To the end, colonel a man of the troops (DAVID H. HACKWORTH)

Boston.com ^ | May 30, 2005 | Bryan Bender

[Boston Blackie]

Tomorrow, the US military will lay to rest Colonel David H. Hackworth -- among its most decorated heroes of all time -- at Arlington National Cemetery.

The top brass is not expected to attend.

Hackworth's most enduring foe was not the communists he fought. He earned a a chestful of medals, including two Distinguished Service Medals, 10 Silver Stars, eight Bronze Stars, and eight Purple Hearts. His adversary became the US military bureaucracy, which he railed against for 30 years on grounds that it failed to put the troops first. He also opposed military action in Bosnia, Kosovo, and especially Iraq.

[DainBramage]

And he died being flat wrong about Iraq. The fastest land war in the history of the world.

[Notwithstanding]

I would guess that if he were honest, he would have admitted that half of his medals were pure bullshit and were deserved far less than the lesser medals his troops had earned. And yet my understanding is that he did not refuse to accept any awards.

Do I have that right?

[Captain Peter Blood]

With that rationale then almost any officer who won medals does not deserve them like Gen. Chesty Puller, et. al..
Like him or not, and I am one who has at times liked him and then did not, he put it all out there where it counted on the battle field and no one can take away or question his Patriotism or Bravery against the enemy.

[USMCVet]

From what I've read of Col. Hackworth's writing and heard from him during interviews, he was the real thing.

He stood up for the American fighting man (and lately women) and he was one of the very few distinguished combat veterans to do so.

I've seen a whole lot of carping from some of our own on this site about "Hack" but his contributions in support of the real combatants has been magnificent.

On this Memorial Day I'll keep our Colonel Hackworth in my prayers. Semper Fi, Buddy.

[Coldwater Creek]

And he sure went to a lot of trouble to investigate Mike Boorda's right to wear certain medals. After all that Boorda had accomplished I don't imagine that he was wearing a medal that he did not earn deliberately, besides with all of that fruit salad on his chest, one would have had to have been looking to destroy him. Wonder what Hackworth's reason was?????????

[NCLaw441]

You said: I would guess that if he were honest, he would have admitted that half of his medals were pure bullshit and were deserved far less than the lesser medals his troops had earned. And yet my understanding is that he did not refuse to accept any awards.

On this day on which we honor our fallen soldiers and sailors, I will not seek to dishonor a recently departed soldier. I do not know the truth of the assertion you make, but given this hallowed day, would it not be better that we all hold our tongues on this sort of commentary? The newspapers do enough of that to our troops, and the causes they fight.

Thank God for those who protect and defend our liberty.

[YoungCorps]

As usual the big media gets it wrong. Hack was awarded the DSC, Distinguished Service Cross, twice...not the DSM as reported by the left media. The DSC is for great heroism, the DSM is for...being a general. There is a big difference. Of course this is no surprise, none of these journalist weenies ever served a day in uniform.

Hack was a great leader and a true hero. One of the best our army ever had.

Memory Eternal!

[NetLiberty]

I would guess that if he were honest, he would have admitted that half of his medals were pure bullshit and were deserved far less than the lesser medals his troops had earned.

Notwithstanding: What an utterly offensive and dishonorable comment you have made, especially on Memorial Day. I usually don't post to threads but I find this comment of yours especially disgusting.

Just because you disagreed with the man doesn't give you the right to trash him this way--especailly on the day we honor our war dead. Shame on you!

[OldCorps]

Er, the post above was from me, not my son. He had sneaked on FR and logged in. I thought I was posting as OC.

[ConsentofGoverned]

"On this day on which we honor our fallen soldiers and sailors, I will not seek to dishonor a recently departed soldier. I do not know the truth of the assertion you make, but given this hallowed day, would it not be better that we all hold our tongues on this sort of commentary? The newspapers do enough of that to our troops, and the causes they fight."

Col Hackworth's book (Steel my Solders Hearts) was not well written but his accounts of placing HIMSELF in very Hot LZ's to support his troops I must respect..as many Viet Nam vets know a few officers would fly in choppers well above a hot LZ..the disease type he died from can cause aberrant behavior and I attribute his last couple of yrs statements as perhaps a result of his battle with the cancer..may he rest in peace, he served his country well.( I did write him about his opinions and how I felt he was well off base - his replies were always of a true gentleman)

[PeaRidge]

In 1971 the country witnessed a true American war hero be turned into self-righteous zealot by media attention to his meltdown from reason to moral crusader. He was guilty of something, and dealt with it by making the authorities the enemy.

Heroic but a casualty of his emotions.

[Boston Blackie]

I would guess that if he were honest, he would have admitted that half of his medals were pure bullshit and were deserved far less than the lesser medals his troops had earned. And yet my understanding is that he did not refuse to accept any awards. Do I have that right?

You made the allegations and its up to you to prove that you have it right. I hope we always have men like David Hackworth to answer the call of duty.

[OldCorps]

Notwithstanding,

If you ever served in uniform, you probably would have learned at some point that it is considered very bad form to criticize people on the day they died, or at their funeral.

If you've never served in uniform, your remarks are nothing less than ignorance spouted from an attention starved fool.

[wastoute]

I disagreed with him on about everything, if you read his book "About Face" it is clear he was a liberal Roosevelt Democrat all his life. Also clear is his love of the troops and his passion for protecting them. I respect any man who has this as his highest priority, even if he is a socialist. God Bless Hack. How fitting he should be laid to rest at Arlington on Memorial Day. Here's hoping he found Jesus and is signing in at those Pearly Gates.

[Notwithstanding]

Sorry, but Hackworth's bread and butter was trying to appear as one who called "bullshit" on the top brass. Yet by doing so he became a hypocrite, as one who had to kiss butt to attain the rank he did and earn the b.s. accolades along that way that he never declined.

I do not doubt his patriotism, heroism, or service. I simply point out that he was likely guilty of the same hypocrisy he decried.

I just call him on his "bullshit" the same way he did to others.

We can pretend that his motives were pure, but he was in fact a self-promoter who disingenuously packaged himself as one interested exclusively in the well-being of soldiers.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

[Notwithstanding]

I began a 9 year stint on active duty during the Cold War, inspired by President Ronald Reagan.

I got out and began enjoying a prosperous life as a civilian.

After 9/11, I signed up for a 3 year stint on active duty, which I am serving, inspired by President Bush.

I am currently deployed in SW Asia - a deployment I volunteered for out of patriotic duty.

People I serve with are dying here. I am in harm's way. My wife and kids are thousands of miles away.

Your lecture is wasted on me.

[O6ret]

I would guess that if he were honest, he would have admitted that half of his medals were pure bullshit and were deserved far less than the lesser medals his troops had earned. And yet my understanding is that he did not refuse to accept any awards.

You would "guess" that "if he were honest"....meaning that he is not?

You would "guess" that "half his medals" were "bullshit", meaning that he didn't deserve them?

Well, please enlighten me: which ones exactly didn't he deserve? Just what information is your "understanding" based upon? What, precisely, do you know of the man or his accomplishments or his service to our country?

You ought to be ashamed to besmirch the memory (if not the integrity and honesty) of such a man, especially on this day of all days, Memorial Day.

Using your logic I would guess that you are a small, spitefull excuse for a human being.

[Notwithstanding]

See #17, and I agree with your tagline: " 'Experts' (especially those hired by CNN and Newsweek) can be paid to say anything."

[O6ret]

Try answering the questions....if you can. You made specific allegations, I am asking for specific information to support your claims.

Or is your obvious disdain for COL Hackworth's accomplishments what you ususally reserve for senior officers?