Several years ago while reading the writings of Robin Moore, the author of the classic book The Green Berets, I discovered that he had spent two years in Rhodesia, a small African country, running an unofficial American embassy that catered particularly to Americans who had joined the Rhodesian Army in their battle against the tide of Communism in Southern Africa.

I began to remember old Soldier of Fortune Magazines that had written about ‘Mercs’ fighting for this country. Needless to say, I was intrigued and wondered who these men were, these ‘The Crippled Eagles’.

I scoured the internet and Amazon to find any reading material that would give me more information on these men. Most of whom were veterans of the Vietnam War that continued the profession of War Time soldiering and the battle against the Red Tide. Very little was available at that time. Thankfully, I found bits and pieces that would lead me on to another clue, another person to contact or another book to read.

It seemed that these men were quiet. The ones who were very loud and vocal, adding Mercenary/Rhodesia/Selous Scouts to their CV were often frauds. It was easy even five years ago to imagine your past and add in some manly ‘Merc’ activity to it, simply because resource material was scarce to verify a persons claims.

As I began to home in on legitimate pieces of information, certain names kept appearing and John Cronin was one of them. I keep a list of people that I hope to come across in order to possibly get their stories or information on the war. It turned out that the best information came from the burgeoning online community of Rhodesian War veterans. Their history and story is an understudied segment of military history that deserves to be up there with any of the great Special Operations units of the world.

Some I made contact with on Facebook, others through email. The Rhodesians themselves had opinions on Yanks who made it over to participate in the war. There were either good men or shitbags. Most of the Yanks who went over either excelled as members of the Rhodesian Army or deserted. There may have been 300 or so that went over but far less distinguished themselves. John Cronin is solid.

The Tempestuous Travels of an American Cold Warrior

The search for Captain Cronin had turned up a dry hole so I was extremely excited to see a book simply appear on Amazon’s recommendations for my account. Called The Bleed, I immediately downloaded it and devoured it. This book is a classic autobiography that fills in so many missing links about the few that served in Vietnam and then Rhodesia. Whether you are interested in Rhodesia or not, anyone remotely interested in Special Operations and the lifestyle of a Professional Soldier from the Baby Boom generation will enjoy this read.

Cronin’s family had served with distinction in combat through all of the major wars America has participated in and he was to be no exception. In the mid 1960s and the ramping up of forces in Vietnam, he enrolled at the Virginia Military Institute for his college education. Circumstance and his easy going style forced him to make other decisions a year later.

Not wanting to come back from the Vietnam War in a body bag, he weighed his options and enlisted in the Marine Corps because he felt at that time they were a more motivated, well trained force. Anyone who joined the military in 1966 knew that they were most likely to spend a year abroad in Vietnam, backpack and all. The Author describes a classic path through Marine Corps boot camp ending up with orders to become a radio man. Unlike today, people rarely chose their career path. Dutifully completing the school, he had no intention of sitting behind a desk for the 13 month tour of duty.

Vietnam is full of stories of chance and circumstance of people simply raising their hand and ending up in units that today would require an extremely long selection and pipeline to enter into. 1^st Marine Battalion Recon had an opening and off he went. Arriving at the unit, again he finds a way into the bush, and starts operating with elite Marines in the thick of the action along the DMZ.

After a few months of extended recces and surprise contacts with the NVA and VC, the odds caught up with him and he was badly wounded. The author’s humor and perspective come through along with detailed and gripping action. Extracted off the battlefield, he enters recovery, assessing his future. Most would have taken the Purple Heart and finished their time and went back to normal life, figuring that they had done their bit.

After a battle with bureaucracy he made it back and this time he raised his hand for 3^rd Force Recon doing God’s work along the DMZ. Quite frankly, with the material that Captain Cronin presented to this point is enough for a book in and of itself. After leaving the Marines, he finished college and felt the desire to gain a commission back in the Corps. His tour of duty as an Infantry Officer in a post-Vietnam era was uneventful, except of course for his love life, which adds to the narrative wherever he went, but it prepared him for the next war that he would choose to fight.

Deciding to test himself further as a Warrior he heads for Rhodesia with a one way ticket and is whisked away to recruiters who examine his history and welcome him aboard. This was a time when Rhodesia was in serious need of manpower. They gave him the choice of either the Rhodesian Light Infantry or the SAS, and he chose the RLI. I personally questioned the Author as to why he made this choice over the SAS, given his Force Recon experience. Trained as an Infantry Officer, he felt that he wanted to utilize his training and meet the enemy in head to head action but he would eventually finish his service in Rhodesia as one of five Americans to have served in the Selous Scouts.

Given a slot straightway into the RLI, he goes about proving himself as a capable officer and tells the story from a unique perspective. He pulls no punches on Rhodesian politics as well as the ‘Freedom Fighters’ of ZANU and ZIPRA. Woven into this time in the RLI is his relationship with a female member of the Army and it is an interesting story of two people living and fighting a war and how it affected their lives.

Cronin’s reputation and skill as a RLI Officer is solid as verified by many Rhodesians I have spoken to. His abilities as an Officer grew within the Rhodesian way of war to the point that he was running Fire Force mission from the sky in the K-Car. Anything less than competency would lead to disgrace and duty elsewhere, likely in the mess hall or an adjutant to a motor pool officer of higher rankl

One last thing remained on his bucket list as a Professional Soldier. The Selous Scouts. Known worldwide as one of the most effective counter insurgency forces in history, it is a challenge that he cannot live without. This reader’s understanding of the Scouts was enhanced by reading these chapters.

As Mugabe took power, John Cronin at the age of 32 decided to move on with his life. His interest in foreign affairs, the Middle East and Africa in particular, caused him to pursue graduate studies. Most of us would try to compete for places in the Ivy League schools of the US and perhaps make trips to our region of interest.

Not so for the Author.

He heads for the American University in Cairo and then for study in Beirut, Lebanon. Yes, that place where there was a civil war going on and hundreds of Marines were blown up in one of America’s first tastes of terrorism. As a blonde haired American in a city that hated the West, he was bound for trouble in the form of a kidnapping by Hezbollah. It is harrowing and unhinged but Captain Cronin obviously lived to tell about it – barely.

As a student of the Marine Corps in Vietnam and the Rhodesian Bush War, I found a book that linked them together in a narrative that I have found nowhere else. The Americans who did this are very few in number. Some never made it home and others are nowhere to be found. It’s not just the subject matter that makes this book worth reading; it is the Author’s ability to bring you along for the adventure that causes me to write a review for all readers of SOFREP and military history. It saves us from the pretense that a man of his experience might throw at a reader.

This book is worth far more than the 4.99 I paid for it. In fact, as a researcher, it is priceless. The genuine genius behind it is that you need not be historically ‘informed’ nor even be interested in the wars that are covered. This is the Odyssey of a Professional Soldier in the 20^th Century.

Do yourself or someone you know favor by reading this important story ! Then by all means share your thoughts and comments as all are appreciated. To thine own self be TRUE! All the Best!
https://a.co/d/agG4LFr

Oringally published by SOFREP.com

Note: This article is a special one to me. An individual found his fathers ‘diary’ of training during selection and sent it to me during my string of ongoing articles on the wars of Rhodesia and South Africa. There was one problem. It was hand written in Afrikaans: (Afrikaans is a language of southern Africa, derived from the form of Dutch brought to the Cape by Protestant settlers in the 17th century, and an official language of South Africa.)

A legendary soldier Willem Ratte, a native of South West Africa, now Namibia, served in the Rhodesian SAS from 1974 until 1979, then went back to South Africa and commanded the Recce Squadron of the famed 32 Battalion until 1989. He graciously translated this diary for me in record time and deserves a whole study/biography of his own. ( The typical soldier in Rhodesia served 6-10 weeks in the Bush with 2 weeks at home. In South Africa, generally speaking, they were on constant combat duty. This amount of combat amazed me when first researching Southern African conflicts.

Some individuals served more than 15 years on this schedule and then went into the Private Military Sector and continued their combat duties. I asked one soldier about this rotation and the amount of combat endured compared to the shorter amount of combat today’s military will experience. He said, ‘Dan, we were defending our homes and our way of lives. There was no choice and it did not matter. It put a new respect and perspective of the way of life for the combat soldier of the Cold War in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Western Media has disregarded the fact that Communist forces backed with supplies and personnel from Russia, Cuba, East Germany and China seeking to invade the borders and overthrow the Government. I often say that both in Rhodesia and South Africa were as much political as physical. No matter the internal issues and problems nations faced once the left the Commonwealth of England and their created institution’s legacies, there was a physical war of invasion. Just as America would drop it’s internal struggles to counteract a foreign nation that militarily invaded our Southern Border, Rhodesia and South Africa did the same thing. Communists were and are master propogandists who exploit side issues to obfuscate their main goals.

The South African Reconnaissance Regiments are one of the lesser-known and understood groups of Special Operations Forces in the world today. Especially the unit during its inception and first 20-25 years due to the political issues surrounding the country.

They have been through many phases and missions under the command of very different governments, especially in the last quarter-century. Today’s ‘Recce’ is often attached to missions of the United Nations for peacekeeping missions in various parts of Africa. The old SADF (South African Defense Force) was primarily a highly specialized unit born in the midst of a growing fire of communist insurgencies across the continent.

Similar to the big Army mindset of the United States that was against any type of Special Forces, South Africa did not see the need for anything beyond the vaunted airborne forces known as the Parabats. A few visionary soldiers saw the need for highly specialized and mobile forces, able to perform deep recon and direct action behind enemy lines. In 1967, Jan Breytenbrach, a highly innovative officer in the Parachute Battalions secured permission to take 12 of his men to Rhodesia and undergo SAS Selection in an attempt to bring that training back and multiply it and eventually form up a successful Counterinsurgency (COIN) unit of its own.

Many growing armies in war and peace seek knowledge from other countries who have experience in the areas they want to strategically employ. Breytenbach and all of his men were ground down with intention but passed Rhodesian SAS selection in good shape. This nucleus would be the beginning of a unit that would be permanent and legendary.

The initial training of a special operations soldier is generally referred to as Selection. There are other terms used around the world but Selection is a word that holds significance. The magnitude of what men go through to make it into a unit is intended as a mutual selection. The instructors get a chance to determine the suitability of a candidate through whatever means they can devise but equally important is the soldier’s chance to select whether he truly wants to follow through and be standing at the end.

Each unit has its own tried and true methods to strip everything away down to raw and bloody will and each soldier must find a way, inside, to not only stay in the game but to find a way to perform up to standards.

The Recces went through their own learning curve to find the best men. In the beginning, a traditional SAS-style course was undertaken. Half of the cruel and unusual punishment came from the landscape and wildlife of Africa itself. The heat, terrain, and ability to endure it would ensure Darwins ‘Survival of the Fittest’ had some say so in the Recces.

Once the unit became official in the mid-1970s the recruiting and training classes commenced, the cadre often found themselves searching far and wide for candidates. With the rigorous process of applying, showing physical fitness, and a suitability interview with a psychiatrist much was invested in prospects before they showed up for Selection.

A series of events in 1975 proved that the ‘head shrinks’ would be an invaluable tool and that the evolution onto a plane of pain and endurance was that required the greatest war fighting tool of all, mental acuity and the ability to compartmentalize fatigue and pain into a small shoe box. As with today’s Selection courses, many candidates have to be forced off the course due to medical orders from the head Surgeon. Many good men are rolled back or permanently disqualified due to accidental injury or simple and recurrent issues such as stress fractures of the feet that will not heal.

One class began with 14 candidates. Only one of them graduated. He was on the course alone for a great part of it. General Fritz Loots, who had become the General for Special Forces command and development with Breytenbach was quite distressed. Missions for the Recces were available and a lack of manpower was holding the entire concept hostage.

The course officer had also reported that a further eight of them had the potential to become operators. Both Loots and Breytenbach decided that until further notice, no one would leave the course without permission. They reasoned that duty with the Recces was chosen and like any other unit, it was their duty to stay on regardless.

Another class of 28 formed up and within a week fourteen men had thrown in the towel. Angered by this, the 14 were ordered back to Selection and several of them continued on to graduation and proved to be useful and capable Recces.

Two psychiatrists were put on duty to be available to help the men on Selection. The idea of seeing a ‘headshrinker’ being for the weak-minded was slowly dispelled and accepted by the majority of the cadre.

Although eventually men would be allowed to drop or ‘throw in the towel,’ the importance of a strong psychological workup before and during Selection greatly improved their success rate. They also improved the entire pre-selection work up to determine the likely success of volunteers. Sports science was coming into its own and was advantaged by doctors to find out if the cardiovascular system was capable of enduring training. Joint flexibility, wear and tear on knees, hips and lower back was profiled with X-rays and load tests to weed out those who were unable to carry up to 120 pounds on their back.

The old school method of finding bodies and letting them sink or swim was not proving useful and amounted to a waste of time and money to a fledgling organization. In essence, men who showed up had nothing standing between them and success except the unforeseen injury.

The cadre learned as well. Simple mistreatment and discouraging an individual did not gain positive results. Pushing a man to his limits and instilling desire while holding to the rigorous standards gave the best results.

However, these changes did not lessen the difficult nature of the course. Recce Selection proved to be one of the most difficult in the world. As with any mission, the terrain dictates the type of training needed. Operating in the subtropic heat and arid environment proved to be the downfall of many men.

Some people simply could not acclimatize to the heavy workload in the heat. Endless marching through rough terrain with packs, rationed food, and water day after day was simply too much for many men.

Being able to map read and keep yourself and your team on a ruler’s edge to an objective was fundamental. Doing so after a 24-hour march shouldering an 80-pound ruck with blood pouring out of your boots from raw skin and limited food and water became exceedingly difficult.

A man’s temperament was constantly under surveillance, especially at these key times. A cool head in the midst of extreme physical discomfort was paramount. A man who would lose his head with another candidate or God forbid an instructor could lead to a swift ticket home. The Recces needed the type of mentality that could ruck 150 klicks, recon a target, and hoof it back on foot with the enemy in pursuit, being out of food and searching for water.

The wildlife of Africa was a built-in part of the course that could not be avoided and would always be present in combat operations. A notorious exercise to quell the natural fear of predators including the crocodile is presented in Harry McCallion’s book “Killing Zone.” McCallion had served in the British Paras and sought adventure in South Africa. Upon arrival, he was offered a slot to try out for the Recces. He was accustomed to the extreme physical fitness required and endless marching but one exercise nearly caused him to leave straight away.

The class was conducting evolutions near a lake. The men were brought up to see the crocodiles that slithered up and down its banks and into the water. Later into the night after endless log and rifle PT and hard running they ended back up at the lake. They were instructed to dress down to their skivvies and swim across a croc-infested lake. There was a lot of protesting, and especially from McCallion.

Why in the world would he risk his life during Selection? A rope was there to help you get across. Twenty men refused to swim the 100 yards and disqualified themselves. McCallion decided that he had some and pass the course, alive or dead, and went for it. He lived as did the others.

Later a course instructor came to him and told him the reason for the evolution. A similar situation had occurred recently on a hot extraction after contact. Several chanced it and made it but two men refused. A scout happened to have found a narrow place farther upriver. The whole team’s life was in jeopardy due to fear. They didn’t want mindless men. They wanted men who could face their fear in the direst of circumstances, overcome them and continue the mission.

Almost all selection courses have their version of Hell Week. After my personal interviews with two Recces one thing stood out that the South Africans required of the men during the most mentally and physically grueling part of the Selection course to determine if they had the fortitude to become Recces. The intentional lack of food for 5-6 days. Whereas in BUD/S they are fed up to 6000 calories/day, potential Recces had a handful of rice here, a fruit there. In fact, one of the Recces I interviewed said that was the hardest part and probably the thing that messed with their will to finish the most.

When the body is beyond empty and at a physical low, the South Africans believed they could find a man’s deepest desire. Taking one of the most powerful needs that humans have and depriving them of it while continuing the demands of endless marches and PT could reveal the men who could stick around and endure the missions required by these Soldiers.

All of the bushcraft, tracking, counter tracking, minor tactics, assaulting tactics, reconnaissance fieldcraft could only be given to the men who were physically, mentally, and morally able to undergo the fear, deprivation, and punishment that is Selection for the Reconnaissance Commandos.

Below you will find a Recce candidate’s notes during the equivalent of Hell Week. It contains many gems and insights. The translation belongs to Willem Ratte, one of the most experienced small unit reconnaissance operators in the world.

• Wednesday (4.5.75): We got wet in the rain that night and it was bloody cold.
• Thursday (6.5.75): Start 6 am with PT running through water and over sand dunes With a full sandbag. Lectures. Went to Sibaya lake where we had to swim. Nearly saw my ass. At 6pm we started our z (bedford) BD with ropes too sore. Waiting now for the next trick.
• Friday (7.5.75): The next trick was to walk to Sibaya lake with full sandbag 16km. This morning we had to double 16 km back to camp. Then we had to run with kit on the beach and the crawl through the surf. Midday we had a compass lecture, practical. We walk up to our hips in a huge swamp. Then shooting practice. 8pm we start to walk, until 2am, approx 20km.
• Saturday (8.5.75): the night was heavy & cold. 6am we started to pull the bedford with ropes, until 9am, approx 4km. Suffer heavy because we have been without food for 2 days now. 10am we start walking until 1.30pm, approx 8km. Midday we do observation skills. Tests that evening. 8pm we must do 16km again. GREAT EVENING FOR ME.
• Sunday (9.5.75. 6): Am we double back to camp. Rifle inspection and bush lane. Swim with kit and ambush for night.
• Monday (10.5.75): after ambush we have to move along beach to our RV. Arrive in the morning at 7am, approx 10km then mountain climbing exercises. We are heavy & hungry. 3 days without food. Get food and sleep well.
• Tuesday (11.5.75): rest and get kit ready for big thing. Jump tonight for our starting point. We will have to do 400+km.
• Wednesday (12.5.75): Jump last night and start walking until 2am, approx 20km. start walking at 6am. Do 28km until 12pm. Ha!
• Thursday (13.5.75): Walk approx 25 km to Sibaya lake. Then row for 20km to the other side of the lake to the next RV.
• Friday (14.5.75): Walk with the boat for approx 8km. Suffer a lot. Then walk for 30km to coast. Eat lekker (nice) pap (porridge).
• Saturday (15.5.75): Start walking 5am. Must do 36km before 3pm. get there 4.30. Only group there. Throw food out for us by parachute.
• Sunday (16.5.75): Wait until 1pm for others. Made nice porridge for breakfast. Must now walk 43km. They take all our kit and food.
• Monday (17.5.75): It is now 6am and we are hungry and ice-cold. Wait for instructors. We walk approx 40km in direction of Ovbombo mountains. Must go over river. Me and Hein go over first. Half-way the rope breaks. float back to bank. Hein probably kicks off rope which holds rifles, 2 metres from shore. Search but find nothing.
• Tuesday (18.5.75): Walk until this morning 4.15. We receive orders to walk back 45km with a pole. My feet are one blister.
• Wednesday (19.5.75): Walk approx 30km until 9,30. my feet heavy & sore. Cross river by boat. Eat coffee and bread. very tired and full of longing.
• Thursday (20.5.75): get to RV at 9.30am. We cammo ourselves with ash. Think is nearly over. General loots is at RV and we must do buddy rating. We lay an ambush 24km further on.
• Friday (21.5.75): Get to RV at 8am. Bush was very thick. The next RV 15+12km far. My feet heavy & sore. Take short-cut through swamp. (They) Catch us and take our shoelaces and all our food.
• Saturday (22.5.75): had to walk 12km further the previous night to emergency RV. From there we start walking at 1am. For 45km. Have no food. with (native) chief we eat porridge, tea and coffee. Full of longing. We are first to get to RV. Tell us to walk along road for 10km. Hope this is the last stretch. (They) chase us all the way. Get there 5pm. 6pm they tell us back 25km. We are heavy & tired, exhausted and hungry. Walk only until 8.30. O ja, ;we ate many dates. Wish I could give them to Hannelie.
• Sunday (23.5.75) Start walking at 4am. am still stiff. 40km. Get to RV at 10am. First there. Get food and tell us to walk along road, individual test, appr 5km, when instructor in the bush calls us and gives us a beer and tells us the course is over. Bloody glad. Gen Loots also there.

Originally published by SOFREP.com

D Squadron’s tactical HQ was initially set up at Buffalo Range, a very busy base of operations for the Rhodesian Light Infantry and the SAS. Set in the southeastern part of Rhodesia, the terrain varied greatly from the borderlands to the north. There were no lush mountains and thick foliage. It was dry and sparse. The AO was called the “Russian Front” by the Rhodesians. One might assume that it was dubbed such due to the presence of the Russian advisors helping the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) and the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO). But in fact, it was the dry humor of the Troopies hearkening back to World War Two’s most dreaded and deadly front for the Germans. The Eastern or Russian Front had a lonely, deadly reputation. Punishment or falling from favor with one’s higher chain of command elicited a posting to the literal Russian Front.

It was here, in Mozambique, that the Recces would be assured of contact with the enemy and would progress as a unit against communist-trained terrorists, very similar to the ones they were to face in the future along their northern borders, most notably in Angola and Mozambique during the Border War.

Within a short amount of time, the SAS intelligence liaison officer brought them indoors for the brief and revealed a map of their assigned area. It seemed rather large to them. How would it be possible to effectively control such a piece of real estate? The border alone, north to south, was 150 kilometers long. It seemed a folly to expect 55 men to cover, let alone control, this wide area. At that point, I am certain that many men wondered if a voluntary departure could be had. There were a small number of men who would later request posting back to South Africa, and it would be granted.

The men of the reconnaissance regiments were professional soldiers. They knew that to better learn their profession, they would have to take any and all situations and find a way to dominate. Besides, if their SAS brethren were doing it, surely they could do it as well.

The Rhodesian intel officer informed them that they would be chaperoned on their first mission to get a lay of the land and useful procedures that the SAS had developed during their operations. However, after that, the Recces would be running their own show. Their insertion methods would cover all of the training that they had received. Static-line drops, helo inserts, and even HALO jumps for sensitive missions that required absolute stealth when dropping near known strong points.

Although these operations were vital to the development of the Recces’ history and capabilities, it was classified top secret until 1983, years after the Bush War ended. On the surface, South Africa wanted to maintain some neutrality and distance from the much-maligned Rhodesian government.

Records for these missions come mainly from the writings of Peter Stiff in the book “The Silent War.” He details this period through interviews with the men and a tiny handful of memoirs by those who participated.

Once again, South Africa found itself battling the birth pangs of a full-fledged war, fighting against communist-trained armies from Angola to Mozambique. At this point, Rhodesia was persona non grata to the world community, and South Africa was quickly reaching that point. Secrecy, as much as possible, was desired.

Dry runs began in order to gain familiarity with the terrain and enemy. It was a short affair. After this was done, the first team inserted via static line and made their way to the objective designated for the first mission. The main terrain feature was a rail line. It was vital for the communists to keep it open for supplies. At one time, it had run from the coast all the way into Rhodesia, but the fall of the Portuguese colonial government ended that. Like most societies, villages and towns tend to grow up around trade routes, railroads, and vehicular traffic. As is the case with most small unit teams conducting direct-action missions behind enemy lines, reconnaissance and sabotage were the objective.

The first team made it to the vicinity of the rail line fairly quickly. Knowing that the area was a hot spot, they formed out an extended line in case of contact. A service road ran adjacent to the tracks. Being well trained and professional, they crossed the road, trying to leave no trace indicating their true direction. Upon reaching the actual track, they pulled security and rushed across undetected. As fate and the unpredictability of combat dictated, they didn’t have to wait long until contact was made. Lt. Corrie Meerholz recounts their first contact in Stiff’s book.

From concealed positions, they spotted a man walking toward them on the rail line. He appeared to be alone. They thought that strange for such an active AO. However, not seeing anyone else after careful observation, Meerholz made the decision to effect a prisoner snatch. As the man came closer, they saw he carried a RPD machine gun. Suddenly, a man appeared behind him with an RPG. The initial assumption that this was a civilian was gone.

More men appeared over the horizon. The LT decided to go ahead with a prisoner snatch and to engage the enemy. He ordered two men to abandon their weapons in order to be free to subdue the “would be” prisoner while his team provided covering fire.

The seconds ticked away and the men crawled forward. A tactical problem emerged. For effective fire on the trailing soldiers, his own would have to stand and reveal their positions, potentially diminishing the advantage they would have through concealment. The clock wound down and a decision was made, but not by the LT. One of the two men assigned to the snatch had carried his weapon against orders. The soldier saw the predicament and decided against showing himself to an enemy patrol unarmed. This soldier broke cover and shot the intended target and the RPG-7 gunner behind him. A brief firefight broke out but the enemy fled.

Their cover blown, they called for an extract. Not wasting any opportunities to take down their enemy, the bodies, weapons, and equipment were booby trapped.

On their ride back to Rhodesia, they were informed that a radio intercept confirmed the sabotage had worked and killed several Terrs. Although a short mission, they achieved the first kills of many that were to come. Recces were to become a fixture of ‘D’ Squadron until the latter end of 1979.

Although this seems to be a small action, many more were to follow which is beyond the scope of this article. The rotation of handfuls of men during the 70’s gave the Recces a template on how to used highly trained soldiers. Since the Army early on was trying to understand how to employ them, several deadly decisions were made. Many in high command determined that these were a bunch of overtrained ‘tough men’ to be used as shock troops. Several of these incidents resulted in the investments of Selection and Training- and ultimately human life- that Recces from Battalion level to the major strategic Reconnaissance and Raids began to be used in a strategic fashion. Many argue about which unit was full of ‘Hard Men’, the truth is anyone who went through the ‘pipeline’ ending up on the battlefield, just as today’s American Dev Gru and Delta, they were a cut above in their mentality and physical ability.

Originally published by SOFREP.com

(Note: It has proved difficult to find ‘block’ information on ‘D’ Squadron outside of Peter Schiff’s book The Silent War. Since writing this article in 2015 I have been able to speak to members of the South African Recces and learned more. After this initial deployment described below, Recces were sent in pairs or small numbers – not only to help bolster the critical mission of the SAS but to gain operational experience for the developing South African Special Operations Forces.)

In 1977 and 1978, Rhodesia’s war against the communist terrorists was heating up to proportions not experienced before. It was all hands on decks. Contacts and casualties mounted as the CTs grew exponentially and began utilizing the border of Mozambique, at that point abandoned by the Portuguese colonials.

In particular, the Gaza province was made up of flat, featureless terrain with the only significant landmark being the railroad system. Free trade had been the order of the day across the Rhodesia/Mozambique border. Once the colonial government fell, all bets were off. Due to the sanctions imposed by the UN and virtually the rest of the world, the Rhodesians vigorously pursued their major rail line south from Salisbury to the Beit Bridge and the South African border.

South Africa had its own agenda, but saw the inherent value in helping its northern neighbor fend off the tide of communist African nationalism. Political battles raged between the pols and the generals over what should be done and to what extent. The British South African police were tied heavily to Rhodesia, historically. This relationship would spread to other units in southwest Africa and Angola.

The military of South Africa not only felt somewhat duty bound to help an ally, but sought to gain operational experience in war, as their own future was uncertain. At one point, half of Rhodesia’s air force consisted of South African pilots and crew. But South Africa maintained a ‘giveth and taketh away’ philosophy. They were concerned that their own internal strife brought on by apartheid and the external forces of communism would require the world’s support in order for the country to survive intact. Also for this reason, the following information was considered classified until 1983—three years after the fall of Rhodesia.

The South African Reconnaissance Regiments or ‘Recces’ had been evolving into a force in their own right, but like the early days of the Green Berets, the army did not know what to do with them. Their commander saw an opportunity to show the army what they were capable of during a suitable war in the north. In the early to mid ’70s, several men spent time attached to the Selous Scouts and the SAS, gaining knowledge and also teaching skills they had acquired in Com-Ops. The exchange was never more than a handful of people at a time, but a relationship developed.

The need for manpower on Rhodesia’s end and the need for experience for the Recces set the wheels in motion for the deployment of a SAS squadron that technically never existed.

In his masterpiece “The Silent War,” an encyclopedia of the Recce’s history, Peter Stiff relates that, in December of 1977, 55 men in ‘A’ Group 1st Reconnaissance Regiment were pulled into Durban for intense training in preparation for what was believed to be a direct-action mission. Once this training was complete, the men boarded the ever-reliable Dakota C-47s. They had thought they would be flying to their target in C-130s.

Once aboard, a surprise awaited them. Boxes were ripped open and the men were told to change out of their uniforms and into the fatigues bearing the familiar pattern of the Rhodesian SAS. After landing at a base in Operational Area Buffalo Range, a briefing was given telling them that they would be operating as D squadron of the SAS and that Afrikaans was a forbidden language in order to enhance their cover. For some of them, this would prove difficult.

They linked up with a Rhodesian officer who briefed them in detail, indicating that they would be responsible for controlling a vast area: the border with Mozambique, over 150 kilometers long. The men were doubtful. It was a large swathe patrolled by two distinct armies. The SAS officer assured them that they would be chaperoned on their initial mission, which he then casually mentioned was a static-line drop that same evening!

Rotations would be three months in length, spent continuously in the bush. Over the course of Rhodesia’s Bush War, some Recce operators would deploy as many as four times. The Recces were a tough, well-trained group of bush fighters, but they were still in the infancy of their own war. The commanding officers of the reconnaissance regiments saw the writing on the wall with insurgent tactics being a main component of South Africa’s enemies’ strategy in the border war.

The deployments in Rhodesia helped solidify the unit. Corrie Meerholz, a core member of the Recces said, “We would not be where we are today so far as equipment, tactics, and experience is concerned [without that deployment]. It made a great contribution in structuring our minor tactics course.”

It would not be more than a day into their first deployment before they faced the grinder of ‘The Russian Front’, beginning a steep learning curve that would influence them for several decades.

Originally published by SOFREP.com

John Alan Coey was an American who fought and died in Rhodesia. This article is a commentary and analysis of a complicated and unique person based on his memoirs. It was received well and regarded as accurate by those who knew him, including his brother.

I consider Rhodesia a bit of American Military History due to the fact that an estimated 300 Americans, mostly Vietnam vets, went there. Some were dirtbags, fleeing their life in America, or trying to live the image of a Soldier of Fortune, while others proved professional and valorous in their war against communism.

The 1960s and ’70s was a tumultuous era. It was a time when people questioned and rebelled against the government of the United States, in large part due to the Vietnam conflict. Many of America’s best and brightest were sent off to a place that most couldn’t point out on a map and could not conceive what national security threat it posed to the United States. Vietnam was a multifaceted problem that started off directly after World War Two and incrementally evolved into American involvement through Advisors, then to a full-fledged conventional military commitment. The faithful continued to support our government and tried to do their duty to stop the advance of communism. However, a doctrine of containment left the military and political establishment in a quagmire. There was no clear objective that could be attained.

The seeds of discord began to grow among the people, especially in our universities. From student protests, the burning of flags and draft cards, to armed retaliation against student protesters at Kent State, things began to ignite into a social inferno. The Cold War was far from cold and was being contested in places seemingly irrelevant to national security in the minds of the average person. However, there were many who believed that communism was indeed a worthy foe to be engaged and put down.

Most Cold Warriors believed that allowing communism to spread would eventually lead to the decline and disintegration of Western and Christian civilization. And those men believed that our own government was weak in its resolve and cared more for détente than aggressive protection and destruction of the opposition.

As the Vietnam war began to close shop, those professional soldiers who were true believers found an outlet in many areas of the world to employ their trade and live according to their conscience. Here we find one of the first Americans to see Rhodesia as a place in which there a true battle between communism and Western civilization was taking place.

John Alan Coey was from Columbus, Ohio. Unlike many of the soldiers to follow the road to Rhodesia, Coey had not served in Vietnam. A devout Christian, who made no bones about mixing his politics and religion, he was preparing to enter the Marine Corps. He was in the ROTC program and had spent the summer of his junior year at Quantico to set his career in motion. Yet, in 1971-72 he began to rethink his commitment to serve in the armed forces of the United States.

He saw the “Vietnamization” of the war as a betrayal of the cause to which the U.S. was committed to. His opinion was that the fighting men of the Korean and Vietnam conflicts were betrayed by politicians who lacked the will to engage and crush communism. He cited the dismissal of Douglas MacArthur and other famous military leaders as examples of a weak will to win and preserve Freedom, Democracy, and Western Civilization.

In his journal, which he kept from the day he left the United States to his death, he details his ideology and the actions in which he participated in Rhodesia. He decided to ask for dismissal from his commitment to the Marine Corps in what he calls a “Soldier’s Protest.” It outlined his reasons as follows

• The deliberate prevention by the U.S. government of victory over communist forces in Southeast Asia.
• The attempted overthrow of the constitutional republic of the United States by a revolutionary conspiracy of internationalists, collectivists, and communists within and without of the U.S. government
• The attempted destruction by government Defense officials of the fighting capabilities of the American military.

He was granted his request and after graduation in 1972 from Ohio State, he set off for war elsewhere. These opinions are no doubt as controversial then as they would be now. It was his firmness of belief that prompted him to leave the U.S. and find a place where his efforts would be spent in what he believed to be a true and unfettered battle against communism.

These ideologies along with his deep Christian faith would allow him to persevere, but they would also hinder him and cause confusion and misunderstanding during his service in Rhodesia. He would find the enemy he was looking for and fight battles both in the bush as well as within his soul. The anvil of war would test his resolve and beliefs to the uttermost.

Coey arrived in South Africa and made his way to Salisbury. He immediately swore into the Rhodesian Army because of the application he had submitted before traveling. He was put into the Rhodesian Light Infantry 19-week basic training that would introduce him to the Rhodesian Army and begin his journey. He was struck by the differences of the training and mostly the discipline that was a marked contrast to his time with the Marine Corps. He took to it well and understood it to be integral to the type of warfare they were engaged in.

During this time he met many foreigners. In particular, he met with another Marine who had deserted and fled to Rhodesia. He was none too impressed with this man and felt he had enlisted for the wrong reasons. He struck up a friendship with a combat veteran of the Vietnam war with whom he felt more synergy.

The weeks passed and he performed well enough to be considered for SAS selection. He was excited at this prospect as he felt it would help him get to the sharp end of the spear and engage the enemy. He went directly to the Unit. Five of the 15 made it through his SAS Selection course. He then proceeded for the next six months on to specialist training. He was the third American to join the ranks. Of the other two and only one remained, the other having deserted back to the States.

At this time he had contact with a Mr. Brown, a journalist in South Africa. He submitted articles to him and was pleased that they were to be published. His first article would be his “Protest” — a manifesto of sorts. In many of his published articles, he explained his worldview and according to it the reasons Rhodesia was fighting the war. He described those whom he felt were the true enemies of freedom and democracy, and he even outlined some domestic problems he felt the Rhodesian government was not handling properly. Although this gave him some notoriety, it didn’t bode well overall for his standing in the army.

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