Du Puy-Montbrun.

This is coolbert:

"Les Américains ont Rambo, personnage fictif, nous avons Puy-Montbrun, personnage bien réel." "The Americans have Rambo, [a] fictional character, we [have] Puy-Montbrun, [a] real character." - - Jean-Claude Sanchez.

I knew that there was a story here, and there surely is.

Deodat Puy-Montbrun.




See the French translation of the wiki entry for the very distinguished French officer from the period of World War Two, First Indo-China War, Algerian insurrection. A most highly decorated and profoundly influential officer, his reputation of the highest order and with good reason.

A man who saw over twenty years of continuous conflict, almost all as a combat arms officer, seeing service under the harshest, dangerous and most difficult conditions and duty, undiminished and not ameliorated in any manner by his rank or status.

A French officer who began his career as a lowly ranking enlisted man, a mule handler [?]. Seeing the most dangerous and intense combat action in three [four if you include a brief interlude in the Malaya conflict] wars, without a doubt a hero of the most outstanding type greatly admired by his peers.

During the First Indo-China War, was a significant force with the French GCMA [special forces] and also instrumental in developing the first doctrine and tactics for the COMBAT USE of helicopters. "Choppers" as a fighting machine and not merely as a flying ambulance.

In the aftermath of his military career, a noted novelist, writing in the genre' of espionage, intelligence, special operations. His works based upon first-hand account? Perhaps so, with some amazing twists - - to include:

"The Swiss learned by reading 'The Spy in the blowpipe', a certain Marcel Leopold, arms dealer for the FLN [Algerian insurrectionists], was eliminated in Geneva . . . by a compressed air blowgun."

Puy-Montbrun as has been mentioned, an aficionado of the silenced weapon, crossbow, knife, , etc. AND TOO, THE COMPRESSED-AIR BLOWGUN?

"a·fi·cio·na·do - - an ardent devotee; fan, enthusiast"

Before there was Rambo, there was Deodat!

coolbert.