Joe Sanderson (May 14, 1942 – April 27, 1982) was an adventurer from Urbana, Illinois who was one of two Americans to be killed in combat while fighting with leftist rebels during the Salvadoran Civil War. He traveled across more than 70 countries between 1960 and 1982, and is the subject of the novel The Last Great Road Bum by Héctor Tobar.[1][2]
Sanderson was born the son of Milt Sanderson, a University of Illinois entomologist, and Virginia Colman, a university accountant. He was raised in Urbana, Illinois, and at one point in his childhood was a neighbor and friend of the future film critic Roger Ebert;[3] both men were graduates of the class of 1960 at Urbana High School.[4] After briefly attending the University of Florida and Hannover College, Sanderson dropped out of college and began two decades of journeys "road bumming" around the world. In Jamaica in 1962, he briefly camped with Rastafarian activists (who were then the subject of continual police harassment).[5]
After backpacking and hitchhiking and taking boats across the Americas, Sanderson worked with the International Red Cross in Nigeria during the Biafran War in 1967. He was in Vietnam a few months after the Tet Offensive, posing as an aid worker and journalist, and traveled through Yemen during the North Yemen Civil War. In Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo, he met the white mercenaries who had been hired by the government to fight the warriors of the Simba Rebellion. And in Bolivia, he launched a hospital for the poor in the town of Sorata, but was detained by the authorities during the René Barrientos dictatorship.
Sanderson traveled to El Salvador in 1980; by now a fluent Spanish-speaker, he made contact with underground operatives of the People's Revolutionary Army, one of the armed groups that would later be allied in the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front. Among the rebels, Sanderson took the nom de guerre "Lucas," and came to be known for his excellent shooting skills. He was with a rebel column that marched into the hamlet of El Mozote, weeks after government troops massacred an estimated 1,000 people there. The New York Times journalist Raymond Bonner interviewed him in his reporting on the events at El Mozote and their aftermath.[6] Sanderson told Bonner he was a wandering American writer working on a novel about the Salvadoran revolution.[7] He also worked with the rebel's Radio Venceremos station, as a photographer; and in one combat encounter with the Salvadoran army he killed at least two government soldiers.
On April 27, 1982, Sanderson was wounded by mortar fire as he attempted to capture a 50-caliber army machine gun.[8] The founder of Radio Venceremos, Carlos Henríquez Consalvi, was with Sanderson when he died of his wounds some hours later; Sanderson was buried by the rebels near the Sapo river.[1]
Referencesedit
^ ab"Entry into the soul of a wanderer". Los Angeles Times. August 23, 2008.
^Theroux, Paul (August 25, 2020). "Paul Theroux on a Globetrotting Novel Inspired by a Real Adventurer". The New York Times.
^Ebert, Roger. "Into the Wild movie review & film summary (2007) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2024-03-13. My close friend was Joe. [...] I grew up with him.
^Borrelli, Christopher. "Joe Sanderson was an Illinois kid who wanted storybook adventure. Héctor Tobar's 'Last Great Road Bum' finally writes his book". Chicago Tribune.
^Tobar, Hector (August 24, 2020). "'The Last Great Road Bum': The Life Of Adventurer Joe Sanderson Explored". NPR (Interview). Interviewed by Ari Shapiro.
^"Soldier of Fortune: Why Joe Sanderson Fought and Died in El Salvador," Peter Canby and Jay Dean, Mother Jones magazine, July 1984, pg. 11
^Goodwin, Connor (August 27, 2020). "Life on the Road Is More Than Inspiration for Your Novel". The Atlantic.
^Carlos Henríquez Consalvi, Broadcasting the Civil War in El Salvador: A Memoir of Guerrilla Radio, pg. 97-98, University of Texas Press, 2011.
January 01, 1970
sanderson, 1942, april, 1982, adventurer, from, urbana, illinois, americans, killed, combat, while, fighting, with, leftist, rebels, during, salvadoran, civil, traveled, across, more, than, countries, between, 1960, 1982, subject, novel, last, great, road, héc. Joe Sanderson May 14 1942 April 27 1982 was an adventurer from Urbana Illinois who was one of two Americans to be killed in combat while fighting with leftist rebels during the Salvadoran Civil War He traveled across more than 70 countries between 1960 and 1982 and is the subject of the novel The Last Great Road Bum by Hector Tobar 1 2 Joe SandersonBornMay 14 1942 1942 05 14 Fayetteville Arkansas U S DiedApril 27 1982 1982 04 28 aged 39 Morazan El SalvadorOccupationWriterLife editSanderson was born the son of Milt Sanderson a University of Illinois entomologist and Virginia Colman a university accountant He was raised in Urbana Illinois and at one point in his childhood was a neighbor and friend of the future film critic Roger Ebert 3 both men were graduates of the class of 1960 at Urbana High School 4 After briefly attending the University of Florida and Hannover College Sanderson dropped out of college and began two decades of journeys road bumming around the world In Jamaica in 1962 he briefly camped with Rastafarian activists who were then the subject of continual police harassment 5 After backpacking and hitchhiking and taking boats across the Americas Sanderson worked with the International Red Cross in Nigeria during the Biafran War in 1967 He was in Vietnam a few months after the Tet Offensive posing as an aid worker and journalist and traveled through Yemen during the North Yemen Civil War In Kisangani Democratic Republic of Congo he met the white mercenaries who had been hired by the government to fight the warriors of the Simba Rebellion And in Bolivia he launched a hospital for the poor in the town of Sorata but was detained by the authorities during the Rene Barrientos dictatorship Sanderson traveled to El Salvador in 1980 by now a fluent Spanish speaker he made contact with underground operatives of the People s Revolutionary Army one of the armed groups that would later be allied in the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front Among the rebels Sanderson took the nom de guerre Lucas and came to be known for his excellent shooting skills He was with a rebel column that marched into the hamlet of El Mozote weeks after government troops massacred an estimated 1 000 people there The New York Times journalist Raymond Bonner interviewed him in his reporting on the events at El Mozote and their aftermath 6 Sanderson told Bonner he was a wandering American writer working on a novel about the Salvadoran revolution 7 He also worked with the rebel s Radio Venceremos station as a photographer and in one combat encounter with the Salvadoran army he killed at least two government soldiers On April 27 1982 Sanderson was wounded by mortar fire as he attempted to capture a 50 caliber army machine gun 8 The founder of Radio Venceremos Carlos Henriquez Consalvi was with Sanderson when he died of his wounds some hours later Sanderson was buried by the rebels near the Sapo river 1 References edit a b Entry into the soul of a wanderer Los Angeles Times August 23 2008 Theroux Paul August 25 2020 Paul Theroux on a Globetrotting Novel Inspired by a Real Adventurer The New York Times Ebert Roger Into the Wild movie review amp film summary 2007 Roger Ebert RogerEbert com Retrieved 2024 03 13 My close friend was Joe I grew up with him Borrelli Christopher Joe Sanderson was an Illinois kid who wanted storybook adventure Hector Tobar s Last Great Road Bum finally writes his book Chicago Tribune Tobar Hector August 24 2020 The Last Great Road Bum The Life Of Adventurer Joe Sanderson Explored NPR Interview Interviewed by Ari Shapiro Soldier of Fortune Why Joe Sanderson Fought and Died in El Salvador Peter Canby and Jay Dean Mother Jones magazine July 1984 pg 11 Goodwin Connor August 27 2020 Life on the Road Is More Than Inspiration for Your Novel The Atlantic Carlos Henriquez Consalvi Broadcasting the Civil War in El Salvador A Memoir of Guerrilla Radio pg 97 98 University of Texas Press 2011 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Joe Sanderson amp oldid 1214487005, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
