First Foreign Veteran
Through my weekly articles featuring our local veterans, Gary contacted me and it wasn’t long before we spoke on the phone and finally met at Valencia’s Corner Bakery.

Gary and I spoke for more than three hours as veterans tend to carry on. He is my first foreign country veteran and I was enthralled with his experiences and I expect that you will be as well.

Compulsory National Service
Gary P. Albyn was born Nov. 23, 1960 in Gwelo, Rhodesia, now known as Gweru, Zimbabwe.

Gary P. Albyn Unit Patch

His father, a policeman, moved his family when Gary was three years old to Salisbury, Rhodesia’s capitol city, but in 1975 the family moved again to Umtali, Rhodesia.

Albyn attended Umtali High School graduating in December 1978. During high school he competed on the swim, rugby and water polo teams. Albyn occasionally worked on his uncle’s farm.

Rhodesia’s Bush War began in 1968 and by 1972 “compulsory National Service” compelled every able bodied man to serve in the military.

Black guerilla Marxists, aided by the USSR and China, intended to over throw Rhodesia’s white ruling class.

Passion for Aviation
Albyn’s deep passion for aviation led him to pursue becoming an Air Force pilot. However, it was necessary for him to knuckle down on his studies to qualify.

Six months later, and following a grilling by a panel of officers, he was inducted into Rhodesia’s 34^thPilot Training Course in March 1979.

Albyn completed 12 of his 18-month pilot training course at Gwelo’s Thornhall Air Base as well as officer training in Britain’s Royal Air Force style, pilot flight training, aircraft classes, parachuting from a 30-foot tower, and survival training.

Gary P. Albyn SF260 Trainer

“Our two-week survival training course, led by Pete Clemence, a founder of the famed Selous Scouts, was seriously intense and as formidable as U.S. Special Forces training,” said Albyn.

He and his mates literally trained in the middle of a war zone where lions and other wild animals roamed.

During a night exercise, one of Albyn’s mates was chased by a pack of lions and spent the entire night in a tree as they clawed just inches from his feet.

Although the trainees were armed, their demanding Selous scout leader instructed them that if anyone fired a weapon, he wanted to see scars.

“Our Selous Scouts was a rugged highly skilled anti-terrorist guerrilla combat unit formed in the early 1970’s to help protect Rhodesia’s sovereignty,” said Albyn.

Rhodesia in Turmoil
In 1965, Rhodesia declared its independence from Great Britain as Rhodesia’s Bush War escalated.

However, by 1980 Rhodesia’s economy and defense was rapidly deteriorating resulting in Rhodesians fleeing by the thousands to South Africa.

Albyn loved flying his Italian SF260 ground attack aircraft, nicknamed “Ferrari of the Sky,” especially performing aerobatic maneuvers, but his Air Force days abruptly ended.

A political settlement ended the Bush War and in the end, over 30,000 people had perished as Rhodesia became Zimbabwe ruled by the infamous Robert Mugabe.

Johannesburg to Baghdad
Meanwhile, Albyn relocated to Johannesburg, South Africa and landed a Civil Technician position with Hawkins, Hawkins and Osborn Company, which sponsored his pursuit of his National Higher Diploma in Civil Engineering.

Gary P. Albyn Survival Course

During his 30 years living in Johannesburg, he was trained by military pilots and earned his helicopter flight license in 1988.

Though Albyn felt his career was successful, he also felt unfulfilled missing his aviation experiences.

In 2004, a friend performing security during the Iraq War in Baghdad informed him that civilian helicopter pilots were in demand by British Aegis Security Company.

However, Albyn was required to first attend a five-week intense body guard training course by internationally renowned Ronin Academy in Cape Town, South Africa.

His training included medical, hand to hand combat, surveillance, weapons, tactics, and driving. Upon completion, he qualified as a specialized personal body guard leading to a one-year assignment in Iraq.

Baghdad Grunt Work
Inexplicably, there was shortage of helicopters for security contractors so Albyn performed convoy security out of Baghdad.

Gary P. Albyn Medals

“Though it was plenty dangerous I was willing to perform grunt work at $1,000 per day,” said Albyn.

In 2005, he briefly returned to Johannesburg before becoming a civil engineer in Dubai for the next two and a half years.

Afterwards, he returned to his wife in Johannesburg in 2010, but sadly their marriage was finished.

At age 50, Albyn had become disenchanted with South Africa and was about to immigrate to Great Britain until he was suddenly offered a lucrative job with Ronin Academy as a senior instructor.

Albyn believed Ronin was very likely the top personal protection training company in the world.  He noted that Ronin’s impressive founder, Timm Irvin-Smith, had been Nelson Mandela’s private body guard.

So Cal Beckoned
After performing drill sergeant-like duties at Ronin for four years, Albyn relocated to Great Britain in 2014 for the next two years as a technical writer.

Gary P. Albyn & Wife Cathy

He detested England’s dreary weather, but thankfully his good friend Bruce Spargo invited him to his Visalia, California home.

On Mother’s Day 2016, Bruce, his wife and Albyn, simply a tourist at that point, attended church and they introduced him to Cathy Parker.

“Meeting Cathy was a life changer in a single minute and instantly sunny Southern California beckoned me,” said Albyn.

Infatuated, he discarded his flight ticket home and started dating his dazzling new love interest.  Several months later they began discussing wedding plans, but Cathy would not commit until she met his family in South Africa.

Together with his family they celebrated Thanksgiving in Johannesburg, which led to their marriage on Feb. 8, 2017 in Visalia.

On July 1, 2018 Albyn and Cathy moved to Pine Mountain.

Welcome to America

Gary P. Albyn Books

Meanwhile Albyn put his technical writing skills to good use by authoring his first book, “Manzovo – Place of the Elephant,” and has since written “League of Warriors” and “Red Talon.”

His close friend and artist extraordinaire Craig Bone provided amazing artwork.

Albyn has since partnered with The Folded Flag Foundation where they receive 50 percent of royalties from his “League of Warriors” book via Barnes and Noble sales.

Gary, I thank you for allowing me to write your incredibly interesting story and welcome to our community.

Hometown Heroes Military Banner Program

The City of Santa Clarita Hometown Heroes Military Banner Program honors our city’s heroes with a banner featuring the military member’s photograph, name, rank, and branch they serve. The banners are installed around Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Veterans Day.

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Veterans and Military Personnel

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