Benjamin F. Schemmer, the editor and publisher of Armed Forces Journal International, died on Oct. 12 from cardiovascular disease. He was 71.
Schemmer graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and served with the Army in Germany and California. When he returned to the private sector, he worked for Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara at the Pentagon.
In 1968, Schemmer purchased Armed Forces Journal International. For 24 years, he acted as the magazine's editor and publisher, covering the international defense industry. In his spare time, he wrote articles for various publications, including The Washington Post, the New Republic and Penthouse.
He also wrote four books about military affairs and edited the Strategic Review before it folded in July 2001.
The initial post that Schemmer authored 4 books. He wrote two books, co-authored another and served as the editor for another.
The books are:
The Raid : The Son Tay Prison Rescue Mission
and
Almanac of Liberty: A Chronology of American Military Anniversaries from 1775 to the Present.
Along with John T. Carney, Jr., he co-authored:
No Room for Error: The Covert Operations of America's Special Tactics Units from Iran To Afghanistan
and co-edited,
U.S. Special Operations Forces (U.S. Military Series).
The last book is a must read for the history of Special Forces and Special Operations Forces in the United States. The raid on Son Tay is the shining example of the capability of U.S. Army Special Forces.
Posted by Joseph Ogershok on November 26, 2005 7:36 AMBen Schemmer was my Grandmother's little brother. I only met him once at a family reunion in Indiana, but he was a very nice person. I wish I'd known then (I was 12) that he was an author!
I am so sorry he has left us ! On April 03,2008 I had John Mccain autograph his book in Jacksonville , Florida . Ben is in a better place . Airborne
Posted by Jim Harwood on April 4, 2008 4:55 PM