How Private MilitaryContractors shaped a history of the World.

John Smith-served as a mercenary in the army of Henry IV of France against the Spaniards.

In 1606 Smith became involved with the Virginia Company of London's plan to colonize Virginia for profit.

During the voyage, Smith was charged with mutiny, and Captain had planned to execute him. Fortunately for Smith,

upon first landing at what is now Cape Henry on 26 April 1607, unsealed orders from the Virginia Company designated Smith to be one of the leaders of the new colony.

In 1614, Smith returned to the coasts of Maine and Massachusetts Bay. He named the region "New England".On the first trip, a storm dismasted his ship. In the second attempt, he was captured by French pirates off the coast of the Azores. Smith escaped after weeks of captivity and made his way back to England, where he published an

John Smith was the first known Private Military Contractor who helped shape American History.

account of his two voyages as A Description of New England.

An 1873 lithograph depicting the expedition against Nemasket led by Standish and guided by Hobbamock.

Myles Standish (1584 – October 3, 1656) was an English military contractor hired by the Pilgrims as military advisor for Plymouth Colony. One of the Mayflower passengers,Standish plStandish played a leading role inthe administration and defense of Plymouth Colony from its inception.

Standish exhibited considerable courage and skill as a soldier, but also demonstrated a brutality that angered Native Americans and disturbed more moderate members of the Colony.

Located on H Street between 15th and 17th Streets, NW, just north of the White House.

Lafayette Square-

On the four corners of Lafayette Square, visitors can view a statue of Marquis de Lafayette - the square's namesake, and three other foreign Revolutionary War heheroes - the Comte de Rochambeau of France,

Tadeusz Kosciuszko of Poland, and the Baron von Steuben of Prussia.

During the Revolution more than2,000 privately owned warshipswere commissioned by Congressto attack the Brits, seize transports and sell their cargoesfor money .

The Continental Navy had an arsenal of 1,246 guns aboard its boats and ships; the privateers had 14,872. The Continental Navy captured 196 enemy ships compared to the privateers’ 2,283.

November 1775 New England’s merchants and fishermen were given the green light to convert their vessels into warships.

The Pinkerton National Detective Agency as a

private contractor provided intelligence for the Union and personal protection for the President. In 1861 Pinkerton uncovered an assassination plot against Lincoln and General George McClellan. 

3rd Squadron Hell's Angels, Flying Tigers over China, photographed in 1942 by AVG pilot Robert T. Smith.

The pilots were promised a bounty of $500 for each enemy aircraft shot down.

- A "blood chit" issued to the American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers. The Chinese characters read: "This foreign person has come to China to help in the wareeffort. Soldiers and civilians, one and all, should rescue andprotect him." (R. E. Baldwin Collection)

The 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, nicknamed the Flying Tigers. The volunteers, former Navy, Marine Corps and the Army Air Corps officers were discharged from the armed services, to be employed for "training and instruction"by a private military contractor, the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company.

For the Bremer security Blackwater purchased three McDonnell Douglas 530s-“Little Birds.”

“After several hours, the senators were evacuated by American troops and returned overland to Bagram Air Base...” the Kerry statement said.

The U.S. Embassy asked the men of Blackwater USA to go in by land and evacuate them to Bagram. They did the job, and the senatorsknew who came to their rescue mountainside.

Joe Biden and John Kerry—standing in front of a Blackhawk helicopter on a snowy mountaintop.

The four armed contractors, Scott Helvenston, Jerry Zovko, Wesley Batalona, and Mike Teague,were killed and dragged from theirvehicles. Their bodies were beaten and burned, then dragged through the city stthe city streets before being hungover a bridge crossingthe Euphrates River.The ambush led to the First Battle of Fallujah, a U.S.-led operation to retake control of the city. However, the battle was halted mid-wayfor political reasons.Seven months later, in November 2004, a second second attempt at capturing the city, the Second Battle of Fallujah,proved successful.