Then i saw an article in soldier of fortune magazine about the black devils, the rhodesian armored corps see sof, january 79, p. Brown, robert k american mercenaries in africa how to be a soldier of fortune in rhodesia, soldier of fortune magazine, first ever issue 1976. The fullpage, color ads were featured in prime locations, usually on the back cover. Full text of soldier of fortune magazine collection. Mercenary maimed in rhodesia bravely accepts the cost. Brown found his true calling as the publisher of an upstart magazine called soldier of fortune. The crippled eagles was the informal name of a group of american expatriates that served in the rhodesian security forces during the rhodesian bush war. Articles and advertisements in browns magazine also have helped the majority of an estimated 400 americans find their way into the rhodesian. The founder of soldier of fortune magazine tells his own story, from green beret to trailblazing combat zone journalist. Apr 06, 2020 in its early years, soldier of fortune regularly ran fullpage recruitment ads for mercenaries willing to fight with the white supremacist government of rhodesia against communistbacked black.
Rhodesias dead but white supremacists have given it new life. Prominent among a handful of specialized publications soldier of fortune magazine kept featuring updated reports. It should be understood that the term mercenary has a much more fluid definition than the one strictly applied by the geneva convention. Brown and his crew just before the ian smith government collapsed. The image will never fade or scratch or become frayed like embroidered artwork. War, continued vietnam veterans in the rhodesian bush war. Soldier of fortune, going blazes as a journal for professional adventurers since 1975. The internet claims another victim soldier of fortune. Soldier of fortune is detested by liberals and leftists for any number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that the magazine writes sympathetically about, well, soldiers of fortune. Save soldier of fortune magazine rhodesia to get email alerts and updates on your ebay feed. Meet the mailorder mercenaries of soldier of fortune. In actuality, it is a modernday version of the mens adventure magazines that proliferated from the 1940s through the 1970s, filled with exaggerated or fabricated stories about mercenary exploits, violence and badassery in third world combat zones, combined with a ferociously rightwing. This issue with reports on combat pistolcraft, knives and knife fighting, miracle in kensington, mercs in togo, yank levy, the haitian connection, rhodesia unbowed, mac10 smg, cubans torture us pows in vietnam, merc fighting knife, desert ops in southwest africa, thailand refugee update, much more.
The sas and the battle for rhodesia by hannes wessels africa una. Soldier of fortune magazine was entering its heyday of popularity bringing attention to the conflicts in southern africa. A british merc, soldier of fortune, and a firefight, part one. A british merc, sof volunteers, and two american fighters in rhodesia by dr. A british merc, soldier of fortune, and a firefight, part.
Soldier of fortune magazine by brown, published by robert k. Rhodesias dead but white supremacists have given it new. With soldier of fortune magazine, bob and his group of. Soldier of fortune magazine the journal of professional adventurers. Youre a vietnam combat veteran back home in the states. A war of hired guns the rhodesian bush war pitting a whitedominated government against a black communistsponsored terrorist insurgency launched rkb and his adventurous guntoting comrades in what became sof signature on the groundhandson combat photography and.
The first issue of the magazine in 1975 actually contained two such articles. The following article was published in covertaction in 1984, and is ward churchills expose of soldier of fortune magazine and its publisher. Full text of soldier of fortune magazine collection see other formats. Southern rhodesia was established in 1923 as a british colony named for cecil rhodes, who made his fortune in consolidating diamond mines. By chris kyle, author of american sniper photos courtesy of. At the heart of that subculture was the magazine soldier of fortune. In the past, i have brought you articles and a book about the rhodesian bush war, and there is still more to come.
Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Soldier of fortune is a magazine founded in 1975, allegedly about the exploits of modern mercenaries. A soldier from the rhodesian light infantry military gear, military photos, military. See more ideas about military history, military and war. Soldier of fortune magazine lists variety of potential battlefields for its. Why white supremacists identify with rhodesia war is boring. Mercenaries fight terrorists in the bush war soldier of. Crippled eagles was the soldier of fortune reports about both the rhodesian bush. Why white supremacists identify with rhodesia war is. Most joined through advertisements in soldier of fortune magazine, and many came from south africa, where anglo and boer whites had a long tradition of serving as soldiersforhire. The vva veteran, a publication of vietnam veterans of america. Search results for rhodesia soldier of fortune magazine.
Soldier of fortune, the magazine that has chronicled the world of mercenaries for more than 40 years, is shutting down its print edition and moving entirely online after a sale fell through. Rhodesia itself was established by mercenaries in the employ of imperialist cecil rhodes. From its very first issue in 1975, soldier of fortune magazine featured advertisements seeking men among men for interesting and varied careers as fighting. May 29, 2014 soldier of fortune is detested by liberals and leftists for any number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that the magazine writes sympathetically about, well, soldiers of fortune. Browns firstperson tour through war zones, revolutions, doomed adventures and the rise of soldier of fortune magazine has the punch of. A warriorscholars fight for rhodesia american renaissance. In its early years, soldier of fortune regularly ran fullpage recruitment ads for mercenaries willing to fight with the white supremacist government of rhodesia against communistbacked black. His first issue of soldier of fortune magazine had a cover story on rhodesia and didn. Rkb and mercs cased the rhodesian national art museum with intent of.
It was unabashed progun and promilitary when it wasnt cool to be either. The sas and the battle for rhodesia by hannes wessels africa unathorized with the collapse of colonialism and the european retreat from africa the then colony of southern rhodesia refused to follow the political fashion of the time and succumb. By the 1960s, as much of africa rapidly decolonized. Taken from the old ad in soldier of fortune magazine for the rhodesian army.
Mercenaries fight terrorists in the bush war soldier. Faced with the increasing losses incurred from a brutal expansion of the conflict and despite a national service call up the rhodesian military had to compensate for a shortfall in manpower. Thousands of mercenaries traveled to africa to fight the last battles of the cold war on that continent, white on black. The power of rhodesia for paramilitarists is evident throughout the history of soldier of fortune magazine, a magazine that in the 1980s especially achieved real. Let me tell you about the army excerpt from i am soldier of fortune by robert k.
All scholarly references concerning soldier of fortune s ads for participants in the rhodesia war use the word mercenary. Only a year ago keith nelson left his home in little sycamore, ill. Soldier of fortune magazine was founded in 1975, by lieutenant colonel, u. Soldier of fortune sof, the journal of professional adventurers, is a monthly u. Bacon iii the only american kia in angola jeff cooper on the deadly americans. British, rhodesian, australians and americans a the.
Brown with vann spe the weaponry of americans most lethal sniper. The image is crisp and clear with full color and photoquality details. Apr 10, 2018 southern rhodesia was established in 1923 as a british colony named for cecil rhodes, who made his fortune in consolidating diamond mines. Brown, an army reservist and special operations veteran who had fought in vietnam, the magazine functioned as an adhoc labor market for aspiring. The elections were approaching when the two brits and the two americans met up with soldier of fortune publisher robert k. The rhodesian conflict and the soldiers of fortune who became. Brown, and a green beret who served with special forces in vietnam. John ismay covers armed conflict for the new york times magazine out of washington. Mar 12, 2018 most joined through advertisements in soldier of fortune magazine, and many came from south africa, where anglo and boer whites had a long tradition of serving as soldiersforhire. Jun 19, 2015 why white supremacists identify with rhodesia. A growing paramilitary subculture in the united states centered on gun shows, training camps, films, books, and magazines guided americans to rhodesia and angola. From a handful of hard men, the sas and the battle for rhodesia part i soldier of fortune magazine. Brown pushed the bounds of journalism with his untamed brand of reportinga camera in one hand, a gun in the other.
Brown pushed the bounds of journalism with his untamed brand of reportinga camera in one. The plinth a monolith of black granite bearing the names of the fallen was moved for its safety from the parade square in the kabrit barracks by the airport in salisbury to a durban cemetery in south africa. Letter from zimbabwe about former soldier benjamin k. Significant to the early development of sof was its unprecedented, successful recruitment of foreign nationals to serve in the rhodesian security. Magazine back issues, covert operations, military, edition. Cecil rhodes, who made his fortune in consolidating diamond mines. Soldier of fortune magazine wikimili, the free encyclopedia. All scholarly references concerning soldier of fortunes ads for participants in the rhodesia war use the word mercenary. From a handful of hard men, the sas and the battle for rhodesia part i soldier of fortune magazine a handful of hard men. The sas and the battle for rhodesia by sof friend hannes wessels who saw action in the bush war waged against the forces of robert mugabes patriotic front.
Most soldiers were concerned with simple survival, particularly in the earlier days of the countrys noholdsbarred bush war against communist guerrillas. Pulitzer prize in 1978, shows a rhodesian soldier holding a bat after. The rhodesian conflict and the soldiers of fortune who. The lure of brute violence particularly against black people, as depicted in dozens of photos in the mercenary magazine soldier of fortune merged with a hatred of communism. In rhodesia, a whitesupremacist state that broke from the british empire. Taking part in rhodesias bush war soldier of fortune magazine. Soldier of fortune shutters print magazine after 40 years. Not long after rhodesia ceased to exist, it became morally untenable to. Brown, who had been to rhodesia off and on since 1975 but without seeing any action, had come to watch as the floundering country crashed and burned. Rhodes ghost, the conquest of zambesia, about the man who created rhodesia. Taking part in rhodesias bush war soldier of fortune. After retiring from active duty, brown began publishing a circular, magazinetype publication with few pages, which contained information on mercenary employment. Brown, an army reservist and special operations veteran who had. Mar 01, 2016 the internet claims another victim soldier of fortune magazine to cease hard copy publication, go digital only according to the wall street journal, soldier of fortune magazine is ceasing publication of the hard copy edition and going digitalonly beginning with the april 2016 issue which should hit newsstands soon.
With rhodesia about to release its foreign troops, the mercenaries are looking for new places to ply their trade. Brown soldier of fortune magazine boulder, co rhodesia falls rhodesia falls independent rhodesia, with its short and violent history, had captured. C squadron sas had ceased to exist when rhodesia became zimbabwe and the troops disbanded. From its very first issue in 1975, soldier of fortune magazine featured advertisements seeking men among men for interesting and varied careers as fighting men in rhodesia. Well into the cold war after the us had fired its final angry shot in vietnam rhodesia became the last western democracy engaged in a hot one fighting for its survival against a communist dictatorship takeover. Meet the mailorder mercenaries of soldier of fortune magazine. Soldier of fortune magazine july 1979 external links edit. But tell them he is the man behind soldier of fortune magazine, founded in boulder, colorado, in 1975, and all will say, whoa. Rhodesia was hardly a nurturing environment for an experimental military unit. The internet claims another victim soldier of fortune magazine to cease hard copy publication, go digital only according to the wall street journal, soldier of fortune magazine is ceasing publication of the hard copy edition and going digitalonly beginning with the april 2016 issue which should hit newsstands soon. Consequently, military intelligence operatives began subscribing or taking home copies in plain brown wrappers because bobs boys in the bush covered. In 1975 soldier of fortune magazine hit magazine racks everywhere. At last, we finally have his memoirs, i am soldier of fortune. A war of hired guns the rhodesian bush war pitting a whitedominated government against a black communistsponsored terrorist insurgency launched rkb and his adventurous guntoting comrades in what became sof signature on the groundhandson combat.