The 47 Rōnin

Reconstitution Part 1

December 14, 1701: Edo, Tokugawa Shogunate, Feudal Japan

Lord Asano walked the halls of the Shogun’s palace alone. A Daimyo from a rural domain, he was not accustomed to the trappings and protocol of court. A wretched and corrupt official, Lord Kira, had been goading him these last weeks - approaching the line of open dishonor but careful to stay behind it. Lord Asano was a moral and honorable man - Kira knew the right levers to use against him.

That day, it happened. Lord Kira went too far and accused Lord Asano of having no manners…because he was a boorish farmer from a backwards domain.

English cannot do Justice to the insult Kira threw at Lord Asano - such a quip could not go unchallenged.

Flushed with righteous indignation, Lord Asano drew his wakizashi, or short sword, and struck at Kira’s head, drawing a gash across Kira’s face. He recovered and tried to deliver a killing cut, but Kira fell and the blow was blunted by a column in the palace. Guards surrounded them and placed Lord Asano under arrest.

The Shogun was placed in a difficult position. On one hand, Lord Asano had acted properly in defending his honor. Kira clearly was in the wrong. But on the other, there was a law against violence on the palace grounds. The punishment was death.

It was decided that Lord Asano would be permitted the dignity of seppuku, or ritual suicide by disembowelment. A second, or kaishakunin, would quickly behead Lord Asano with a sword to prevent unnecessary suffering.

This was an honorable death. However it came at a cost. Asano’s lands were forfeited, his family was impoverished, and his warriors, his samurai, were forced to wander without a master.

These 300 samurai became rōnin.

The leader, Ōishi, promised his men that he would send for them one day, and he would lead a mission to avenge their beloved Lord Asano.

Ōishi knew he needed to dishonor himself in order to convince Kira that he was not a threat. For nearly two years, Ōishi frequented brothels and taverns, becoming wildly drunk. He even divorced his wife - to protect her from what was coming. Having successfully fooled Kira’s spies, Ōishi gave them the slip one night in Kyoto, and quietly set off to the Capitol city of Edo.

The call went out to the 300 men formerly in the service of Lord Asano. The time had come to avenge their lord. 46 men responded to Ōishi’s call.

Two years to the day, in the early morning of December 14, Ōishi waited with his son for his men. They arrived, ready for war.

They assaulted Kira’s mansion, quickly overwhelming his bodyguards. The 47 rōnin put themselves under strict orders - no women, children, nor non-combatants were to be harmed in the attack. After the 47 rōnin took control of the property, a search was conducted - no Kira.

Did they miss? Was Kira away on business that night?

The 47 rōnin searched again. There was an outbuilding that was missed in the original search. Inside, the 47 rōnin found Kira cowering in a corner and two bodyguards standing in front of him.

Kira was escorted outside. Not roughly, he was of senior social rank to every single rōnin on that mission. Ōishi dropped to his knees and addressed Kira formally, “Lord Kira, we are samurai of Lord Asano,” he continued in deference, “we are here to avenge our Lord.”

Kira quaked with fear. The words would not come. Ōishi began again, “It is right that we extend you the honor of seppuku, and die like a true samurai. I will act as your kaishakunin.”

Kira still did not answer. This was not a matter of court, where words could turn the table in his favor. He was facing 47 warriors with no guards and no weapon. He froze - silent.

Ōishi realized soon this was going nowhere. To allow this to continue would only dishonor this man further. He ordered his men to hold Kira down on the floor. He looked over and saw Kira’s wife and son. Ōishi looked right at the boy, “Look at me son,” the boy raised his head, “Today you learn that honor and nobility come from actions - not from position.” Ōishi drew his wakizashi and cut off Kira’s head. A shameful death for a man with no honor.

The 47 warriors carried Kira’s head to the grave of Lord Asano. They placed it in front of the tombstone, and bowed before their lord in respect. It was over, Lord Asano’s ghost could find peace. The 47 rōnin then surrendered to the Shogun’s troops.

The Shogun awoke to a political mess. Again, he was placed in a difficult position by men from Akō. There were clear laws against vendettas, and the murder of a court official… this act could not go unanswered. But at the same time, these men acted in accordance with the honor code of the samurai, and every Daimyo would expect no less from their men. If the Shogun chose to punish these men as criminals, or if he chose to set them free and overlook their crimes, the result was the same - the Tokugawa Shogunate could fracture and Japan could fall into civil war.

A third option was needed. The Shogun offered the 47 rōnin the option to commit seppuku. The 46 samurai agreed - one man of the 47 who was a servant of Asano and did not hold samurai rank was spared and pardoned by the Shogun. That evening all 46 warriors took their own lives in a ceremony where they were shown the utmost respect and dignity.

The sacrifice of these men was not in vain. Their actions not only prevented a possible Japanese civil war, their actions protected the honor of the Shogun and his government, they restored the family of Lord Asano, and they restored not only their honor, but the honor of Lord Asano’s 253 surviving samurai - who were now able to serve another Daimyo.

Why do we begin our article with this classic story from feudal Japan? We must learn the lessons from this story;

• The lessons of chivalry - protect the weak and helpless while serving a code that’s higher than self, and higher than the law

• Defending one’s nation even in the face of personal dishonor and death.

• Ensuring mission success sometimes takes patience, because the right time to strike may require other events to shape the battlefield

• The sacrificial but necessary actions of patriots to save their government and nation

• The sacrificial but necessary actions to restore the honor of comrades betrayed by corrupt politicians

Please keep these ideas in mind as we continue, the series.

277 years later…

April 24 - 25, 1980: Desert One, Iran

The oily flames reached skyward where the EC-130 aircraft and the RH-53D helicopter suffered a catastrophic collision on the ground. Eight men lay dead.

The mission had too many moving parts - all four branches of the military were involved. Nothing like this had ever been attempted, not even the raid on Song Tay prison wasn’t this complicated.

Operation Eagle Claw was supposed to restore America’s image, show that her military was a force to be reckoned with.

That wasn’t going to happen now. Instead of kicking ass, the US Military was going to limp back to the flattop and leave the Persian Gulf in shame. The most infuriating thing was the mission didn’t fail due to enemy action, it failed because of complexity and that the services didn’t know how to work with each other effectively. All four branches of the military were involved, including a newly formed covert operations unit known as Special Forces Operation Detachment - Delta (SFOD-D). Everyone in uniform wanted a piece of the action. Richard Marcinko, the first commander of SEAL Team 6, called the operation, “A total goat-fuck.” This shined a spotlight on a serious operational weakness in the US Military. A way was needed to figure out how to effectively marshal US Military assets for these kinds of missions - and it was needed fast.

Out of the fires of the aircraft collision at Desert One rose a Phoenix. The US Military took what it learned from the failed mission and realized it needed a integrated force that could execute complex, multi-branch missions all over the globe.

The following organizations were created after Operation Eagle Claw;

• 160th Special Operations Aerial Regiment (SOAR) - a professional helicopter and fixed wing air service for special operations troops. The pilots selected for this new air wing were among the best in the world.

• The forerunner American intelligence groups of the First World War like the Cypher Bureau and Black Chamber were resurrected to form the Field Observation Group or FOG which spawned the Intelligence Support Activity or ISA. No longer would CIA, Military Intelligence, Office of Naval Intelligence, and the DIA feed special operators different (and sometimes conflicting) actionable intelligence. One nexus would draw in all manner of intelligence and deliver a product to SPECOPS that could be used to carry out missions.

• US Navy SEAL Team 6 (later, this unit will be renamed DEVGRU). Team 6 is an elite counterterrorism and hostage rescue group whose members are drawn from the SEAL Teams. Team 6’s founder, Richard Marcinko drew operators from the existing SEAL teams (one and two) to form Team 6. Thanks to Marcinko’s vision, leadership, and organizational skills, SEAL Team 6 was ready for deployment by April of 1981. (Fun fact: This new SEAL team was named 6 and not 3 because of the need to hide the actual number of SEAL teams from Soviet agents)

• Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) was the recommendation of Eagle Claw’s commander, Colonel Charlie Beckwith (US Army, founder of SFOD - Delta). JSOC would conduct Research & Development activities on tactics and equipment for SOCOM units, handle training programs, and ensure interoperability. JSOC was so secret and so effectively hidden, no one in the public knew about JSOC’s existence for years.

• All branches would feed unconventional warfare operators to a new umbrella group that would be launched on April 16, 1987. This new group was called the U.S. Special Operations Command or USSOCOM. The purpose was to gain a better organized command structure for missions not suited for conventional military forces.

The events of the nights of April 24 - 25, 1980 cannot be overemphasized. This place in time is a focus point in the silent military history of our nation. In our series, you’re going to see the evidence for how current events were made possible by what the military learned and applied from these nights in the Persian desert.

This was the moment that the US Military realized that it could not accomplish the most difficult missions it was being tasked with by its civilian masters. Worse, what the American people expected of their military and what that military could deliver were not on the same page. The formation of SOCOM and specifically JSOC was the US Military’s answer to that call by the American people. And like everything the US Military does - it over delivered on that expectation.

The fires of August 24, 1980 forged the twisted metal of aircraft, arms, and the bones of men into a gauntlet that concealed the fist of America. The strength and power behind that fist is JSOC. JSOC made it possible for Al Queda to be systematically eliminated. Later, JSOC hunted ISIS to extinction. Most importantly, our research is going to show you how that fist is now being used against all of America’s enemies - both foreign and domestic.

A Story of Betrayal

Of what raw material are such men and women formed that populate the ranks of JSOC? What drives this near fanatical devotion to service of God, fellow soldier, and country?

Is it patriotism? Certainly. But above all, it’s a code of the American citizen soldier. It’s a solemn promise to take personal responsibility for the interests of the American people.

I will NEVER leave a fallen comrade on the field of battle.

I will NEVER quit - I will accomplish my mission or die trying.

I will do my job and watch my flank - and I will trust my brothers beside me to watch theirs.

I will ALWAYS serve the people of the United States of America.

I will, I will, I will - all statements of personal responsibility to put mission and service to the American people first.

As of this article’s publication, there is a hit series on Amazon prime called “The Terminal List”. In this series, the main character is a Navy SEAL commander that faces the sting of betrayal.

In all good stories, there is a vein of truth.

How were the soldiers of JSOC betrayed? Was it simple incompetence or something more sinister? Our research has shown that it was not a single event that caused the spear of JSOC to turn inward, but many events that can all be gathered under the following statement;

If the President of the United States begins to use our Special Forces operators to to further his own interests over the interests of the American people, without regard for the operator’s lives and safety - a constitutional conflict appears - and could lead to disastrous results.

On one hand, the whole military is sworn to faithfully execute the orders of the President of the United States.

On the other, they are sworn to defend the United States and the American people against all threats, foreign and domestic.

What if the Executive Office of the President of the United States becomes that domestic enemy? How do you keep your oath of enlistment?

We will now introduce a term, “the President-King”. Never heard of this position? We’re not surprised. You’re going to be shown that this concept is entirely the creation of extra-constitutional orders. Congress never got the chance to vote on such a transfer of power, and the judicial branch turned a blind eye to it. Like Ōishi and the samurai who followed him, JSOC was faced with a terrible choice. Do they follow the orders of the President-King who occupies the office? Or do they uphold the constitution of the United States? The answer to this paradox can be found in the oath of enlistment.

“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

You will notice that military service members swear an oath to follow the orders of the President - not the Executive Office. They swear to uphold the constitution of the United States, and they swear to defend their country against all enemies - foreign and domestic.

In later installments, we will examine the office of the President of the United States, and we will see how it became a de-facto monarchy.

Game theory

Game theory is a term used throughout the Q drops, but what is it? What does this term mean?

Simply put, game theory is the process of breaking down a real world situation into a mathematical model or “game”. Variables like probability, risk, payoff, cooperation, betrayal, cheating, and information available to the players can all be plugged into the “game” in order to more accurately model the situation. So long as the game is set up correctly, game theory allows the accurate prediction of outcomes. Later in the series, we will show you the game that President Trump and Q played with the Deep State.

When we saw the game, the plan was laid bare and we were shocked at its elegance and simplicity. We saw how the game drove events and when we show it to you, we think you’ll be as shocked as we were.

The US military’s response to an internal threat

How do you fight the President-king? With congress abdicating it’s authority and oversight, and with the judicial branch choosing to turn a blind eye, and the American people asleep, the ascension of the President-king is assured, right? Who’s going to stop him?

Q provided the answer in the form of a question on Halloween night, 2017.

“Was Trump asked to run for President?”

That’s obvious - Yes.

“Why?”

Because if you have an honorable man sit on the throne of the President-King, you can undo all of the plans of the Deep State. All of these plans to create a President-King can be undone with a phone and a pen - because they were created without the involvement of Congress, and therefore illegal.

It’s very important to grasp that the Deep State’s threat to the Republic was serious, and it was deadly, but it was also inherently unstable because the creation of the President-King had to be done in the shadows, so as to not arouse the suspicions of We the People.

All it took was a man sitting on the throne of the President-King who understood honor and chivalry. A man who, like those brave samurai warriors on a cold December night 319 years ago, was willing to make a personal sacrifice to restore honor to not only the entire US Military, but to save the Republic as well.

We have much to show you over the coming days. No doubt you will find some pre-held convictions upended, just as we did. All we ask is that you keep an open mind as we present the evidence we have found.

God save the Republic.

17th Special Operations Group