John K Singlaub

Vocation

American Military, a Major General who drew attention to himself when he spoke out against policies promulgated by then-President Jimmy Carter. After 35 years of good military service, he was forced to resign due to his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal. A government appointee, he was involved in public confrontations with Jimmy Carter and during the Reagan administration, involved in the Iran-Contra debates. Unable to get an appointment to West Point, Singlaub went on to graduate from UCLA in the Class of 1943. Joining the army in 1943, Singlaub was a highly decorated combat vet and expert strategist, serving in Vietnam and Korea. After retiring from the military he was the head of a right-wing anti-communist league supporting the Nicaraguan Contras. He served behind German lines in 1944 and then a roving assignment in China. His expertise in special operations led him from Korea to the Pentagon, Indochina and back to Korea and half a dozen duty stations here and abroad. His policies represented the Cold Warrior incarnate. He became strongly critical against the Communists and communism, but without examining why. When President Carter wanted to withdraw one of the two U.S. divisions keeping the one-party Korean government in office Singlaub spoke out against it. He then similarly criticized surrender of the Panama Canal to the Panamanians and that was it; he was gone. He became another ex-general peddling arms to those fighting Communism. He provided arms at bargain prices to the Contras while the rival North-Secor-Hakim "enterprise" was coining big profits. He tells about his unconventional warfare in "Hazardous Duty," his book written with Reader's Digest editor Malcolm McConnell. Link to Wikipedia biography