By Christopher (Moon) Mullins.

A striking reminder that all the warrior’s kills, destruction, battle, wars, and narrow escapes from death have an end result on the body as well as the mind. This book narrows the vision to focus on the isolation and helplessness a warrior experiences near the end of their road. As John-Paul Jordan explains; his story is “a testament to the strength of the human spirit; to get back up and lead from the front”. He did not “go thru all that” for the sake of saying I went thru “all that”. A great read for modern Special Forces operators. A straightforward look at the impact of war on individual soldiers.

The Joys of War, indeed, are fleeting as the warrior’s ethos fails to remind modern-day special forces operators who navigate their way through the modern battlefield piling up kills, takedowns, body counts, missions completed, etc.

John-Paul Jordan tells a hero’s tale of volunteering for the French Foreign Legion at a young age. That assignment and the hard, brutal training motivated him to follow that assignment by training for selection into the British Special Forces, Special Air Services. His stories of train-ups and the impact on the body and mind will resonate with the modern-day Special Forces operator. John-Paul also served in mercenary forces, my words here, deploying to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya fighting his way through the modern battlefield and the opportunities to lead combat forces, civilians, and news teams into some of the most dangerous war zones in the world.

I found John-Paul Jordan’s style of writing/speaking perfect for my style of reading. I would like to think I write in this form. He writes with a straightforward approach, and a lot of Irish slang, which adds a great flavor to the overall tone of the book. He speaks from a voice of deep experience and a good soldier can tell he knows what he is talking about and he explains it in a way that is clear and concise. I truly enjoyed this book on many levels.

More pain and misery via the PTSD train

Unfortunately, the Joys of War, (I hope you catch the pun there!) and the warrior’s path of destruction cover all Special Forces soldiers with glory. Rightfully so. But what I am hearing from John-Paul, about the after-effects strikes a similar tone to both UK and US soldiers returning from war and dealing with the horrors of what they have done on behalf of their country.

For all the pain and misery John-Paul, and most modern warriors, went through to qualify for selection and then deploy as a special forces soldier, at the end of his cycle, the end being – time to settle down and have kids, be a father, establish a home – you are forced to come to terms with all you have done. When that time comes, usually crashing down like a hard, southern Wales rain, you may find your mates, regiment, veteran organizations (US-VA, UK-MOD) not having your back as you expected them to!

You will have to follow his example and let the fog of opioids and painkillers clear, let the alcohol wear off, and help yourself and see it as another challenge, such as the selection phase or a long deployment, and simply knock it down with all your might. “If we deny your sickness, we deny our treatment. You can’t have one without the other.” I raise a pint of Guinness to John-Paul and say, well done Irish, Well done!

https://sof.news/books/joys-of-war/

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Irishman John-Paul Jordan, still only in his thirties, has led an extraordinary life, from the Foreign Legion and private security in Iraq, to serving multiple tours in Afghanistan (for which he was awarded for his leadership and bravery), and on to guiding journalists on the front line and behind enemy lines in Libya, or even hunting for gold in Afghanistan.

However, once back in Civvy Street, the camaraderie was gone; he found himself a prisoner of war to PTSD. Dehumanised by those professionals whom he had turned to for help, this Special Forces veteran and former Legionnaire was brought to his knees. His marriage was over; his home was lost. In isolation, his world unraveled and the seeds of destruction had been well and truly sewn. Knowing he would never see military action again, and faced with the realization of the war raging within him in the spiral of PTSD, John-Paul felt condemned as a man. But, on 1 April, he surrendered – life, too, it would seem, has a sense of humor. He asked for help and found the answers within.

In war, John-Paul was the first through the door or leading assaults taking out enemy positions; whether he was facing bullets or bombs. His story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit: to get back up and to lead from the front. He didn’t go through ‘all that’ just to go through ‘all that’. This is his story of his return to freedom and joy.

Buckle up, because this man doesn’t do anything by halves.

https://www.amazon.com/Joys-War-Foreign-Legion-into/dp/1526743140/ref=as_li_ss_tl?

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SEE ALSO: https://ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html

War Is A Racket

WAR is a racket. It always has been.

It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.

A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.

In the World War [I] a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. At least 21,000 new millionaires and billionaires were made in the United States during the World War. That many admitted their huge blood gains in their income tax returns. How many other war millionaires falsified their tax returns no one knows.

How many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle? How many of them dug a trench? How many of them knew what it meant to go hungry in a rat-infested dug-out? How many of them spent sleepless, frightened nights, ducking shells and shrapnel and machine gun bullets? How many of them parried a bayonet thrust of an enemy? How many of them were wounded or killed in battle?

Out of war nations acquire additional territory, if they are victorious. They just take it. This newly acquired territory promptly is exploited by the few -- the selfsame few who wrung dollars out of blood in the war. The general public shoulders the bill.

And what is this bill?

This bill renders a horrible accounting. Newly placed gravestones. Mangled bodies. Shattered minds. Broken hearts and homes. Economic instability. Depression and all its attendant miseries. Back-breaking taxation for generations and generations.

For a great many years, as a soldier, I had a suspicion that war was a racket; not until I retired to civil life did I fully realize it. Now that I see the international war clouds gathering, as they are today, I must face it and speak out.

Again they are choosing sides. France and Russia met and agreed to stand side by side. Italy and Austria hurried to make a similar agreement. Poland and Germany cast sheep's eyes at each other, forgetting for the nonce [one unique occasion], their dispute over the Polish Corridor. 

The assassination of King Alexander of Jugoslavia [Yugoslavia] complicated matters. Jugoslavia and Hungary, long bitter enemies, were almost at each other's throats. Italy was ready to jump in. But France was waiting. So was Czechoslovakia. All of them are looking ahead to war. Not the people -- not those who fight and pay and die -- only those who foment wars and remain safely at home to profit.

There are 40,000,000 men under arms in the world today, and our statesmen and diplomats have the temerity to say that war is not in the making.

Hell's bells! Are these 40,000,000 men being trained to be dancers?

READ ON....

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READ FROM TOP.

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.