Ex-Officer May Face Justice For Atrocities (Tiger Force - Toledo Blade)

The Toledo Blade ^ | 05Sep04 | Joe Mahr

[leadpenny]

TIGER FORCE - Ex-officer may face justice for atrocities - Army lawyer calls for war-crime charge

By JOE MAHR, BLADE STAFF WRITER

Three decades after an Army platoon repeatedly executed unarmed civilians and prisoners in Vietnam, a military lawyer has recommended the unit's former commander be brought up on a war-crime charge. In what would be an unprecedented event, retired Maj. James Hawkins could face a military court-martial regarding his actions commanding a platoon known as Tiger Force that killed hundreds of unarmed men, women, and children 37 years ago, The Blade has learned.

As the scope of war crimes in Vietnam becomes a key question in the presidential election, the military lawyer recommended this spring that Army officials charge Mr. Hawkins, who led Tiger Force between July and November, 1967.

The recommendation came during a broader Army review of Tiger Force prompted by a four-part series in The Blade in October. The series revealed the platoon's seven-month rampage through Vietnam's Central Highlands in 1967.

[moonman]

I'd love to find out who is behind this and just now pushing it into play. One must know that if it is as clear cut as the writer is making it out to be, the JAG units at that time would have definately hung these guys.

[leadpenny]

I think the thing that is going to nail Kerry is whatever they find with the
investigation into the tinkering with his SS citation and his DD Form 214.
Lehman would have remembered signing an amendment to a SS citation
for a sitting US Senator.

[68skylark]

Kerry's problem is that he claimed that war crimes were systematic, part and parcel of what soldiers did every day in Vietnam, and under government orders to do it.

I know what you're saying -- I agree that the (alleged) facts in this case don't fit the point Kerry was making in his testimony. Still, Kerry and his supporters have a black belt in moral relativism. They'll have no problem taking the facts and twisting them into some justification of Kerry's actions.

Words and facts don't mean anything to these people -- words and facts only exist so they can be used as a way to get and keep power.

[1john2 3and4]

I'm thinking that if this is an attempt to exonerate skerry it will backfire by shedding more light on his own actions....that's just me, and I admit that I could be reading too much into this.

[leadpenny]

The Rock Pile and Khe Sanh were, of course, very close to the DMZ in the northern part of I Corp. Maybe they were technically in the Highlands, but I've generally thought of the Highlands as centered on Pleiku and bounded by Dak To/Kontum in the North, An Khe in the East and Ban Me Thuot in the South. IOW, that part of II Corps. I need to get into maps to see where this Tiger Force was allegedly operating.

[leadpenny]

You could have been listening to my brother and I on the phone. We were trying to figure how this would play too.

[1john2 3and4]

right! You can never reliably predict how the media lies & cover will play out. Of course, I get such a warm feeling when they're exposed for the manipulators they really are. The recent AP "booing" (made-up) story comes to mind.

FR's power, talk radio.....hugh difference-makers!

[brazzaville]

Good morning.
The HoBo Woods was in III Corps, not the Highlands. It was a misnomer as there weren't a hell of a lot of woods to be found. I worked there in '68 and again in '69. The RockPile and Khe Sanh were up near the DMZ. One of my jarhead friends says you could hear the big arty being fired from inside North Vietnam.

On a side note, I read about Tiger Force in an article that had been poasted on a bulletin board at jump school in November of 1966. That article made me volunteer for the LRPs when I got to Nam in 1967.

Michael Frazier

[UnklGene]

Jimmy Carter gave a blanket pardon to all who served in Vietnam and may have committed UCMJ crimes. The suit goes nowhere.

[Still Thinking]

Pre-campaign he seemed like quite a decent guy, kind of the old style traditional Democrat. But he quickly lined up his positions on the issues with the DNC's to be on alGore's ticket, so his principles must not be real critical to him.

[wildwood]

i live in perrysburg...this is one of the reasons we moved across the river....COMMIES in toledo....the blade charges a fortune for that lousy little piece o crap.we have the sentinel tribune from bg over here. it's small, but not as left wing.

[Buffalo Head]

"Jimmy Carter gave a blanket pardon to all who served in Vietnam and may have committed UCMJ crimes. The suit goes nowhere."

Can you, or anyone else, post documentation of that? Thank you.

[Just mythoughts]

Does this apply to the Carter declaration????

[GOPJ]

BINGO -- :

Kerry's problem is that he claimed that war crimes were systematic, part and parcel of what soldiers did every day in Vietnam, and under government orders to do it.

[faithincowboys]

No surprise that the Toledo Blade was given a Pulitzer last year for this. There are powerful interests working overtime to get this treasonous lout elected.

[an amused spectator]

Of course, he still listens to milquetoast Mitch Albom on WJR also.

I call him Mitch "The Leftist B*tch" Albom.

[gogipper]

Read your news on the internet. Its good for your blood pressure.

[tiki]

This could go both ways. SKerry admitted that he commited atrocities.

[jackibutterfly]

"The Toledo Blade is as "left' as it can get. I live here and it's disgusting to read. I only take it because it's the only paper in town."

Well, you have the Internet. Stop taking it and supporting it. Being the "only paper in town" is pretty weak excuse.

[izzatzo]

The Rock Pile was west of Dong Ha and Cam Lo, both Marine bases. Cam Lo was just a Fire Base. Khe Sahn was yet further west and a little to the south. All being in I Corps Area.