"Rabble we may be, but we are now a rabble in arms..." (The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress) This is part two, read part one here. In 1965 Singapore was tossed out into the cold by Malaysia. Few countries get their independence in such a fashion. They were on their own in a very bad neighborhood. China was preparing to submerge into the "Cultural Revolution..." North Vietnam … [Read more...] about Singapore: A (former) Rabble In Arms
It is very warm. It is also humid, but what else would you expect? Singapore is roughly 60 miles North of the Equator and essentially has no seasons. The young National Servicemen are in formation. Only a couple of days into their training, but today's events will confirm the change in their lives. In a special ceremony the lads will be issued their rifles and will swear a … [Read more...] about Singapore: A harsh mistress
And I discovered that my castles stand Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand -Coldplay- The American instructors got their first look at the conscripts. Downtrodden peasants getting their first boots... and their first toothbrush. These were the men that would have to close with and destroy seasoned Marxist guerrillas...on their own. The Americans were forbidden to … [Read more...] about American foreign internal defense: Pillars of sand (part 2)
And I discovered that my castles stand Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand -Coldplay- The American major was ready to murder the two top government officials in the country. He had demanded and was promised 19 weeks to turn hapless peasants into a force that would be capable … [Read more...] about Pillars of Sand: American foreign internal defense (Part 1)
An aircraft goes down over Africa under "mysterious circumstances." The secretary general of the United Nations and 14 others, the crew and other members of his team, died. The only survivor of the 15 was an American Army sergeant on special assignment to the secretary general as security. He flatly insisted that the plane was shot down. His statement was ignored and he was … [Read more...] about America’s guide to conspiracy: The Dag Hammarskjöld mystery 55 years on
Note: This is part of a series, co-written by Yankee Papa and James Powell. You can read part one here. In 1962, the military arrested judges and others and set up a 17-officer junta to run the country. It is here that the history of Myanmar becomes extremely convoluted. In a nutshell, the junta replaced all civil servants (who at least knew how to run things) with military … [Read more...] about Myanmar and China: Secret Little War (Pt. 2)
There was a brief lull in the fighting in the Fall of 1944. Senior German Army officers were at a war game, training for what they would do if the Americans attacked through the Hurtgen Forest. They were halfway through the exercise when they were notified that the Americans had entered the Hurtgen in force. They grabbed their game plans and ordered reinforcements into the … [Read more...] about Wasting the Best and the Brightest: the ASTP Program in World War Two
"The hour is grave. Arise everyone, take up your arms and rush to the defence of your country. Rally to your chiefs. Obey them wholeheartedly. Repel the invader. Those unable owing to infirmity must help in this sacred quarrel with prayer. God be with us. Forward for the Emperor and country," -Heile Salassie 1935 In August of 2012, the Mayor of Affile, in Italy, was able … [Read more...] about ETHIOPIA AGAINST THE WORLD: Twelve Years Under The Bus
On May 7, 1952, the North Korean Senior POW on the Island of Koje-do requested the presence of the camp commander at the gate to his compound, #76. Brigadier General Francis Dodd obligingly showed up. Prior to this date, a number of American guards had been kidnapped and ultimately released. On April 2nd, MP officer Lt. Colonel Raven had been kidnapped and dragged inside … [Read more...] about North Korea & KOJE-do: Lessons Forgotten
I stepped up to the podium and adjusted the microphone. It was Saturday, September 21st, 2013. I was at the reunion of Wake Island survivors, possibly their last. The organizers and the small number of survivors knew who I was and why I was there, but the many family members did not. I explained that a SOFREP member whose uncle was at Wake asked that I attend in their stead, … [Read more...] about WAKE: An Island Too Far, Valor Betrayed
Today we have another guest article from SOFREP friend Yankee Papa who served in the Marine Infantry in Vietnam before going on to other adventures in Rhodesia. Today, he has a special story to share with us. -Jack In the Fall of 1951, Captain (later Lt. Colonel) Harold Myers, U.S. Army...was attending his farewell party at the headquarters of the Kagnew ("Conqueror") … [Read more...] about A DISTANT GLORY: The Ethiopian Imperial Guard In Korea
SOFREP friend Yankee Papa is back. Yankee Papa was a Marine infantryman in Vietnam and later served in the Rhodesian Security Forces during the bush war. Note the lead picture is of South African Defense Force Recces after a patrol. -Jack "The water downstream will not be clear if the water upstream is muddy..." - Korean Proverb Our last two administrations have either … [Read more...] about The Next War: Valid Thoughts on Conflict
