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TAIPEI AIR STATION |
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Our School Bus Driver, in front of the Hsinchu American School, after discharging his passengers at the school front door. Ca. February 1959. Can you imagine the pressure this fellow experienced day after day delivering his children safe and sound. Our thanks to your sir. About once a month the bus would stall in traffic and he would open the hood to diagnose. Almost always he would discover he had to empty the glass bowl water trap in the fuel line. Looks like he is exhausted, taking a break after the last of the loud and rambunctious kids has left his bus. |
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The children, marching to the front gate to board the school bus for home. It must have been early in the year, notice the kids wearing jackets and sweaters, and a couple of the children are carrying decorations. The Sister overseeing the group is carrying something that looks like Valentine’s Day decorations. We would never see young ladies dressed like this today, girls wearing dresses to school. The school was operated by the Roman Catholic Nuns of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. The nuns were the only local group available to teach in English. The military took the unusual step of contracting with the church to teach elementary and the middle school grades. Youngsters in the 1st grade were taught by the nun seen in this photograph. The kids in 2nd and 3rd grade were taught in another room and the 4th through 7th grades were taught together in their own class room. All of the children, numbering between 40 and 50 total, were part of the “Post WWII Baby Boom.” MAAG Hsinchu had a few older children, maybe three. They attended Taipei American School, boarding in the Taipei area while school was in session. Photograph circa February 1959. Some of the folks in this photograph: Jim Dress is the boy, wearing the Sport Coat, leftmost. Charm Anderson is the black girl. Just behind her is Eugene “Jeep” Palmer. |
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Roy’s driver standing beside his vehicle in front of the MAAG Hsinchu School, circa 1958-1959. Many of you who served overseas with children attending DOD schools, had the pleasure of taking your turn as “School Bus Chaperone.” The children of Hsinchu also had their “rowdy times” on the school bus and each Hsinchu family with children in school, took their turn riding the bus to and from school to “control” those rambunctious military brats. Roy’s driver has met Roy to pick him up after the school bus has discharged the kids; it was Roy’s turn being chaperone today.
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Some school function, circa 1958-1959. The children at the rope are looking out toward the school playground. In the background is the classroom for grades four through seven. People: Dorothy is in the sunglasses. Sharon Spangler, in the flowered dress, is obscured by the column. |
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We’ve moved inside another classroom to watch a school program presented by the students. Outside the open door, in the distance, across the playground, you notice a grotto with a statue. Inside the classroom you can see a statue of the Virgin Mary just beside the open door. Such items probably made the non-Catholic families uneasy, and indeed some objected to having their children taught at a Catholic mission. People: Dorothy is the smiling lady leftmost in the blue dress, her daughter Diana is two rows in front of her in the blue dress, looking into the camera. The Nun is either Mother Superior or the German Sister. Sitting to the left of her could be Army Officer Boyle.
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