The ashes of five military servicemen who died during intelligence and surveillance missions during the Cold War were enshrined at the Martyrs' Shrine in Taipei yesterday with full military honors.
The three pilots and two paratroopers were part of the Air Force's crack 34th and 35th squadrons (informally known as the Black Cats and Black Bats respectively) that together flew more than 1,000 missions over Chinese territory between 1953 and 1974.
The ceremony was officiated by Defense Minister Kao Hua-chu (高華柱) and included dozens of family members and surviving squadron members, many of them are well into their eighties.
“I was extremely sad that after all our comrades sacrificed for this country, their ashes lay in a foreign land for so long. The government has finally brought them back and put them to rest. I now feel content and relieved,” 82 year-old Hu Tien-peng (胡天鵬), a former paratrooper, told reporters.
The reconnaissance Black Cat Squadron flew 220 missions in US- supplied U-2 spy planes between 1961 and 1974, gathering key intelligence over strategic sites in China.
A spy plane piloted by a member of the Black Cat squadron is believed to have been one of the first to gather evidence of China's nuclear weapons development program.
Ten members of the squadron lost their lives during the period and two more were captured by communist forces and only released in 1982.
Meanwhile, the Black Bat Squadron, operational between 1953 and 1972, worked with the CIA to drop agents and gather military intelligence in China.
In total, the squadron flew 838 missions over China during the period, losing 148 crew members and 15 aircraft. Paratroopers with the squadron also supported US forces during the Vietnam War between 1967 and 1972.
Some of the servicemen from the Black Bat Squadron remain unaccounted for and their remains are believed to still be in China.
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS