Ronald Reagan and Rhodesia

I was very privileged to speak with a 18 year veteran of the war in Rhodesia over the weekend who served in all its primary units including the SAS, RLI, Selous Scouts, etc. We discussed the politics of the final years of the war. The Carter Administration under whom 13 nations fell to Communism and Ronald Reagan's investigation into the Rhodesian question. It became known after the war was ended that Reagan had sent his own investigation team to Rhodesia to fully assess the elections and the transitional government, IE the Full and Free elections of Rhodesia.

England and minions from the Carter Administration hurried the Lancaster House Agreements because they knew that ol' Ronnie would back any democratic government that was fighting Communism. He had determined that we would win the Cold War at each and every opportunity. I found a book called Reagan in his Own Words on Google books where he says

Our government has refused to recognize the new Government of Rhodesia claiming it is bound by UN sanctions against that country..........It seems that we received a gentle warning from General Obasanjo, Ruler of Nigeria that more serious consequences might follow if we recognized Bishop Muzowera who has been elected Prime Minister of Rhodesia legally and Legitamately.......Rhodesia has taken great strides towards toward the kind of democratic values we have always endorsed.......But instead of holding out our hand of friendship we turn our back because of dictator of a country with no democratic values might make due without our oil ( imports )...

http://books.google.com/books?id=CExclJtH1qYC&pg=PT56&lpg=PT56&dq=ronald+reagan+on+zimbabwe&source=bl&ots=YKGDk-2RBl&sig=7Tu8M2ufe1Xg5vvcV2flACiB_6A&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false

It seems to me that the conservative Icon of American politics was planning on sending an expeditionary force to help Rhodesia secure its borders and stave off the Communist hordes. We need only to look at the results of Mugabe's reign to see that the war was not about White Power, it was about freedom and democracy. The Black Africans suffered more than anyone and still do to this day. The treachery of the Carter Administration and the British at this time gets more and more intricate every still.

A thorough analysis of American Involvement in Africa

www.Smallwarsjournal.com is a must website for people interested in the study of counter insurgency warfare. The following is a detailed account of the US's activities in Africa.

http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/the-united-states-and-the-lord%E2%80%99s-resistance-army

Fiction merging with Reality

With the announcement of the Obama Administration's sending spec-ops soldiers to Uganda to help track down and eradicate the Lords Resistance Army, I think they stole a piece of my work. Not really, but I support this endeavor by Obama ( once in a lifetime ) to help build stability in the Great Lakes Region of Central Africa. They are but a small band of thugs but I think it makes more sense to send in capable advisers rather than continue to pour in 30 million dollars a year to Uganda with nothing to show for it. The lines between fiction and reality will be blurred in the Task Force Intrepid Series.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15317684

A new blog and project

Just to let people know, I have started a blog on my forthcoming Military Adventure series about PMC's in Africa. The first manuscript is nearing completion and will be out by years end. The Blog will give readers an introduction to the concept and characters of the series. I hope you will take a look and offer feedback.

www.taskforceintrepid.blogspot.com

Forthcoming Novel

In the Spring of 2012, I will be releasing my first full length novel set in the European Theater of World War Two. No pun intended but many will say that this is no novel idea.....Specializing in researching World War Two, I have found innumerable books on the subject of this theater of war, from Historical work, Reference, Primary sources and other Novels. Some say adding to the mix of books on this subject will end up on as a bargain book in a bankrupt bookstore.

This book grew out of love for the era and a desire to understand man's nature in War and how that intertwines with a person's religious faith. Two commandments people usually remember, Thou shalt not kill and thou shalt not commit adultery. Murder and Sex are no-no's. The era of the 30's and 40's in America was a time where church attendance and knowledge of the scripture was very high. The boys sent off to fight a European war had moral quandries about pulling the trigger on people that looked like them and often times might be distant relatives.

A popular phrase over the 20th century was WWJD? What would Jesus Do? That is always a perplexing question because, well....its Jesus. Would Jesus rush a machine gun nest or finish off a wounded man who would not surrender? I think not. Yet today we see that religion and war are very intertwined in the American psyche. In my research, I questioned chaplains, soldiers, and the regular Christian about this dilema. There are varying answers to the Just War theory to simply, no Jesus would not serve in the military and neither will I.

Most people don't realize that not every single American rushed to the recruiters office after Pearl Harbor. Certainly the conscientious objector was in a very small minority but they existed. Hence the story of Private Billy Rucker who we find summoned before the draft board and his journey through the battlefields of Europe and the constant struggle of reconciling himself as a human, himself as a Christian and himself as a soldier.

What makes this unique, why bother reading it? There are well known best sellers who tell historical tales of world war two. This book does not fall into a publishable category through traditional means. I grew very frustrated with the Christian Book Association and their attempts to tell true stories or anything resembling reality. I bought a series by the acclaimed christian military storyteller hoping to find something worth reading. I never finished the book. It was full of cliche's both Christian and Apple Pie. Left out was the filth, grime, fear, hatred, blood and action that takes place in the real world of warfare. Capable authors are stuck with the restrictions put on them by Christian publishers. CBA's attempt to market military/mens adventure books is quite literally- Holy Shit. There is no home for me there and men have nothing of value to read in christian fiction.

On the flip side, a secular publisher cant be bothered or offended by a book that deals with Jesus Christ and his followers. A plot that revolves around the spiritual struggle. It will be rejected as too religious to be sellable to readers. Edgy Christian Fiction usually revolves around bedroom scenes and forbidden romances. Basically women based product.

I think its time that at least one book is available to those who love military fiction/history and are spiritual people to be able to enjoy and leave them with questions, not set answers that are sermonesque. No, weak sermons disguised as 'christian fiction'. This novel was meticulously researched and deals with hard issues whether you are a sinner or saint. This novel will not convert anybody but it just might make you think.

I will be posting more about the novel as the time draws near to unleash it.

More WW2 links.

http://www.keepmilitarymuseum.org/homefront/americans.php?
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/ref/FM/PDFs/FM21-75.pdf
http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/ww2/
one of the best intro sites !
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medicine_and_world_war_two.htm

http://www.ww2gyrene.org/role_corpsman.htm
http://med-dept.com/
One of the best on medicine and medics in WW2

More to come

More WW2 links.

I have found that links just are a gift that keep on giving in research.
http://www.90thidpg.us/
http://www.paperlessarchives.com/wwii_op_docs.html
http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/100-11/100-11.htm#cont
http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/Overlord/Overlord/16THIRDDay.htm
http://www.bayonetstrength.150m.com/    Great one on small units !!!!!!!!!!
http://www.bayonetstrength.150m.com/
http://blog.usni.org/2009/11/22/the-solomons-campaign-the-bougainville-invasion-november-december-1943part-i/
http://www.usmarineraiders.org/bougainville.htm
http://www.archives.gov/iwg/declassified-records/rg-226-oss/
http://www.freewebs.com/tuckerstroopers/

More to come. Its going to take awhile to get them all available. I have checked the links before I post. They are all working for me.