The Clubs of Taiwan

       TAIPEI AIR STATION

It’s a fact, the majority of us spent most of our free time at one of the military clubs.  Whether it was food, drink, entertainment or just a place to relax, the clubs held the honor or providing us with a known atmosphere, a place of comfort. 

Your photographs of the various clubs throughout the island are needed.

Just seeing the club photos again will stir memories of bygone days of fun and frolic.

I’m interested in seeing a photograph and hearing about the Halfway Club. (Club 63 Annex)  and also known as Club Sabre (about 1958)  I don’t remember the name of the town (Yes, it was in Hsinchu?), but going south on Highway 1, it seems you came to,  maybe a curve in the road, right as you came into this small town (mid 1960’s,) you turned right and the club was just a few building down on the left.  The food was decent, the restroom clean, they served cold beverages and provided a warm welcome for the weary traveler.  I always dropped a few coins in the nickel machine and had their featured snack. As I recall, I believe they served a real good hamburger.  Anyway, I really appreciated that club, as it was about halfway between Taipei and Taichung. 

 After a time of rest and refreshment, you jumped in your vehicle and encountered the trucks, cars, jeeps, Chinese military vehicles, carts,  bicycles, motorcycles and mopeds, Pedi cabs, oxen, dogs, and of course pedestrians we shared the road with,  as we journeyed toward our destination.  

Can someone fill us in on the Half way Club, it’s real name, I believe MAAG ran it.  What were you folks stationed in that area doing for Uncle. 

 I drove down island on “Highway 1” many times.  Many of those trips were on Friday nights. The thing that I remember most about each of those trips was the awful black smoke belching from the deuce and a half Japanese  commercial trucks that always seemed to be in front of me.  There were very few spots on Highway 1 where you could see far enough in front of you to safely pass anyone during day light, much less on a moonless night.    Thank God my Mustang had air conditioning, it kept some of the smoke out of the car.  Many incidents happened on that road.  Once I drove right off the black top into a big hole the road construction team had dug up right on the highway.  The highway only had those candle type fire warning lamps most of which were not working probably due to lack of fuel.  Here I was, in some small village with my car trapped in a construction area late in the evening, I could see no way I was going to drive out of that hole without a ramp of some type.  I was dumfounded.   To my amazement,  a number of Chinese men, military and civilian,  who appeared to be waiting at a bus stop walked over and lifted my car back onto the road!  I couldn’t believe what was happening.  I jumped out of my car, thanked everyone shook hands, what can you say. 

Those folks had no reason to help me, but they gave from their heart. I learned a great lesson that night.  What a place, Bella Taiwan!

Here’s the list of Clubs I remember—who’s been omitted?   When more stuff flows in, I’ll load the Clubs on their own pages.

Club 63 “Numero Uno”  Across the bridge and down the hill from the Grand Hotel. Visit an update of Club 63 here

MAAGOOM Downtown -  Between the East Compound NEX Gas Station and Club 63 on Chungshan N. Road

MAAGOOM Annex « click for a view of the MAAGOOM Annex “Best Food day in and day out Period!!”  in my humble opinion. 

Shu Linkou Club in Taipei - hard to get a table on many days and evenings.

Shu Linkou Club at Shu Linkou AS - No information, but someone has the scoop.

Taipei Air Station OOM—Small and cozy. 

Taipei Air Station NCO Club, also know as  Club 13 and The Falcon NCO Club —Good breakfast -  I appreciated the peanut butter served with breakfast toast!   Jwho serves peanut butter with your breakfast at a restaurant today? 

Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 193, Club - Taipei -  The R&R “Mad House.”  The Fleet Reserve Club moved to Tien mu  some time after I departed Taiwan in 1968 and in 1979 it was called the China Seas Club operated by the Navy Exchange.  

Taichung MAAG Club - Great “at home” atmosphere, friendly folks.

CCK Club(s) ? Someone has the story on these clubs.

Tainan Clubs ? I was in the club in Tainan, but can’t remember much about it.                                                        Go to a photograph of the Tainan OOM here

Were there  Seaman’s Clubs in Keelung and Kaohsiung ?  The Seaman’s Club in Naha, Okinawa was my regular stop for Sunday lunch in the early 1970’s. 

 We can’t forget the  “The Embassy Shop”  Very inexpensive “bottle shop”  who also stocked  6 oz. bottled Coca Cola, when all the other soda was in steel cans from the Navy Exchange. 

Who have I missed?  

Please HELP— your input of photos, menu’s, documents, or what ever, will set things straight.

 

 

 

 

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