[Tacis]

Geez, the rumors I hear are that Max was as much of an a**hole then as he is today and that he was on the receiving end of a fragmentation grenade tossed by other Americans. His own people "fragged" him. Could be a false rumor, but the incident reports of the time would prove that it wasn't true.

Ann's story also has another questionable issue in it. How many reasonably trained military folks, physically in Viet Nam would actually have picked up a grenade off the ground as though it were a bright coin? The rumor is that he didn't pick up the grenade as he was "going" to drink beer but that he picked it up AFTER he had had a whole bunch of beer, something he did often then and, I am told, still does often. Again, the records will show whether Max was drunk at the time and how much of a drinking problem he has to this very day.

[Stewart_B]

He didnt pick it up, Another guy droped it and the pin came out.

[donozark]

I doubt if there were many "beer parties" being held along Highway 9 in April 1968. It was post Tet. Khe Sanh Combat Base was just down the road. Lang Vay SF Camp (or what was left of it.). Old French Fort. Quang Tri Province was just behind Thua Tien Province in terms of total number of US KIA.

Cleland probably assumed the grenade fell from his web gear or pouch. As for the GI who straightened the pin on the grenade? What more needs to be said....?