Focus Taiwan
Date: 09/02/2020
By: Chen Yun-yu and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Sept. 2 (CNA) The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan, on Wednesday hosted a commemorative ceremony to unveil a memorial in its new Neihu compound in Taipei to honor the 126 U.S. service members who lost their lives defending Taiwan since 1949.

The memorial includes medals and two framed certificates of the Republic of China Commemorative Medals of the Operations of Defending Taiwan conferred posthumously to Lt. Col. Alfred Medendorp and Lt. Col. Frank Lynn in February 2016 by former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).

The medals and certificates will be displayed in the AIT's lobby to honor all U.S. personnel — past, present and future — who participated or will participate in the U.S.-Taiwan strategic partnership and support Taiwan's self-defense, said AIT Director Brent Christensen at the ceremony.

U.S.-Taiwan relationships continued following the conclusion of World War II and after the first Taiwan Strait crisis. At its peak, the U.S. military commanded a combined 30,000 service members, Christensen said.    [FULL  STORY]