Join us during September’s Free First Thursday for a drop-in symposium on the fascinating, little-known history of the “Black Bats.”
The Bats were a group of pilots in the Taiwanese air force who flew dangerous, clandestine missions in the Korean and Vietnam wars in support of the U.S. Backed by the CIA, the Black Bats are known for their last escapade, Heavy Tea, a daring nighttime mission to deploy secret surveillance equipment near a Chinese nuclear weapons base. The Black Bats conducted more than 800 missions over mainland China between 1953 and 1967.
Hear from six different presenters with deep connections to this fascinating chapter in Cold War and aviation history. The panelists will share their family members’ experiences, and one presenter, who served as a Black Bat in 1971, will tell stories from his missions. Learn about how the relationship between U.S. and Taiwanese forces influenced the course of the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, September 3, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
This program is FREE for Museum Members and included in the cost of General Admission.
Schedule
Full event schedule coming soon.
About the Panelists
Jack Meng
Son of an Air Force officer who was shot down in 1956 with a confidential mission sortie.
Fu-I Ping
Daughter of Fu Dingchang, who was an electronic officer of the Black Bat Squadron, who died in the line of duty in Guangdong, China in 1959.
Roger Chiu
As a Taoyuan local, Roger joined the Black Bat Squadron in February, 1971. He flew missions with C-123 conducting airlift and logistics supply until 1972 when the squadron was decommissioned.
Jean Ho
Daughter of Tso-Ming Ho, who was a part of an ultra-classified low-altitude penetration mission orchestrated by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the ROC Air Force.
Dr. Rong Wang
Son-in-law of a Black Bat copilot, Yin Gin-ding, who crashed in a P2V Neptune in 1961 in Dalian, China. Dr. Wang is the CEO of the Black Bat Squadron Memorial.
