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That the rumor, but his story is:
While boarding a huey, a hand grenade slipped off his vest, the pin fell out, and it went off.

Either way, I ask "What was a PIO (public Info Officer, Clielands position at the time) doing with hand grenades"? I mean, a PIO guides reporters around. If he needs hand grenades, he and they are too close to the action.

Hell, when my troops and I went into a base camp for a week or 2, we took all the grenades, extra clips of ammo, and stored them in a secure place.

......Bob

Cleland served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, attaining the rank of Captain. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for valorous action in combat, including during the Battle of Khe Sanh on April 4th, 1968. On April 8, 1968. Captain Cleland was the Battalion Signal Officer for the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavarly Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division during the Battle of Khe Sanh[1]. During the battle, in which the Battalion was attempting to relieve besieged Marines defending the Khe Sanh Firebase, Cleland was ordered to erect a communications antenna on a nearby mountain top. "On April 8, with a month left in his tour, Cleland was ordered to set up a radio relay station on a nearby hill. A helicopter flew him and two soldiers to the treeless top of Hill 471, east of Khe Sanh. Cleland knew some of the soldiers camped there from Operation Pegasus. He told the pilot he was going to stay awhile. Maybe have a few beers with friends. When the helicopter landed, Cleland jumped out, followed by the two soldiers. They ducked beneath the rotors and turned to watch the liftoff. Then Cleland looked down and saw a grenade. Where'd that come from? He walked toward it, bent down, and crossed the line between before and after."[1] Due to the severity of his injuries, doctors amputated both his legs above the knee and his right forearm.[2]

1. ^ Thompson, Neal. "30 Years of Self-Loathing, and Then, Finally, the Truth." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 5 Dec. 1999: 1. Find Articles. 11 Oct. 2006 .
2. ^ "Max Cleland." Contemporary Heroes and Heroines, Book IV. Gale Group, 2000.