AMERICANS IN RHODESIAN WAR

UnSung Heroes: The Americans who died for Rhodesia fighting Mugabe
Date Posted: Tuesday 31-Jul-2007
I have a special favour to ask everyone. (You can use the AfricanCrisis email button on the top of the screen to do this).

I would like to ask for you all to help Joe Smith & I with one small, special request - to pay a small tribute to American men who died while fighting the likes of Mugabe.

I would love it if these names could be circulated among the Zimbabweans and Rhodesians as widely as possible.

I would love it even more, if AMERICANS could circulate these names among themselves as widely as possible.

Below is a small list of 5 American men who came to Rhodesia to fight against COMMUNISM - and the likes of this rubbish Marxist - Robert Mugabe. These 5 men died in the African Bush, far, far away from their Homeland - America. They came to help us, the forgotten people of Rhodesia - abandoned by the Western world. They came despite the fact that their own Government had abandoned us and them to their fates. They fought against the hideous tyranny that is Robert Mugabe.

Joe Smith himself, is an American journalist and a Green Beret who fought in Vietnam, and also fought in Rhodesia in the RAR, the Rhodesian African Rifles - which was a unit composed mainly of Black soldiers. He fought alongside Black men who did not want Zimbabwe to be the tyranny that it is today.

Tonight Joe will appear on the Jeff Rense show to tell for the first time, the untold story of how Jimmy Carter and Andrew Young handed over Rhodesia to none other than Robert Mugabe. Jimmy Carter could have prevented the hell that is Zimbabwe today. This story has been kept under wraps for over 30 years. It is time to tell this story.

I am also looking for any radio interviews and media outlets where Joe can tell his story.

I'd like to ask Americans, Rhodesians and Zimbabweans to please take a few seconds of your time, to spread this little email to all your friends and to everyone you know so that they can get a small glimpse of the names of forgotten men, who died to save Zimbabwe from the tyranny and the hell that it is today.

They died fighting the likes of Robert Mugabe. They fought for a real and valid cause, far from their homeland to prevent the living hell that is Zimbabwe today and to prevent the untold tragedy that is enveloping that country.

I will place these names on my AfricanCrisis website too.

Here is a story on my site about what Joe told the New York Times in 1979:-
[Pic] 1979: New York Times: An Amazing Texan Soldier
http://www.africancrisis.co.za/Article.php?ID...

This will be the first time that Joe tells his story. But I'm also looking for other radio outlets and any other chances for him to tell his story. He too came to fight for us, and to share our hardships. But he at least got to go home in the end.

Warm wishes,
Jan

Joe wrote this to Jeff Rense:-

Dear Jeff,
I am delighted to be on your show and want to thank you and Jan for making this possible.

Since Most of your listeners will be "Yanks" this-dead Yank roster-might be of value.

No way I could read this list of five dead countrymen. Too emotional. Never get through just five names.

But in addition to these there were of course hundreds of Rhodesian's black and white and a number of other foreign nationals killed. I DON'T have those precise numbers. Sorry.

"YANKS" IN RHODESIA KILLED IN COMBAT WITH COMMUNISTS
Americans Who Joined Rhodesian Army And Were Killed.

Earned normal soldiers pay. I would guess about $800 US/month. (I made about $1000/Mo. as a jun)

Trooper STEPHEN M. DWYER
Both killed same day- July 16, 1979
Sgt. HUGH P. McCALL

Trooper JOSEPH M. BYRNE 1978

Trooper JOSEPH BATTAGLIA 1977

Trooper JOHN ALLEN COEY JULY 19, 1975

All were in The Rhodesian Light Infantry which was daily in combat. Killed the most communists. Took the most casualties. I think they lost nearly 150 men total.

Who am I:
Soldier/Journalist: Joseph Columbus Smith. American. "J" Degree from Sam Houston State, Huntsville, Tex. 1966. Awarded "Knight of The Press Award" in 1966 while a reporter for The HOUSTON POST for series about police brutality just to the North of Houston in black majority Montgomery County.

Also, later, investigative reporting on DAYTON DAILY NEWS, WASHINGTON DAILY NEWS, & COLORADO SPRINGS SUN.

SERVED 3 yrs in US Army as a Green Beret (Special Forces Qualified) officer including one year in Vietnam where I was a staff officer to three successive Green Beret Commanders who commanded ALL Green Berets in Vietnam. I was PIO (Public Information Officer) for all Green Berets in Vietnam from August 1968-August 1969. I took the world press to Special Forces camps all over Vietnam.

Was recruited into Rhodesian Army in 1976 and served 37 months through the end of Rhodesian Bush War, Dec. 1979. I was an infantry commander in the 1st Battalion of The Rhodesian African Rifles. Commanded African soldiers. We patrolled heavily throughout the war through the remote tribal trust lands.

I voted FOR Bishop Abel Muzorewa in April 1979 in that FIRST Majority Rule Election that was spurned. (As a two year resident I was A QUALIFIED VOTER.)

I spent nearly ALL my leave time attempting to convince THE MEDIA Rhodesia was an East v. West struggle NOT a black v. white morality play.

Presently retired in Portland, Oregon.
63 yrs old. Married.
===

I will name those persons (Yanks) tonight who I am certain were involved in the betrayal of Rhodesia from the INSIDE while Carter/Young worked hard on the OUTSIDE to effect the destruction of Rhodesia and installation of R. Mugabe above all other contenders.

Victims here are the 12 million today living in Hell.

See you tonight. I am primed and so is Jan.

The secrets of a great betrayal are meeting sunlight.

Jos. Columbus Smith