rapidfire
In Review
that earned these few men
81 decorations for valor,
Shadows in the Jungle: killing hundreds of enemies
The Alamo Scouts Behind
without a single scout
Japanese Lines in World
killed or captured.
War II. By Larry Alexander.
NAL Caliber, 2009. $24.95.
ISBN 978-0-451-22593-1.
The Accidental Guerrilla:
Fighting Small Wars in
the Midst of a Big One. By
One can never know too
David Kilcullen. Oxford Univer-
much about the enemy,
sity Press, 2009. $27.95. ISBN
and the U.S. Army’s Alamo
978-0-19-536834-5.
Scouts were masters of re-
connaissance and in- David Kilcullen offers a co-
Taking a Stand
telligence collection gent perspective on
in the Pacifi c during Islamic jihad
A
ngered by the presence of protestors at World War II. and interna-
military funerals in the summer of 2005, sev- Best-selling au- tional terror-
eral groups of veterans decided to do some- thor Larry Alexan- ism, including
thing about it. Together they formed the Patriot Guard der has penned an how terrorism
Riders (PGR), a diverse group of motorcycle enthusi- inspirational his- and counter-
asts who share both a love of freedom and a respect for tory of this terrorism each
those who have fought to protect it. little-known can create the
The PGR was formed to shield mourning families special opera- unintended but
from interruptions from misguided religious or politi- tions unit, the willing fi ghter
cal zealots and antiwar protestors. When the PGR re- brainchild of — the accidental
ceives a request for its services from a veteran’s family, Maj. Gen. Wal- guerrilla.
the organization sends out a call for volunteer riders ter Krueger, the Kilcullen
and creates a Web page, on which riders often leave commanding gen- provides insight
heartfelt condolences for the family. eral of the 6th U.S. into the Tal-
Local riders gather and ride to the funeral, Army under Gen. iban and al-
park their bikes, and form a fl ag line outside the Douglas MacArthur. Qaida and their
church before and after the service and at the The Alamo Scouts organizations, and
graveside ceremony. “Standing for those who were 100 volunteer he discusses the differ-
stood for us” is their motto. In the event American soldiers formed ences between rural and
of “uninvited guests,” as the PGR calls into six- to seven-man urban insurgencies.
them, riders stand with their backs to teams and trained to con- He also describes why
the protestors and position their fl ags so duct covert reconnaissance, “in counterinsurgency, the
the protestors’ views are blocked. raids, and rescue missions prize is the people,” why
As the organization has grown, non-riders behind Japanese lines in “roads ain’t roads,” how to
and even nonveterans increasingly are repre- New Guinea and the Philip- create tribal resistance to
sented, including parents who have lost sons or pines from 1944-45. the Taliban and al-Qaida,
daughters in combat. Membership is now more Alexander tells of har- and why invading a coun-
than 160,000 strong nationwide. rowing missions as the try is easy, but securing it
To request the PGR to attend a military funeral, ob- Alamo Scouts conduct is not. He admits he has
tain information about joining, or contribute to one of ambushes, sabotage, gather no magic formula for solv-
its charities, visit
www.patriotguard.org. intelligence, and rescue ing these problems, but he
— Elaine Luddy Klonicki POWs and downed fl iers does have some good ideas.
— all dangerous operations — William D. Bushnell
24 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2009 IMAGES: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT, SGT. STEPHEN
DECATUR, USA; STEVE BARRETT; SHUTTERSTOCK
NNov_RF.indd 24ov_RF.indd 24 110/5/09 12:20 PM0/5/09 12:20 PM
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