I was stunned and infuriated when self-described military hero Colonel David Hackworth attacked me in the press.He accused me not only of "ersatz" heroism but of having spilled my guts to the enemy while in captivity--without any substantiating information to back up his claim. I didn't mind people speaking their piece, but Hackworth had sent letters to the editors of my hometown newspapers in both Clarkville, Tennessee, and Berlin, New Hampshire.
I had no idea what had spurred this very personal attack, but I was infuriated. At the time, had I run into him, I would have choked him. I responded to his rantings with my own letter to the editor, wondering why a man who considered himself a fine example of military leadership would chastise a fellow soldier in public, and challenged him to debate the issue. Shortly afterward, I received a postcard from Hackworth, claiming that he "didn't have the time" to discuss it with me. I was furious. He clearly had the time to rip me apart in public, but not to face me man-to-man.
Yet when things like this happened, I could only assume that some men could only bolster their self-worth by diminishing the deeds of others. I did not consider myself a hero, just a soldier who had done his best under difficult circumstances. Most of the true heroes I had ever known were dead. The rest of us were just survivors with medals.