The Ministry of National Defense (MND) has presented about 600 medals to members of the US Armed Forces, in recognition of the help and support given to Taiwan in the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot, an MND official said yesterday.
The medals — bearing the words “In commemoration of the Typhoon Morakot rescue operations” — were presented to US troops on Monday by Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu (高華柱) at a ceremony that was also attended by William Stanton, director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the MND said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方), who suggested awarding the medals, said that about 600 US troops participated in the search and rescue operations after Typhoon Morakot.
PHOTO: CNA
They included 500 Navy personnel from the USS Denver, an amphibious transport dock that was stationed off the coast of Taiwan during the humanitarian mission.
The medals were also conferred on members of the US Pacific Command and the US Seventh Fleet, military personnel stationed in Japan, representatives of AIT, and staff of the US Defense Department.
Lin, who was also at the ceremony, said Kao extended thanks on behalf of the Taiwan people to the US for its “brotherly” assistance.
The medals, 3.5cm in diameter, feature the national flag and an image of a rescuer carrying a disaster victim.
A total of 85,000 medals were produced at a cost of NT$1.67 million, an MND spokesperson said, adding that some will be conferred on local military personnel who participated in the search and rescue operations.
It was the first time in the 30 years since diplomatic relations between the US and Taiwan were severed that Taiwan has awarded medals to US troops.
AIT reportedly asked that the award ceremony be kept low-key.
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
Yangmingshan National Park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) nature area has gone viral after a park livestream camera observed a couple in the throes of intimate congress, which was broadcast live on YouTube, drawing large late-night crowds and sparking a backlash over noise, bright lights and disruption to wildlife habitat. The area’s livestream footage appeared to show a couple engaging in sexual activity on a picnic table in the park on Friday last week, with the uncensored footage streamed publicly online. The footage quickly spread across social media, prompting a tide of visitors to travel to the site to “check in” and recreate the
Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) yesterday cited regulatory issues and national security concerns as an expert said that Taiwan is among the few Asian regions without Starlink. Lin made the remarks on Facebook after funP Innovation Group chief executive officer Nathan Chiu (邱繼弘) on Friday said Taiwan and four other countries in Asia — China, North Korea, Afghanistan and Syria — have no access to Starlink. Starlink has become available in 166 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, in the six years since it became commercial, he said. While China and North Korea block Starlink, Syria is not
RSS