This is the cover of the inaugural issue of ‘Soldier of Fortune’ magazine. Which military and firearms titles did you read while growing up?
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Funny how that “Underwater Knife Fighting Techniques” article has been used to mock “Walther Mitty” types ever since.
Anyway: SOF, Gung-Ho, Combat&Survival (First couple of years was awesome) Raid
I also used to read Combat & Survival, and wholeheartedly agree that the early issues were awesome. I have the first issue, and more, somewhere in storage. I was still reading it up until a few years ago, the format certainly has changed, and not really for the better. Sadly, one of the key contributors, Yves Debay, died earlier this year (as was reported here, on Soldier Systems).
The old ways are just some times the best ways. You can’t argue, the 70s and early 80s were the time of the Freelance Soldier. Today’s contractor (speaking from experience) just does not hold the same mystique that it did then. Let alone it was a time of milk and honey. You had major civil unrest, the Cold War, and Vietnam was just slowing down; all this while the world was pushing economically forward. It was a good time for a soldier looking to make his mark. If only I was not just born when this came out.
SOF, Gung Ho, Combat and Survival.
SOF, Eagle and Gung Ho were pretty much the only ones I remember reading.
Readers Digest, Popular Mechanics, Boys Life and Penthouse were all on my regular reading list in ’85 too.
SOF, Guns & Ammo and American Survival Guide.
I was a devoted Kokalista!
I devoured every issue I got my hands on. I still remember articles by Peter J Kokalis throughout Africa and Afghanistan. It made for really uncomfortable dinner parties when my parents friends would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up and the 12 year old across the table (wearing amaroon beret and the METRO Para badge) would reply, “A Mercenary” Dogs of War and the Wild Geese were my favorite movies back then… I read every Mac Nolan and Phoenix force novel I could find… Ahhh the good old days… Lol
Correction; Mac Bolan
“Live Large”
-a fellow Able Team reader
i used to read SOF when i was a kid, but thankfully i grew up and realized what a POS rag it was, promoting as it did the most bloody military dictatorships around the world, death squads, massacres of civilians, etc.
SOF, Gung Ho, New Breed, Eagle for me
Combat and Survival, RAID
Of course I spent a lot of time thumbing through catalogues from SASS, Arktis, Penrith Survival, Silvermans, and later USCav.
Combat & Survival made its mark on me after its heyday. I found it in my small county library in mountain CA. Treasure for a little guy.
Cough, cough, Punisher, cough cough
I can’t remember which issue of SOF was the first one I bought – but I certainly remember the issue in which RKB got his hands on the first AK-74 ever seen, and tested, by a Westerner (the pistol grip had been shot off).
SOF was a regular read – as was American Rifleman, COMBAT Illustrated (http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Vintage-Combat-Illustrated-Magazine-Special-Edition-Terrorism-Survival-Guns-War-/00/s/MTAyNFg3Njg=/$T2eC16R,!zQE9s3ssNr!BP91qPjo-w~~60_35.JPG)
and later Gung Ho for a while.
I still have that issue 🙂
That is awesome.
That looks like a Rhoadie on that mag cover.
Gung Ho, early SWAT magazine, ASG, Combat. Would love when the new Lancers Militria catalog would come out and Brigade Quartermaster. Also all the cool stuff in the Shommer Tec catalog.
Ther was a magazine called Handgun tests that pulled no punches and was some what tongue in cheek, did not last long.
For a while I was on the back cover of every magazine we could afford to advertise in, as a model for “The Command Post” , the 1st paintball/airsoft catalog in the 80’s
Soldier of fortune, my first one had Mike Echanis on the cover. It was so cool and the ads for guys who would do anything, anywhere, anytime.
Inside kung fu, Black Belt, Karate Illustrated.
Soldier of Fortune, Gung Ho, New Breed, Guns & Ammo, American Rifleman, and Shooting Times.
I remember my first issue of SoF. It was one that had the making of the movie Who Dares Wins (The Final Option in the USA) and USGI Vietnam Slang. I wish I still had that one….
I later bought some of the old SoF issues. I actually knew one of the Mercs that was interviewed in one of the issues. Nice guy, as long as you kept on his good side! 🙂
I got in on SOF early, like ’77…senior year. The issue that captured my imagination was the one with the article about the 10 ga. H&R single shot being used to dust Bobby Mugabe devotees in Rhodesia. Fast forward a few years and I saw grown men crying in a pub @ Mildenhall when Prince Charles gave the keys to the Commies. The Beretta Xtrema2 stoked w 54-pellet Selous Scout Memorial loads in the corner now as a result.
I got in on SOF early, like ’77…senior year. The issue that captured my imagination was the one with the article about the 10 ga. H&R single shot being used to dust Bobby Mugabe devotees in Rhodesia. Fast forward a few years and I saw grown men crying in a pub @ Mildenhall when Prince Charles gave the keys to the Commies. The Beretta Xtrema2 stoked w 54-pellet Selous Scout Memorial loads in the corner now as a result.
And a Echanis-approved bolo machete under the front seat of my unit right now…get lotsa tornadoes in these parts…
I used to read SOF Mag. Infact I can still remember reading the article by a young Ranger Lt who was part of the invasion of Grenada. This drove me to join, and take part. But SOF has gone down hill. I don’t know what they are on about anymore, and stopped my membership a couple years ago..