43 Facts About David Hackworth

Colonel David Haskell Hackworth was a United States Army officer and journalist, who was highly decorated in both the Korean War and Vietnam War.

David Hackworth was the youngest US colonel in Vietnam at the time of his promotion.

David Hackworth's parents both died before he was a year old, so he and his brother and sister were raised by Ida Stedman, their paternal grandmother.

David Hackworth fought with the 25th Reconnaissance Company and the 27th Infantry Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division during the Korean War.

David Hackworth gained a battlefield commission as a second lieutenant in 1951 and was awarded three Silver Stars for heroism and three Purple Hearts.

David Hackworth created the 27th Wolfhound Raiders and led them from August to November 1951.

David Hackworth subsequently volunteered for a second tour in Korea, this time with the 40th Infantry Division.

David Hackworth was demobilized after the Korean Armistice Agreement in 1954.

When David Hackworth returned to active duty, the Cold War substantially changed the structure of the army from what he had known.

David Hackworth was involved in a number of fire drills around the Berlin Crisis of 1961.

David Hackworth recounted his experiences with the Soviet guard and his views on military history in his book About Face.

When President John F Kennedy announced that a large advisory team was being sent to South Vietnam, Hackworth immediately volunteered for service.

David Hackworth's request was denied, on the grounds that he had too much frontline experience, and that others who had seen less fighting should have an opportunity to acquire experience in combat.

In November 1965, David Hackworth founded a platoon-sized unit designated as Tiger Force to "out guerrilla the guerrillas".

However, after David Hackworth was promoted out of Vietnam, the unit committed a series of war crimes, with US Army investigative records estimating that Tiger Force soldiers killed hundreds of noncombatants.

David Hackworth later stated in an interview with the Toledo Blade that he was unaware of the war crimes the unit carried out and refused to speculate on why they occurred.

David Hackworth was assigned to a training battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington, and then returned to Vietnam to lead elements of the 9th Infantry Division, turning his theories about guerrilla warfare and how to counter it into practice with the 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment in the Mekong Delta, an underperforming unit made up largely of conscripts which David Hackworth transformed into the counter-insurgent "Hardcore" Battalion from January to late May 1969.

David Hackworth next served as a senior military adviser to the ARVN, the South Vietnamese army.

In early 1971, David Hackworth was promoted to the rank of colonel and received orders to attend the Army War College, an indication that he was being groomed for the general officer ranks.

David Hackworth had declined a previous opportunity to go to the War College, and turned down this one, as well, indicating his lack of interest in becoming a general and demonstrating his discontent with the war and the Army's leaders.

Senior Army leaders investigated David Hackworth, who avoided them for several weeks.

David Hackworth was nearly court-martialed for various allegations during his Vietnam service, such as running a brothel, running gambling houses, and exploiting his position for personal profit by manipulating the scrip in which soldiers were paid and the limited US currency available in the war zone.

David Hackworth soon made a fortune through profitable ventures that included real estate investing, a duck farm, and a popular restaurant called Scaramouche.

David Hackworth returned to the US in the mid-1980s and began working as a contributing editor on defense issues for Newsweek.

David Hackworth made regular television appearances to discuss various military-related topics, and the shortcomings of the military.

Boorda committed suicide before he could be interviewed by David Hackworth, who had received at least one Army Commendation Medal and other decorations with the "V" device from the US Army in the Vietnam War.

David Hackworth joined 3rd Battalion, 5th Cavalry of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division near the disputed village of Brcko.

David Hackworth interviewed a number of officers and enlisted soldiers, reinforcing his historical tenure as a seasoned combat veteran of previous wars and as a well-known and respected journalist.

David Hackworth appeared on countless television and radio talk shows and formed his own website, Soldiers for the Truth, continuing to be the self-proclaimed voice of the "grunts" until his death.

David Hackworth continued the column until his death from bladder cancer in May 2005.

David Hackworth died on May 4,2005, at the age of 74 in Tijuana, Mexico, as he was searching for alternative treatments for his bladder cancer.

David Hackworth was survived by his wife, Eilhys England, four children from his two previous marriages, and a stepdaughter.

David Hackworth earned over 90 US and foreign military awards and frequently wore a CIB lapel pin on his civilian sport jackets.

On 7 February 1966, Major David Hackworth's unit was assigned the mission of relieving elements of a friendly rifle company which had been pinned down for four hours.

Major David Hackworth then crawled to within twenty meters of the insurgent positions in the face of heavy machine gun fire.

David Hackworth then led a group through intense fire to a position only forty meters from the opposing force's battle positions.

Lieutenant Colonel David Hackworth distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions during the period of 23 to 25 March 1969 as battalion commander while his unit was engaged with elements of two Viet Cong battalions.

David Hackworth repeatedly landed to coordinate with his ground commanders, lead assaults against hostile positions, and evacuate casualties.

In 1996, David Hackworth accused Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Boorda of wearing two unauthorized service ribbons on his uniform denoting valor in combat.

In 1997, David Hackworth was accused of wearing unauthorised decorations: an extra Distinguished Flying Cross and a Ranger Tab.

In particular, the reports accused David Hackworth of claiming a Ranger Tab to which he was not entitled and an extra Distinguished Flying Cross listed on his website.

David Hackworth threatened to sue CBS and requested a formal audit of his military records.

In 2002, David Hackworth was asked about the controversy in an interview with Proceedings.