The Truth Hurts

By the time the Republic of China was revitalized in Taiwan, more than 60 million Chinese “unnatural died” in mainland China.  In 1949-61, though the Commies was putting the energy into Building New China, this totalitarian regime’s technique was endless political purge, it’s essence is brutality, and a core part of it is its Mao-ness.  In order to waste no time during the political straitjacket sent PROC into chaos, Chiang Kai-Shek escalated his Reclaim the Mainland in April 1961.  Code named Nation Light (SL 國光計劃), Ministry of National Defense (MND) started planning cross-strait strike, amphibious landing, counter-offensive, special operation, and counter-insurgency.  For the air force’s part, a Atlas Team with command, plan, audit, and FOC officers worked round the clock in a restricted MND office.

Under the US military/economic aid and Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty, ROC forces’ were re-armed for offshore coastal defense.  All CAF prop powered fighters were upgraded to defensive jets, and the Atlas Team processed endless top-secret red-cover folders.  In 10 years totally 26 assault operations under five-folded NL were proposed, and the Atlas Team conducted 97 presidential briefings.  In retrospect, then no one considered the risks outweighed cross-strait power projection.  All in all, challenging the autocratic leadership was risky, questioning Chiang’s policies was disastrous.  At the height of the war game, June 1965, five LVTs sunk and killed dozens marines in a landing maneuver.  Followed by two failed sea battles in August and November, respectively, revealed that supporting an amphibious campaign was simply unachievable for the ROC Navy.

As the NL finally exposed to the United States Taiwan Defense Command, it had another different agendas working at odds with this unwinnable plan.  Leaving aside flawed calculation, strategically-it’s just not going to work.  The USTDC pointed out the PLA forces were waiting behind the coastal area, this clearing out battlefield would be a graveyard for the over-stretched invaders with questionable re-supply.  And the mainland featured a tight array of uncertain loyalties and hostility, it’s impossible to decamp the PLA troops.  The Americans, couldn’t be more bullish, their refusal was effectively a slap in the face to Chiang officialdom.  July 1972, his Reclaim the Mainland which fuss the Far East’s stability was forced to abort by the US.  Ever since the ROC’s annual massive military parade-a FOC review-was indefinitely shelved, so did a dream with inexcusable consequences.