b'Occasionally Father needed to exchange gifts with those American of-ficers, and since he didnt have the budget for fancy gifts, Mother would instead handcraft delicate Hunan embroidery pieces as gifts instead.Fruits of Dedication: Privileges and Rewards from a Life of ServiceFather served at the Joint Logistics Command until late 1963. In those days, Taiwans standard of living was still relatively low. Our fathers high military rank couldnt bring our family extra material wealth, but it did pro-vide us with many benefits that we greatly appreciated.First and foremost was housing. Soldiers were allotted state-rationed houses, but due to my fathers relatively high official rank, we never resid-ed in a military village. Instead, we always lived in comparatively spacious houses. Our residence located on Xinyi Road was a custom-built house pro-vided by the Joint Logistic Command based on our own design. It was an impressive house featuring four bedrooms, a den that we used as a Buddhist room, a large living room, a garage, and generous front and back yards. By the standards of the era, it was considered luxurious. Without my fathers position, it would have been incredibly challenging for us, and most people, to afford such a residence.For nearly 30 years, from when we settled in 1961 until my siblings and I ventured out to begin our own lives, our family home stood as a silent witness to numerous dance parties, family gatherings, and heartwarming moments. It wasnt just our immediate family that shared memories within its walls; several of our parents grandchildren also spent innumerable hours playing and growing within its embrace. Four generations have created joy-ous memories here, making it a treasure trove of shared experiences and sentiments. 36'