The USNS General J. C. Breckinridge (T-AP-176) in Keelung about March 1959. Shown is an US Army family arriving for Hsinchu, the Dosches.

Three singers at a USO show somewhere in Taiwan, sometime in the Apr 1957 to Apr 1959 timeframe.

 

It is likely that this singing group was the DeCastro Sisters who were performing USO tours in this time frame.

Two officers and lady at formal dinner. Nameplate of officer on right is "JACKSON." Brassware on table have the word "Taipei." (c. 1957-1959)
Japanese-built Hsinchu Railroad Station in circa October-November of 1957, 1958, or 1959. The blue characters under the main flag say "Hsin Chu Railroad Station".  The vertical red banner on the left of the entrance says "Promote Revolution Spirit", the red banner over the entrance says "Nation's Founding Father's Birthday" (that would be Dr. Sun Yat-sen), and the red banner on the right says "Implement Founding Father's Will". The small vertical red banner between the entrance and the big left banner reads "Long Life Republic of China". -- [thanks to Gary Chen for translations].
Just awaken from chilly night in the open sleeping on the ground in sleeping bags; now it is early morning at a campsite near Wushe (which is located near geographic center of Taiwan) circa April 1959. Shown in red shirt might be Lt. Col. Joseph Manguno or Maj. Charles Gross. The boy in blue shirt is Cub Scout Brian Rayle. These and others associated with Hsinchu Boy Scout Troop 97 are embarking on a three day hike in the remote mountains across the island to Hualien on the east coast.
Second from the left is Lt. Col Roy E. Rayle, Ordnance, my father. On the right end is an Ordnance Captain. Circa Jan 1959.
The washing of Chinese Army trucks in a shallow rocky river, circa Mar 1959.
Jeep driver for Lt. Col. Rayle. Both are waiting in the afternoon for the the MAAG school bus and for the Hsinchu American School (on left) to let out.  It's Dad's turn to ride the bus as monitor. I guess our parents had to do this because otherwise some of us kids wouldn't always act as good ambassadors, and would yell crude things in Taiwanese or Madarin to the good people of Hsinchu, more out of our own young wickedness than for any bad feelings towards the populace, who were generally friendly and tolerant of us kids. ca. 1957-1959.
A US Army Major watches a chinese soldier work on a pair of binoculars in a field maintenance van. ca. Apr 1959.
The occasion probably is a play at the Hsinchu American School. Looks like there is a Second Lieutenant with a camera on the left and a Captain talking to my mother in the middle.  The nameplates are hard to read; the 2LT might be SCHMIT or many other names, and similarly the CPT might be BAIN or etc. ca. 1957-1959.
Officers in the cold and wet ca. Jan 1959
At the "island divide", similar to a continental divide, on a 46 km Boy Scout hike eastward over the island mountain range to Hualien. On a clear day one can see the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Taiwan Strait on the other. ca. Apr 1959.
Approaching the east coast towns Fushih and Hisincheng from the mountainous interior. This is about six miles north of the city of Hualien . ca. Apr 1959.
The Kuo Min Theater, somewhere between the Hsinchu Officers Club and the PX/Community Center, on major street. The upper left billboard is advertising "Fiend Without A Face," a 1958 British Horror/Sci-Fi movie. Photo ca. Feb 1959.
   
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