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Has been ever since he was drummed out of the Army 30+ years ago.

Why?

I read his book the title of which escapes me now and thought it was pretty good. I respect what's he's done and does for our military but half the time I don't have a clue about what he's trying to say or the point he's making.

Why?

In a phrase, he was burned out. He had spent most of five years in Vietnam, and a bunch of it in combat. He became convinced that all the leadership was lyingm, and that he and he alone had the truth....

And then he took this campaign onto TV. In a fit of pique he decided to tear down as much of the Army as he could on the way out. That POd the brass and they started going over him with a toothcomb. They found a lot of violations of regulations and questionable financial stuff. The deal he got was, "retire now, and stay the hell out of the USA, and we won't send you to jail."

He took the deal, and stayed out until the statutes of limitations and repose on various things were at an end.

The press loves him because he is a rarity, a combat soldier who is left-liberal and speaks out against the military. So he matches their prejudices in most cases.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

I don't know exactly what happened with hackworth about 30 years ago. But he served either 2 or 3 tours in vietnam, he was infantry, served in the field. Everyone went on 1 tour, but if you went back a 2'nd time it was because you volunteered. It is very unusual for the army touse such a high ranking fellow out in the field in combat the way they did with Hack. He was considered very valuable out there. He volunteered to go right back into it when he didn't have to. But after his last tour he saw how the politicians in america were not trying to win the war. He went on 60 Minutes, he really pummelled the hierarchy of officers above him whom he didn't think so much of, he also criticized the politicians. He spent some time in Australia smoking dope apparently. Hackworth showed himself then to be one of the best among us IMHO back in those days. The army cut him loose, couldn't have an insubordinate hot-head going on 60 minutes like that and smoking dope too. Hackworth could've had a nice career like the other officers. Instead, he chose to fight in the field with the men. Then, he decided to sacrifice his career as a means of letting people know what we were doing to those men. This man has guts and integrity.