Hu Chia-chi (胡家琪), Taiwan’s second-ever female graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, was yesterday welcomed home by her family and Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲).
Hu, the third daughter of a military family, was one of the 1,014 cadets to graduate from the prestigious academy on May 21.
She said she would enlist in the army after receiving additional training.
Photo courtesy of Hu Yuan-te
“Hu is the light of Tainan and Taiwan. Not only was she the sole Taiwanese cadet in [her class], but she also performed brilliantly and was promoted to cadet company commander,” Huang told a news event to mark Hu’s return at the Hu family residence in the city’s East District (東區).
“I am deeply touched that Hu chose to come home immediately to serve the country instead of remaining abroad to take a vacation like so many others,” he said.
Hu said that attending the academy was a challenging experience, and many difficulties were encountered due to language barriers, culture shock and rigorous exercises that tested her small physique.
Photo: Wang Chun-chung, Taipei Times
Before her graduation, Hu said she requested to become a cadet regimental staff officer so that she could wear a distinctive patch and glasses at the ceremony, which helped her parents identify her in the crowd.
Hu said she is proud to have represented Taiwan at West Point and looks forward to applying the school’s leadership lessons to her military career.
Hu plans to attend artillery school at the Army Missile and Artillery Training Command to work with the 43rd Artillery Command, she said.
Her father Hu Yuan-te (胡元德), a retired army staff sergeant, said that soldiering is in the family’s blood, and that he never discouraged his children to pursue a military career.
Her sister, Hu Chia-yu (胡家瑜), who attended the Military College of South Carolina, is a navy commander serving at the Republic of China Naval Academy as a lecturer of foreign languages.
Hu Chia-lin (胡家琳), the family’s second eldest, who studied at the US Naval Academy, is a navy lieutenant serving on the frigate Wu Chang as a fire control officer, he said.
The family is grateful for the government’s support with the the education of the children, all of whom attended military academies in the US on public subsidies, he said.
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