榮民成為農民：退輔會農場的歷史分析(1954-1980)

隨著國民黨撤退來台的軍隊，在海峽兩岸嚴峻軍事對峙下，退伍後無法回到家鄉，這是國民黨政府安置大陸籍退伍軍人所面臨的特殊歷史情境。本文探討國民黨政府透過農耕計畫安置大陸籍士官兵的歷史過程，從退輔會安置政策的設定與演變中，瞭解場員（安置在農場的退伍士官兵）如何成為不同於本省籍農民的農民。本文從幾個政治、經濟面向來瞭解場員特殊的生產與生活形態：退輔會起初對農場未來的規畫以及後來的調整，經濟組織與家戶形態，農場土地所有權，場員、農場行政中心與退輔會之間的關係，農場與地方社會的互動，場員之間的經濟差距，最後比較場員與本省籍農民的差異，特別是家庭組織形態、家庭勞動力組成、經濟狀況以及經濟行為的差別。退輔會在安置計畫初始，設定不切實際的目標，施行不適當的政策，幸而退輔會保持政策彈性，不固著於浮誇的願景與成效不佳的措施，能夠隨著農場與場員互動產生的演變不斷調整，修正做法與重新設定目標。彈性與妥協之外，退輔會堅持土地所有權保持完整與國有，使得農場能夠有效組織場員勞動力，維持集體勞動的形式，國家投入土地的資源與場員投入土地的勞力，得以有效地累積。

關鍵字

退輔會；農業安置；榮民；農場

並列摘要

To demobilize soldiers peacefully and reintegrate them into society is an important key to post-war socio-political stability. In the wake of the Chinese civil war, the defeated Nationalist government and its troops fled to Taiwan. The Cold War then stabilized a militarily wary antagonism across the Taiwan Straits. Communication between the two sides was strictly prohibited. Displaced Mainland veterans had to make a living in a society alien to them, a form of demobilization quite different from the usual sense of discharged soldiers returning to their homes. The Nationalist state formed a government institute-the Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen (VACRS)-to help Mainland veterans find jobs. This paper examines the history of veterans' farms, the most important employment program of VACRS. Looking at various dimensions of veteran-farmers' economic lives, I explore the process of settlement that rendered veterans a group of farmers different from their Taiwanese counterparts: how VACRS initially drew up a blueprint and later changed it, the evolution of their households, special schemes for ownership of farmlands, the function of veterans' farm headquarters, interactions between the veterans' farms and local society, and the income gaps among veteran-farmers. I also show the economic differences between veteran-farmers and Taiwanese farmers by analyzing household type, family labor, and economic behavior. Although VACRS started with unrealistic goals and implemented some inappropriate policies along the way, it did not insist on these problematic visions, but rather constantly adapted to unexpected developments. In addition to its flexibility, VACRS maintained state ownership of veterans' farms. As a result, this labor pool was collectively and effectively organized, as were the resources VACRS invested in the farms.