A Green Beret's True Story of His Jack Lawson with Sully de Fontaine

Unjust Rumor
group of wildcat U.S. Army officers who helped pioneer the Special
Forces in the 1950s. This was the new military unit intended for
unconventional warfare for the future unconventional world. It
would be immortalized through Robin’s book about Vietnam made
into the movie, The Green Berets, starring John Wayne.
I learned much more about Sully, but the more I learned the more
questions came to mind. He was like some sophisticated Chinese puzzle,
the more parts you moved on it, the more complicated it became.
Long ago, I had read accounts of the American involvement in
the Congo in the 1960s. It was the time and place of legends and
excitement. It was the birthplace of the Congo mercenary and the
famous five, six and ten commandos led by Englishman “Mad” Mike
Hoare, Frenchman Bob Denard and Belgian Congo plantation
owner Jean “Blackjack” Schramme. It was a place akin to the American
Wild West era, only this was Africa and in its anarchy and
lawlessness reputations and fortunes were made by anyone with the
courage, nerve and enough guns to back them up.
Most of these men were fighting against communist imperialism
and saving whites from rape and murder at the hands of the Congolese.
The mercenaries would be in or out of favor with governments
involved as the flip-flopping jumble of alliances and interests changed
over the next five years much like the rapidly changing Congo
weather. Most mercenaries were considered heroes to Westerners.
But their defiance of what they thought was wrong and their alleged
unruliness caused the world powers and particularly the United Nations
to outlaw the use of mercenaries forever.
It was the time of transformation of these colonies to emerging
independent nations governed by the majority. For the most part,
the majority consisted of uneducated black Africans who were born
into tribes that ruled the people of their areas by dictatorial decree.
Consequently, they had absolutely no concept of just and democratic
elections and rule of the people by a constitution and laws with the
checks and balances of elected representatives and a judiciary.
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