This is a hybrid blog, online notebook, and scrapbook that will evolve over time. I collect items of interest covering History, Philosophy, Current Events, Politics, and whatever else captures my fancy.
This is a 1964 BBC film. It is one of the best I have seen. This is the same time frame that the BBC put out a film called "War Game" which discuss the impact of a small nuclear war on Britain. That film was banned and was not viewed for nearly two decades.
The Battle of Culloden snapped the back of the Highland Clans. There are lessons to be learned here.
Americans going to battle ISIS is a throwback to post-Vietnam brush wars.
The ongoing conflict between the terrorist group the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and various other groups within the region have begun to attract veterans from both the United States and its allies. There are now ongoing online recruitment efforts, such as those by the Lions of Rojava, which is actively seeking foreign fighters. Lions of Rojava itself is partly run by a former Army soldier named Jordan Matson, who lives among Kurdish fighters. Many of these foreign volunteers see combating ISIS as simply an extension of the missions they were tasked with in Iraq and Afghanistan. But this isn’t the first time American veterans left their country to fight outside the purview of the military. Decades ago, after the end of the Vietnam War, a few American servicemen found themselves on the battlefields of a tiny former African nation: Rhodesia.
As Vietnamization took hold and American involvement dwindled, many Vietnam veterans found themselves uncertain about what their future held. The American military was at a cultural low point, and the inflation-based economic woes of the late 1970s presented many vets with an unfavorable employment market. But for some men, like John Alan Coey and Ken Gaudet, it went deeper than that. Coey, who was an ardent anti-communist, was set to become a commissioned officer in the Marine Corps when the U.S. began drawing down in Vietnam. Coey viewed the American withdrawal from Vietnam as a betrayal of the United States’ commitment to fight communism. Gaudet, who had served two tours in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, found he missed the military life, and wanted to get back to professional soldiering. Dubbed the “The Crippled Eagles” by author Robin Moore, Coey and Gaudet were among roughly 300 Americans who decided to travel to Rhodesia and fight.
This map shows the 1965-1980 borders of Rhodesia, as well as the operational areas of the Bush War.
A forgotten battleground of the Cold War, Rhodesia was a small nation that had fought communist-backed insurgencies and condemnation for the international community since its Universal Declaration of Independence in 1965. The intensity of the conflict, known as the Rhodesian Bush War, grew in 1975 when settlement talks between the white-minority Rhodesian government and black paramilitary political groups broke down. Portuguese colonial power in Mozambique collapsed that same year; at this point, Rhodesia was essentially surrounded, its only ally being the trepidatious apartheid regime in South Africa.
Rhodesian security forces were extraordinarily effective, but small. In an effort to boost manpower, Rhodesia started recruiting to foreign nationals indirectly, most notably through ads in the infamous “Soldier of Fortune” magazine. For Americans like Coey and Gaudet, the conflict in Rhodesia seemed to be the next front in the fight to contain communism.
Many of the foreign nationals who fought for Rhodesia were characterized as mercenaries, but the military required a three-year minimum term of service, and most were paid the same as any other Rhodesian trooper. They also mainly joined existing units like the Rhodesian Light Infantry, Special Air Service, and the Selous Scouts; there wasn’t a foreign “volunteer” unit that could be characterized as a mercenary force. But while U.S. law did not explicitly prohibit American citizens from fighting in Rhodesia, it was a thorny issue for policymakers. The United States supported the economic sanctions levied against Rhodesia, mindful of supporting a white-minority regime in the era of the Civil Rights Movement. The Rhodesian Bush War ended in 1980; with elections ousting the regime, and the establishment of the nation of Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe. Most of the Americans left soon after; a few, like Ken Gaudet, were folded into South African special operations units. Seven Americans, including John Alan Coey, died in service of the Rhodesian armed forces.
The service of Americans in Rhodesia presented a complicated problem for the United States government’s foreign policy. In the case of Rhodesia, the communist-backed organizations the fledgling nation was fighting against often had support from the Soviet Union, in the form of military advisors and material.There was a possibility, however likely or unlikely, of an American fighting under Rhodesia’s flag being captured by groups supported by the Soviets. Such a situation would have put the United States government in a difficult position, both in regards to their policy on Rhodesia, and the Cold War implications of an American found fighting forces supported by Soviets in a war that the U.S had condemned.
Now, all these decades later, the emerging conflict with ISIS has present similar issues with Americans serving in foreign military formations. The main difference here is the U.S. is officially involved in the fight against ISIS with Operation Inherent Resolve, providing air and logistical support for the Iraqi government, as well as establishing training programs for moderate Syrian opposition groups. But Americans going abroad to fight ISIS in direct combat could complicate things.
Rhodesia, while condemned by the international community, was still the de-facto government; Americans who fought for them were part of an organized national military chain of command. In Iraq and Syria, there are variety of semi-organized groups committed to fighting ISIS, but their status can be questionable; the Kurdistan Workers Party has begun attacks against ISIS fighters, but the group has been listed as a terrorist organization by the United States since 1997, due to Turkey’s place in NATO. Conversely, Iraqi Kurds are considered more legitimate by the United States than their Syrian brethren. Determining who is is a part of what group, or even differentiating between different rebel organizations has been difficult. Eric Harroun, a former Army soldier, was arrested after fighting in Syria for al-Nusra Front, a group classified as a terrorist organization by the State Department. Harroun had intended to fight for the moderate Free Syrian Army, and after getting separated during battle, accidently linked up with al-Nusra Front members.
The shifting allegiances and unclear depositions of many groups make it dicey for anyone looking to fight ISIS as a volunteer. And in the same way as Rhodesia, the question remains: How will the United States respond if an American volunteer is captured fighting for another entity?
Hogwarts School of Grid-Down Medicine and Wizardry was created for the citizen that has concerns about health, well-being, and medical care in a grid-down scenario. The authors’ intent is to demystify basic medical care to help fellow citizens become more resilient in a long-term emergency, should the normal systems for medical care be disrupted.
It is the intention and hope of the authors that “Mad Max” scenarios don’t happen, and by using education and outreach about basic medical care to all citizens, said scenarios remain fiction and civilization thrives instead.
What grabbed my attention was the following two articles:
Too many people in my life have thyroid issues. I dare say that what ever is causing it is one of the most under reported medical stories in this country. There could be various reasons for it. Most people do not understand the importance of the thyroid.
Concept Trailer that was released several years ago.
This story is troubling on so many levels. The narrative surrounding the deaths is already out there. I have shown the concept trailer to many people, which opened their eyes to the various possibilities. Cinema is the story telling technology of our time. If you want to change people's minds, present some of the ideas in movie form.
The interesting thing here is that Crowley, by his own admission, was not a tinfoil hat kind of guy. He was following a logical chain of events and technology. What did he find? How close was he getting?
I am sure that "PTSD" and "access to guns" is going to be a reoccurring theme in the coverage of this story.
My maternal grandmother passed away this last Tuesday. Her funeral is today. May she rest in peace.
I am thinking today of that beautiful land We shall reach when the sun goeth down; When through wonderful grace by my Savior I stand, Will there be any stars in my crown? Refrain: Will there be any stars, any stars in my crown, When at evening the sun goeth down? When I wake with the blest in the mansions of rest, Will there be any stars in my crown? In the strength of the Lord let me labor and pray, Let me watch as a winner of souls; That bright stars may be mine in that glorious day, When His praise like the sea-billow rolls. Oh, what joy it will be when His face I behold, Living gems at His feet to lay down; It would sweeten my bliss in the city of gold, Should there be any stars in my crown. Will there be any stars, any stars in my crown, When at evening the sun goeth down? When I wake with the blest in the mansions of rest, Will there be any stars in my crown?
Did you here about this attack in Saudi Arabia? No? Everyone was talking about "I am Charlie" or some such nonsense. Do you understand the possible implications? Interesting times my friends.
Today is the one year anniversary of this little blog and online notebook. I never figured on any readership beyond a few friends and family. As of today, this little blog has received over 4,100 views.
I appreciate the support and the comments. Here's to the next year. There is a lot to write and think upon. I look forward to your comments.
This last year was an interesting year. There was an eerie feeling that we have seen all of this before. We experienced the 100 year anniversary to the start of World War One. We witnessed a reemergence of a strong, empire seeking Russia. Technology appeared to fail us with the total disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines flight. An historic election took place and then in a total reversal of fortune, the victors bent their knee to the loser, shocking an enraged electorate. Oil prices dropped like a rock, encouraging some and causing others to wonder what the second and third order effects will be in a few months.
The new year will no doubt be full of good and bad news. Tragedies will occur. Celebrations will be made for achievements of all kinds. We all will experience change in some form or fashion. Life is change.
Today our family attended the last Mass our chaplain will be saying here at our home station before he moves on to his next assignment. Tears, hugs, and laughter were shared all around.
For those of us in the military change is the only real constant in our life. We develop relationships knowing that at some point, there will be separation. Family life is especially impacted by this. Most people think of just deployments. It is much more. It is sometimes hard to plan life events due to the high operations tempo that can fill the military life. Our children sometimes wonder just how long that they will get to spend with the friends that they make. We look in wonder at some of the families that we know that have been in one house or the same town for more that five or ten years. To us that is a lifetime. To have that kind of stability in our life seems almost a dream. Yet, change still affects those people too.
Births, graduations, marriages, and death provide change that visits all of us. These are personal changes. Nations also experience changes. These changes can be positive or negative. We are living through changes right now. For some, the changes being made are what they want to happen. For many of us, these same changes are something to be fought against.
History is full of similar stories of positive and negative change. Many people have walked the same paths with the same concerns and apprehensions.
