The following correspondance was received by Roger Chagnon from Alex Wu, and concerns the fate of the former USS Hanson which is now the Liao Yang DDG921

From: The Wu's [mailto:changtw@ihug.co.nz]

Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 5:26 AM

To: Chagnon, Mr. Roger

Dear Mr. Roger:

It is my pleasure to reply your email. To my knowledge it is unlikely for ROCN to sell a discommissioned ship as an object of a navy ship. However, it is reasonable to be sold as items of scrapped iron.

There is another way of treating the ship with higher possibility that She could become a sunken fish farm just like some other tin-cans. In that case the only way for us to visit aboard Her again would be diving in somewhere east coast.

I once heard that the city councils of Kaohsiung and Taipei might work accompany with Navy to build real ship museums. Since the lack of founding and politicians always act different from what they said. I don't expect that dream could come ture in taiwan.

Thus, I think it would definitely be the best fate for DDG-921 to be bought (or even freely given) back to you and your association. I have visited the website of USS Orleck and I know you sailors would work desperately to make it ture!!

As United States government always can have what she desired from my goverment (we've been begging to have submarines for 20 years), I think it would be a good idea if your associatuon can gain the official support from US government piror to speaking to ROCN. So far I haven't heard any request about buying ships back (neither destroyers, nor Landing ships), but I think the possibility of making it deal is pretty high.

Honestly I am not sure how long DDG-921 will still be active, I guess there will be another 3 years!!

If there is any other information you would like to know about, just drop me an email. Best regards

Alex Wu