Yeah, Hackworth literally wrote the book on fighting guerrilla warfare for the Army in Vietnam - they used his book to teach everyone else. Instead of going back to the Pentagon he stayed to command a unit in the Mekong Delta. Despite all the medals he received his men believed he was gypped out of a Medal of Honor for an event near the end of his tour when he personally rescued a surrounded and isolated team.
Political appointees in the Pentagon, Defense Department and some highly placed conservatives tried to discredit him when he began speaking out against the war, correctly predicting Vietnam would fall within five years of Nixon pulling out, as well as opposing the nuclear club gang. He also always spoke out for the boot soldiers against the theorists in Washington. He died investigating complaints of ill-treatment of GIs in Iraq and surrounding countries. Reminds me of a number of other warriors who returned to become activists speaking out against bad military policies. He was one of those who are in marked contrast to the neo-cons, neo-imperialists and loud windbags who used every excuse to stay out of combat. I suppose Marine General Butler was the first well-known person in America of this type. It seems there should be some from earlier wars but I can't recall any. Ethan Allen somewhat, but he didn't protest a military establishment but the government and religious leaders of the time. Gary On 5/6/05, Robert Seeberger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Gary Denton wrote: > >>> Col. David. H. Hackworth, 1930-2005 Legendary U.S. Army Guerrilla > >>> Fighter, Champion of the Ordinary Soldier > <snip> > >> > >From the This Is True mailing list: > > THIS WEEK'S HONORARY UNSUBSCRIBE goes to David H. Hackworth. An > orphan, > Hackworth paid an older man to pose as his father to certify he was > old > enough to join to join the U.S. Army because he hoped for "sex and > adventure." He was only 15. After enlisting he advanced quickly: he > became the youngest Captain to serve in the Korean War, and then the > youngest Colonel to serve in the Vietnam War. During his > distinguished > service he earned 91 medals (including two Distinguished Service > Crosses, 10 Silver Stars, 8 Bronze Stars and an astounding 8 Purple > Hearts). During his stay there he wrote a manual on how to fight > back > against guerilla warfare, and a General called him "the best > battalion > commander I ever saw in the United States Army." But by 1971 > Hackworth > was convinced that the U.S. could not win the war in Vietnam and > said > so -- publicly -- and boldly spoke up against suggestions that the > U.S. > use nuclear weapons there. The Army moved to court-martial him, but > he > was allowed to resign instead, ending his 25-year career with an > honorary discharge. But he didn't go quietly: Hackworth went on to > become an outspoken anti-nuclear activist, earning him another > medal -- > the United Nations Medal for Peace. After his military career, he > wrote > a column on military matters for Newsweek magazine and newspapers, > wrote several books, and served as a TV commentator during the 1991 > Gulf War, the conflict in the Balkans, and, in 2004, predicted that > American troops could be stuck in Iraq for "at least" another 30 > years. > "Most combat vets pick their fights carefully. They look at their > scars, remember the madness and are always mindful of the fallout," > he > said in early 2005. "That's not the case in Washington, where the > White > House and the Pentagon are run by civilians who have never sweated > it > out on a battlefield." Col. "Hack" Hackworth, America's > most-decorated > living veteran, died May 4 in Mexico from bladder cancer. He was 74. > -- Honorary Unsubscribe archive: http://www.HonoraryUnsubscribe.com > > xponent > Twice Is Nice Maru > rob > > _______________________________________________ > http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l > -- Gary Denton Easter Lemming Blogs http://elemming.blogspot.com http://elemming2.blogspot.com _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
