DAWG FLIGHT
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| Updated 23 Dec 2009 |
Shu Lin Kou Air Station, the 6987th Security Group, was a small U.S. Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) installation with approximately 1,200 U.S. military personnel (AFSS, ASA, NSG) stationed there in the 1970s. The Shu Linkou "listening post" was active a total of 23 years...from its opening in 1955 until its closing April 1, 1977.
Shu Lin Kou (usually referred to as Linkou) took its name, which translates as "Mouth of the Forest", from the nearby village of Linkou. The base was situated on a mountain plateau approximately fifteen miles northwest of Taipei in northern Taiwan. It was a few miles south of the Tamsui River and about five miles from the China Sea at an altitude of 834 feet, and was surrounded by tea plantations.
The Air Station, which only had a helipad, was built on the site of a Japanese World War II airfield utilized by fighters and kamikazes during Japan's occupation of Taiwan from 1937 to 1945.
Taiwan, which means the "Terraced Bay", has 23 million people and is located off the coast of China. Shaped like a tobacco leaf, the semi-tropical island is 245 miles long and 89.5 miles wide at its broadest point. Taiwan's distance from China across the Taiwan Strait varies from 137 miles to only 81 miles. Units of the U.S. 7th Fleet regularly patroled the Taiwan Strait. Access to much of the western side of Taiwan by ship is blocked by tidal mud flats that extend many kilometers from the coast.
This website was established ten years ago in 1999 by members of Dawg Flight who served at Shu Linkou during 1970 and 1971. However, it is meant for "all" former military members assigned to Shulinkou Air Station. The 6987th Security Group was under the command of the U.S. Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) (click here) created in October of 1948 and was also home for units of the U.S. 176th ASA (Army Security Agency) and the U.S. NSG (Naval Security Group). ("...On 30 June 1970, USAFSS reported 25,123 personnel authorized-1,390 officers, 21,507 enlisted and 2,226 civilians.")
The 6987th military mission was highly classified and involved sensitive intelligence gathering operations. Its mission included the intercept, transcription, decryption and analysis of intelligence from targeted foreign military electronic (ELINT) and signal (SIGINT) communications. Information gathered was reported to a higher authority at Fort Meade, Maryland. Dawg Flight members, and all other intel personnel working there, had top-secret cryptographic security clearances.
The majority of the "Dawgs" (Dawg Flighters) stationed at Linkou during 1970 and 1971 were 18 to 22 year old "first termers." They were simply serving out their four-year Air Force enlistments during the Vietnam War era and then getting out.
During their 15-month tours of duty on Taiwan, the Dawgs were known to take full advantage of every "opportunity" that Taipei presented. Off-duty hours meant catching the first "Smokah" (bus) from the "Hill" to Taipei and its beckoning nightlife. Their experiences and memories you are about to view on these pages are truly legendary.
Some 38 years later Dawg Flighters remain in close contact with each other, and are tightly bonded. Friendships have withstood the test of time and have continued in the "World" long after the Linkou tours ended.
Currently there are "110" Dawg Flighters (circa 1970 - 1971) who have been located and contacted. We remain in touch on a regular basis through this website, e-mail and phone. Four large Dawg Flight reunions have been held, which brought together as many as 38 Dawgs at one time. These reunions were held in Chicago, Washington DC, and twice in Las Vegas. Additionally, there have been several small, and informal gatherings. Our last reunion (35th year) was held in May 2004 at the Tropicana Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas.
We continue our search to locate all of our "lost" Dawg Flight buddies. If you were on Dawg Flight while stationed at Shulinkou during 1970 and 1971, "We have been looking for you!". Please make contact by sending an email to The Phantom (歌声魅影)....
To other former ShuLinkou Air Station USAFSS, ASA, NSG, and support personnel, we welcome you to this site. Many stories, and photos have been contributed by those other than Dawg Flight. We wish to share this site, and include you in the Shulinkou Rosters that can be found below. Send an e-mail with pertinent information to The Phantom....
Taipei was a cosmopolitan city where Dawg Flight spent most of its free time. Dawg Flight had easy access to this bustling and intriguing city with its Asian culture, diverse lifestyle, great food, and renowned night life. Taipei offered some of the most colorful, exciting and entertaining night life in the Orient. Most importantly, Taiwan's beautiful, exotic women were a highly valued "bennie" of being stationed on Taiwan and at Shulinkou. 
Linkou's fifteen month tour-of-duty was considered a remote assignment by the Air Force. Yet it was one of the best kept secrets and ultimately one of the most desired assignments in all of Asia.
Additional pages in this site contain numerous photos. The photos consist of Dawg Flight members, sports, activities, other Shulinkou personnel, the air station, the City of Taipei, and the Island of Taiwan. See index tables below.
Two separate pages contain the "Shulinkou Rosters" providing names, e-mail addresses, units/flights, and residing city/state. See below.
Do you have photos, stories, or history relating to Shulinkou you would like to share with others on this website? A good example of what others have contributed can be found within the pages of "Linkou - The Early Years" found below. It was compiled from material submitted by individuals stationed at Shulinkou during the 1950s. Please review our "Linkou Memorabilia and Artifacts" page. Perhaps you have memorabilia "items" that could be photographed and submitted. Send by e-mail as a .JPG file attachment.
The purpose of this website is not to glorify the Air Force, a military career, or Dawg Flight's military service. Instead we wish to reflect on the spirit, memories, great times, and close friendships. Further, it is our intent to share this website with all those formerly stationed at Linkou. Hopefully you too will be able to renew some old friendships as you search the rosters.
This website is updated often with new additions and refinements. As you visit this website, please enjoy what will surely be a nostalgic trip back to "Dawg days gone by....."
Please take time to SIGN IN with the Guestbook located above!
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DAWG FLIGHT PERSONALITIES
SHULINKOU AIR STATION TOUR
SHULINKOU HISTORY: WWII to Present
SHULINKOU MEMORABILIA AND ARTIFACTS
ROAD UP THE HILL
DAWGS ON THE TOWN
TAIPEI NIGHT LIFE
CITY OF TAIPEI
DAWG FLIGHT'S TAIPEI APARTMENTS
TAIPEI AND SURROUNDING AREA
SHIMENDING and DOWNTOWN TAIPEI
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DAWG FLIGHT SPORTS TEAMS
DAWG FLIGHT McCAULEY BEACH (Camp McCauley) PARTIES
DAWG FLIGHT DOWN-ISLAND EXCURSIONS
DAWG FLIGHT CHRISTMAS PARTIES
DAWG FLIGHT THROUGH EYES OF SUGAR BEAR
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History, Stories, Tales, and Many Photos
During the winter of 2008, Gary "Yogi" Knighton (SLK Charlie Flt, 61-63) wrote and copyrighted a 4 part article describing his experiences from Keesler MIO school to his separation from the Air Force in 1963. Almost all of it dealing with Keesler and Shu Linkou. With Yogi's permission we have linked the four part article. It is very good reading that will surely have you recalling your time at Keesler and Shulinkou.
The Making of One Small Gear in the USAFSS Machine - Part 1 of 4
The Making of One Small Gear in the USAFSS Machine - Part 2 of 4
The Making of One Small Gear in the USAFSS Machine - Part 3 of 4
The Making of One Small Gear in the USAFSS Machine - Part 4 of 4
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SLK Alumni and friends; your help is needed to keep our website up and running with our web host service.
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* Merry Christmas and Happy New Year *
~ NEW ~ 
Shulinkou Dawg Flight Members - Jan 70 thru Dec 71
This was Dawg Flight's largest reunion yet. It ran for five days and was held at the Tropicana Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas for Dawgs circa 1968 thru 1972. 38 Dawg Flighters and their wives attended, which represented more than half of the 65 Dawg Flight members contacted prior to the event. The highlight of the reunion was a golf tournament at the Sunrise Vista Golf Course on Nellis AFB. There were over 700 digital photos taken by attendees with several great shots on display here.