These were taken by an American GI in 1957 and 1958 at the height of the Cold War. They are fascinating on so many levels. The rural-ness and lack of development are incredible. Love or hate Chiang Kai-Shek's KMT dictatorship, he was responsible for sending the island straight to First World status. I cannot fathom that my mother, a boomer, grew up in such basic conditions. Finally, the old school cars, trucks, planes, and scooters are fun to look at as well.
Oakland Army Terminal:
DC-6B:
Tokyo:
Taipei airport:
Taipei:
Awesome people mover:
Ships used to ferry people who fled from China. My grandparents and mother took one like these in 1949.
The sign says "Happy New Year. Don't forget our suffering mainland compatriots.":
Funeral procession:
They rode scooters around Taiwan, for fun:
Asahi Shimbun plane:
Super Constellation:
The complete set of photos can be found
here.
