A Soldier's Tale

Yesterday I was perusing the blog of KeesKennis, when I saw this fascinating account of his time as a soldier in the South African Defense Forces (SADF). Specifically, Kees writes about his involvement in Operation Savannah, the topic of which first came up on this blog back in June in the comments to this entry. At the time, Kees wrote:

Hi Mike

Why did the USA desert us as we (SA) were about to take Luanda in Angola.

I am not a historian, just a troop on the ground, and one day the USA was there, helping us and the next day they were gone.
???

Cheers

Nic S
keeskennis | Homepage | 06.15.08 - 2:18 pm | #

I replied:

Hi Nic,

What happened was that in July 1975, President Gerald Ford authorized a covert CIA operation called IA-FEATURE, intended to support Jonas Savimbi's UNITA and Holden Roberto's FNLA against the Soviet and Cuban-supported MPLA in Angola. When the SADF launched Operation Savannah on October 2, 1975, the CIA extended its covert support to the South African intervention.

CIA support came to a halt when the U.S. Senate voted on December 19, 1975 to bar American aid to any military forces involved in Angola. The person responsible for the bill that ended the aid was Sen. Dick Clark, a Democrat (no surprise there) from Iowa. He was voted out of office in 1978.

During the mid-70s, the Democratic Party (which controlled both houses of Congress) was dead set against the US government providing aid to any additional anti-communist initiatives around the world - evidently they didn't want "another Vietnam."

Regrettably, such isolationism and pig-headedness still prevail in the Democratic Party to this very day.

Were you involved in Operation Savannah?
Mike LaRoche | Homepage | 06.16.08 - 12:29 am | #

Kees answered:

Yes I was, not a happy time.
keeskennis | Homepage | 06.17.08 - 9:49 am | #

On September 29, Kees posted the rest of the story:

If you have bleeding knees fuck off, now, please.

Now that is just the juice that gets my toes all curled up.

197?

Fuck, I need another conflict, like I need a hole in the head.

Still here I am.

A Ragtag, but superbly trained officer for 1 Parabat, coaxed out of civvy street. Ragtag? Yes we had no, and I mean no equipment to choose from. Maybe a 1000 officers make an Army, who knows?

The Magic number was reached and we had the pick of what there was, and that included MEN. My god, youngsters, last years recruits?

WTF?

I resigned and was reinstated a thousand times. OK a 1000 times is bullshit but 20 is not. I got 1st Lt. Govendar, Cpt. Malherbe, Gert Pieters>> Mortarman, Cpl. and Cpt. Gavins, brothers, and Rick, Boikie, Jack, Pieter and Peter, Sandy and 150 others. Sandy was to play a major role in our victory, in no way that he would ever understand.

About 60% with a years training and the rest as you knew or found them. I was luckier than most, I had a previous conflict resume as a "leader" and some real soldiers came my way because of that.

This way I found Cpt. Frank and his six, Jose, Cpl. Mally Kelly, senior nurse and crack shot and "Cappy if you fuck off now, I will kill you" reputation from another war. I was lucky and trained to find the best at the front.

In a war with limited supplies how does the manager secure the best for himslef and his "troops." In Moz [Mozambique] we gippo'd the lines and in a oversupply and undermanaged line we got thru. Here in Angola it would be diff.

So at the beginning me and my troops went stealing. Apparently we left 2 divisions without any armored vehicles. Bullshit. It was at least 4.

At last we were equipped and armed and ready.

I was alert and ready as were my men. We were part of a 2500 advance force. Led from Pretoria. Our Motto: "Fuck Castro, we are not Cannon Fodder."

17 Pilots, 12 planes, 3 airstrips and building daily. Did I say 17 pilots, well OK, Govendar, Malherbe, Gert Pieters, Cpt. Gavins, Boikie and Sandy also flew. The rains were starting but Pretoria was on a diff planet. Move when say should have said Swim.

Finally the Russkies (Cubans) got to close for there own good. I had 16 patrols at 3 hour intervals going forward. Plenty of sleep and rest, but kicking butt. After a while the 'Mericans came and bombed ahead, we moved faster then but my lines were stretching.

Remember those divisions without armor? They came up behind us with only their hunting rifles and a couple of LMG's. And anyway they did a great job. Many a Angolan/Portuguese/Cuban truck/combine was driven away and sold in SA for top prices. Some of the money made its way back to the front in the way of munitions etc.

So after my previous conflicts of complaining about a book/computer war, I had peeps to contend with. Soldiers and their shit, which is a fuckin' lot. Civvys and their shit which is a fuckin' lot.

Taking a town or ridge or grid when the 'commies' was not opposing was a victory in Pretoria only. We died slowly, one at a time, nothing dramatic.

And then the Americans left, no talks, no nothing, just FUCKING GONE, Mike has explained it to me. I had 245 peeps and 895 miles to a safe spot. We also had 4 prisoners of the commie kind and 14 misdemeanor murderers of our own. I told the Cuban captain that I would give him and his cahoots 2 days rations and a R4 with 200 rounds and we will drop him, he agreed.

Remember that it was raining?

We backtracked thru some towns and spent poes and dicks met once again and this time they knew what has happened and no girls believed the soldierly shit. Remember Sandy, good soldier, tough, good shot. I liked him and he would obey any command or 'suggestion' from me.

His "ex" girl, from about 3 months ago, now pregnant, by Sandy, she says, blocks his way back.

No problem, he shoots and kills her, her mother and two friends, four women. I hear and hasten to where a large crowd is now building. Sandy and three mates and two Junior Officers is holding their own by a show of guns.

I don't say a word but stop and look and touch every dead woman in the scene. I remember 3 names:

"Sandy, you, you, De Klerk, Pistorius stand down and give me your guns"

They all take a step forward and put their guns down except for Sandy.

"Jy dink julle kak sal met my mors."

"Nee Sandy, Ek sal met jou mors, gee my jou fokken geweer of EK mors jou."

"Altyd die fokken Heer, jou moer."

I shot him 3 times in or around the heart. He died on the spot.

We sorted it with the locals and we carried Sandy back to SA. I wrote a letter and another Army Officer went around and told his family that he died a hero in the heat off battle. I have never stood trial to account for my side of the story.

And now I do not think that I ever will.

That's it. A fascinating, first-person account of a military operation little-known outside of South Africa or beyond those who are Cold War history buffs.

Angola was one of many places where the Cold War had turned hot - Korea and Vietnam were other such theaters. And just as in Korea and Vietnam, front-line soldiers fighting on our behalf in Angola against the scourge of Marxism were abandoned by politicians more interested in saving their own political hides rather than doing right by those who fought and bled for them.

Had we had different leadership in Washington, the same might have happened to American and coalition troops in Iraq. But men like President Bush and Senator McCain stood up for them when it was not politically popular to do so, enabling the soldiers on the ground to ultimately prevail.

Elections do matter - a point all Americans should keep in mind when casting their votes one month from now.