2015年12月25日 星期五

American 7th Fleet and 幽幽院的聖誕夜

Music can bring us back in time, or send us far away from … home.

Oh yeh, I was sent away from home –again- this morning by that X’Mas music (and image) played by the West Point Band 美國西點軍校樂團 broadcasted on the TV (Fox News). Not that I knew anything about this West Point tradition, but just the image of the American military band and the jazz-style music were powerful enough to send me right back into my first X’Mas "party " memory … 

… way back into the 60’s when U.S. president Eisenhower showed up in Taiwan personnally and we were sent to the Army’s orphanage in southern Taiwan (鳳山陸軍育幼院). I was the youngest one among us four kids – 2 and half years old – and supposed to be too young to remember anything.  

But well, first, me and my twin brother happened to become the "Chéris" of the orphanage and oftentimes received special attention from the care takers, especially on big occasions like every X’Mas Eve when American 7th fleet Navy (美國第七艦隊) and their ladies came to visit us at the orphanage. 
And then, remember we were 4 together to live thru that military kind of childhood, it’s understandable that we have kept up a collective memory of those 3 years.  

Et voila that’s how I remember or believe I really remember clearly when American soldier-disguised Santa Claus came into our candle-lit Dinning hall to give out all kind of toys, candies and new clothes that would be "confiscated" right after they left. 

I also remember how I laughed at those kids of the lower class (by age) who cried like hell just seeing that long-barb Santa jumping around with his big bag on his back. 

And guess what I’ve found this morning on the web? In trying to find some traces of that collectively forgotten memory, I was surprised to find my brother Tao in one photo published by the National Archives (國史館?) some years ago! What? They didn’t even ask us?


Our little orphans band on board of one battle ship from the 7th fleet! Our little 中華民國孤兒勞軍團上美軍第七艦隊! 


In this holiday season, with so many refugees forced to leave their home behind, I feel the urge to share with you for the first time in my life, some photos of my first "X’Mas party", when me and my brothers played on the stage ... and to share the fear and joy of those orphans on the X'Mas eve ...
 
... And to express my gratitude to all of those who helped and are helping to make our world a safer place to live.

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