As I recall the nitwit was playing with a live hand grenade with the pin pulled and the dummy dropped it. The nitwit and the dummy being the same person, Max Cleland.
No way that makes him a hero, war or not. It just makes him a did-not-place in the Darwin Awards for that year.
He was on base, too, at the time.
I dunno about you, but I wouldn't vote for an (R) dumb enough to do that, either.