A recent thread about the Warren Zevon song “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” led me to a question I’ve been wondering about for a while. In the song, Roland, a mercenary Thompson gunner:
What military action was Roland and his comrades involved in? And how and why was the CIA involved (at least to the extent of having “that son-of-a-bitch Van Owen blew off Roland head”)?
As with many things, we’ve covered this before, with better answers than I could provide.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=88985
The other thread has better material than I could provide, but I’ll throw this in anyway since I already looked it up:
After consulting a book I have with a very thin history of the area, and a quick Google check, I don’t have much concrete info. But here goes.
Between July 1960 and November 1967, the former Belgian colony of the Congo (Zaire) was involved in almost continuous civil war. Brought about by continuous tribal and political tensions, attempted sessesions and rebellions, outside inference, and the vacuum left by the departed Belgians.
On May 30, 1967, the predominatly Ibo Eastern Region of Nigeria decalred its independence, creating the Republic of Biafra. It survived through three years of fighting until it was forced to surrender to the Federal forces of General Yabaku Gowon in January 1970 and reunite with Nigeria.
White, mostly European and some South African, mercenaries were involved in both wars. They fought on the side of Moise Tshumbo in the Congo. They also fought for Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Ojukwu’s sessesionist forces in Biafra.
I agree that Roland and Van Owen are fictional, and Zevon that combined the wars in the song for his own purposes. It would make sense that mercenaries would bounce from war to war as needed considering the nature of the job and the irregularity of employment. My book makes no mention of CIA involvement in either conflict, but I don’t doubt it and the other thread covers their participation, besides it makes for a better song.
Zevon may have drawn his inspiration for the names from actual mercenaries. A Rolf Steiner fought in both wars I mentioned. From what little I could gleen from Google, most of it was in German, he was still alive as of 2001.
A Count Carl Gustav von Rosen flew Swedish-built Minicon light aircraft against the Federal forces of Nigeria in 1969 while in the employ of Biafra. According to Google, he died in 1977.
Thanks, widdershins and waterj2.
I’m actually more interested in what happened in the Congo in the 1960’s than the accuracy of the song. I’ve heard about it in various places, and all I can conclude was that it was a masive mess. I’m interested in the details of the mess, though.
I gather that there were various factions within the country, several different mercenary forces, and European, US (CIA), Soviet, Cuban and UN interventions. I’d love a clear, concise picture of what went on (to the extent that is possible).
Thanks.
Well, funny you should ask.
There was a movie that was out about 10 months ago called Lamumba, which portrays some of the events you are asking about.
It struck my curiosity at the time, because another songwriter, Tom Lehrer, mentioned something about it in one of his songs. Tom Lehrer wrote political and social satire songs, and most included a number of social, political and and historical references.
In his song MLF Lullaby, about a proposal at the time (this was written in the late 1960’s, I think) to create a Multi-Lateral Force, a joint nuclear deterrent force “including our current friends, like France, and our traditional friends, like Germany,” one verse goes like this:
I had never understood the Stanleyville reference, but when I saw Lamumba, I saw that this was a reference to the turmoil in the Congo during and after getting it’s independence from Belgium. Wanting more details, I posted on the SDMB:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=81383
In the ensuing answers, there are two links to specific web pages concerning the historical facts that might give you further answers to your questions.
For background you might read back at least as far as Leopold II’s blood-for-rubber enterprise, or Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” and and “An Outpost of Progress.”
Central African history is a sure cure for over-optimism about the human condition. In the last decade, the Hutus, armed mostly with cold steel, have killed Tsutis at at faster rate than Hitler did Jews using the best industrial methods of his time.
I recommend an old movie “Dark of the Sun,” with Rod Taylor. Granted, it’s no more an insight into this war than the “The Dirty Dozen” was into WW2, but IMHO its equal as a great “guy” flick.
“I’d love a clear, concise picture of what went on (to the extent that is possible).”
So would a lot of people. But (1) It was a mess, and (2) it’s not possible to get a clear, concise picture of what is going on in Congo (Kinshasa) today, let alone 40 years ago.
King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild is an excellent book about Leopold II’s exploitation of the Congo for wealth from ivory and rubber. Good background like Slithy Tove said. There is also a book about one of the central figures in this book, Rev. William H. Sheppard, called Black Livingstone. I haven’t read it yet, but most of the reviews I read were good. Although this is off your area of interest.
Amazon listed several books concerning the Congo and Joseph Mobutu (Mobutu Sese Seko), the US and CIA backed dictator of the Congo from the 1960s until the 1990s. The only one I’ve heard of is In The Footsteps Of Mr. Kurtz by Michaela Wrong.
Good luck and hope this was helpful.
Some more info:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/Congo-Kin_History.asp
Although it’s possible it’s already been covered.