Back When Gun Rags Were More Than Rags...

[SteyrAUG]

I still have a collection of the old SOF mags from about '80-'92/'93.

I really miss what that magazine was. What other magazine would send "correspondents" in to Afghanistan and smuggle out an AKS-74 AND 5.45x39mm ammo out and donate it to the CIA?

Or send their guys to El Salvadore, Rhodesia, South Africa, Angola, Lebanon......they lost a few guys doing it.

Robert K. Brown personally flew down to Guatemala to try to get Barry Sadler out and to a 1st class medic, but was unable to save him.

Yep, I remember most of that stuff. Remarkable what they did when compared to other "journalists" and almost nobody noticed or gave credit.

There may have been some cheese between those pages, but there was also a tremendous amount of integrity. Sadly SOF today is a pale shadow if it's former self.

Welcome to Zangaro, Mr. Brown!

The Dogs of War

One of my favorite movies from the same time period. Gotta love the Uzi with the starlight night scope on it. Every time it came on cable, which was pretty regular, I'd watch it. Between that and The Amateur I was pretty entertained.

[RogerinTPA]

Besides Dogs of War, some of the best Merc movies I grew up on:

Dark of the Sun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Rf_vulEuSw

Wild Geese. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4AQPQWyVrg

[GermanSynergy]

I have alot of the same back issues. Definitely a unique publication. The articles on Bosnia in 92-95 were pretty darn good.

I still have a collection of the old SOF mags from about '80-'92/'93.

I really miss what that magazine was. What other magazine would send "correspondents" in to Afghanistan and smuggle out an AKS-74 AND 5.45x39mm ammo out and donate it to the CIA?

Or send their guys to El Salvadore, Rhodesia, South Africa, Angola, Lebanon......they lost a few guys doing it.

Robert K. Brown personally flew down to Guatemala to try to get Barry Sadler out and to a 1st class medic, but was unable to save him.

[Iraqgunz]

Yeah, things have definitely changed. Nowadays all I see are articles about why the newest piston gun is the "rage" and then regurgatated AR articles until you are blue in the face.

Then when you bend over another article comes out and trumps that one! Ha- fooled you.

Of course there are the multiple pics of the commandos clad in Multicam with gadgets and stuff that most of us can't buy.

One of the best memories I had of the SOF convention was meeting Al Mar and being invited to the Al Mar Invitational shoot up in Lake Oswego. It was my first time and I ended up winning first place in the out of state contestant category.

I received a very nice Al Mar folder, that was later stolen by a douchebag (I am still looking for you).

I remember peddling some souvenirs from the first Gulf War to some militaria collector for a good price.

[ralph]

I still have a collection of the old SOF mags from about '80-'92/'93.

I really miss what that magazine was. What other magazine would send "correspondents" in to Afghanistan and smuggle out an AKS-74 AND 5.45x39mm ammo out and donate it to the CIA?

Or send their guys to El Salvadore, Rhodesia, South Africa, Angola, Lebanon......they lost a few guys doing it.

Robert K. Brown personally flew down to Guatemala to try to get Barry Sadler out and to a 1st class medic, but was unable to save him.

A little off topic, But the Barry Sadler you mention, was that the same Barry Sadler who was a Green Beret in Vietnam, and recorded a record, or and I confusing this person with someone else?

[Heartland Hawk]

Man that brought back memories! I used to read that mag back in the late 70's early 80's I use to have that commando watchband too. It was aweome! (for an eigth grader!)

[Heartland Hawk]

A little off topic, But the Barry Sadler you mention, was that the same Barry Sadler who was a Green Beret in Vietnam, and recorded a record, or and I confusing this person with someone else?

I think that was the same Barry Sadler that wrote "The ballad of the Green Berets". He also wrote a book, which I read in high school about three times...

[TOrrock]

A little off topic, But the Barry Sadler you mention, was that the same Barry Sadler who was a Green Beret in Vietnam, and recorded a record, or and I confusing this person with someone else?

That was the same Barry Sadler. He was shot in Guatemala City, and RKB went down and got him out. He died in a US hospital.

[one]

I'm glad he could at least die on the soil he defended.

[SteyrAUG]

I'm glad he could at least die on the soil he defended.

And with the knowledge that he wasn't simply abandoned. Makes the ballad a little more poignant doesn't it?

Fighting soldiers from the sky
Fearless men who jump and die
Men who mean just what they say
The brave men of the Green Beret

Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America's best
One hundred men we'll test today
But only three win the Green Beret

Trained to live, off nature's land
Trained in combat, hand to hand
Men who fight by night and day
Courage deep, from the Green Beret

Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America's best
One hundred men we'll test today
But only three win the Green Beret

Back at home a young wife waits
Her Green Beret has met his fate
He has died for those oppressed
Leaving her this last request

Put silver wings on my son's chest
Make him one of America's best
He'll be a man they'll test one day
Have him win the Green Beret