Taiwan flags courtesy Mr. Free Free - Gifs & Animations
The following pictures copied from the
1956 USS Helena CA-75 Cruise Book
provided by RD2 Dave Brouchoud
Click on the book image to learn more. |
1956
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FORMOSA
We spent more time in Formosa than any other place in the Far East during this cruise. The name Formosa means pretty in Portuguese, but the rains of Keelung dampened our appreciation of its natural beauty.
Formosa is about 250 miles long and 90 miles wide. It is only 100 miles east of the Chinese mainland. Formosa, together with 70 smaller islands called the Pescadores, comprise almost the total area of Nationalist China.
Formosa'a original inhabitants resembled Polynesians and were head hunters. Their descendants still live primitively on the easterern half of the island, but many of their customs have been influenced by the Chinese who have been on Formosa since the seventh century.
By the early 1300's, the Chinese were pretty well dug in on Taiwan, as they call it, and they no longer feared retaliation by the natives for their exploitation.
Portuguese ships called at Formosa and the Dutch who at the time were spreading thrie influence over the southwets Pacific established a fort and a settlement there. Forty years after the Dutch arrived, they were driven from the island by the Manchus. The Chinese ruled Taiwan until they ceded it to Japan at the end of the Sino-Japanese war.
During World War II, the Japanese used Formosa as a springboard for their amphibious assults against the Chinese mainland and the Philippines.
At the insistence of the United States and Great Britain, Formosa was returned to China at the end of World War II. When the Chinese Civil War was resumed, Communist foeces swept the country and Chiang Kia-shek moved his Nationalist government to Formosa, establishing Taipei as his capital.
While on Formosa, we stayed in Keelung, the principal port of the island, which lies 22 miles northeast of Taipei. It is the fifth largest city in Formosa with a population of 161,000, which seems to fluctuate with ships' movements. Some people claim Keelung as the rainiest port in the world.
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KEELUNG CLUB
Keelung's Chamber of Commerce has never billed the city as the garden of Taiwan or the Playland of the Pacific even though it is located about the same latitude as Miami, Florida. In fact, the city will never threaten Milwaukee's boast of being the best Navy liberty town, but there have been improvements made.
The Keelung Club administration was assumed by the ship when we relieved the St. Paul. The Board of Governors appointed consisted of CDR Knight, LCDR Baker, and LCDR Countryman. Club personnel were: "J" "R" Trammel, chief commissaryman, manager; E.A. Hillstrom, chief engineman, assistant manager; F.N. Grayson, commissaryman first class, bar manager; W.R. Blue, storekeeper second class, cashier; J.M. Brandy, storekeeper third class, assistant cashier; and J.R. Schermerhorn, ship's serviceman first class, bookkeeper.
Over $1,500 was spent to improve the club and make it a better place to spend liberty hours. A new deck was put in on the first floor, murals of Seventh Fleet flagships were set up, new bars were obtained, a complete food service including a new grill and refrigerator was put in on the second deck, a new bandstand was installed and new fans, chairs, tables and other miscellaneous items purchased to better the place.
It was the only place in Keelung where a man could purchase drinks at a reasonable price, have a snack and listen to the Helena Troubadors or the Seventh Fleet Combo.
