August 31, 2015
No. 181
David Roosevelt, a grandson of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and his family; Clifton Truman Daniel, the eldest son of President Harry Truman, and his son; and Mary Jean Eisenhower, a granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower, arrived in Taiwan on August 30 and 31 at the invitation of the ROC government. They will participate in activities commemorating the 70th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance against Japan.
The above presidents fostered strong cordial relations between the countries and provided Taiwan with much needed military and economic assistance during and after World War II. In 1941, President Roosevelt, for example, permitted US personnel to form the American Volunteer Group (a.k.a. the Flying Tigers) to help the ROC fight the Japanese. In 1943, President Roosevelt, ROC Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, and UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed the Cairo Declaration, stipulating that Taiwan, the Pescadores (Penghu), and affiliated islands be returned to the Republic of China. President Truman conducted the containment policy to halt communist expansion and dispatched the 7th Fleet to the Taiwan Strait in 1950, blocking the invasion of Taiwan and laying the foundation for post-war peace in the Asia-Pacific region. In 1954, President Eisenhower signed the Mutual Defense Treaty Between the United States of America and the Republic of China, and asked Congress to pass the Formosa Resolution, extending the scope of US defense efforts from Taiwan to the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance against Japan, the contributions of these US presidents deserve the commemoration and respect of the ROC.
The guests will have an audience with President Ma Ying-jeou, who will bestow upon them commemorative medals. Mr. Roosevelt will present President Ma with duplicates of several WWII documents preserved by his family that have great historical meaning to the ROC.
In addition, the guests will pay their respect and present wreaths at the Martyrs’ Shrine, highlighting the camaraderie between US and ROC forces during WWII. By attending a concert organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other commemorative activities, the guests will develop a deeper understanding of ROC contributions to WWII. They will also visit Zhongxing Guesthouse, the summer residence of the late President Chiang Kai-Shek, to learn more about him. (E)