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David Hackworth

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David H. Hackworth (November 11, 1930 – May 4, 2005) known affectionately as "Hack", was a retired United States Army colonel and prominent military journalist.

Early life and entrance into the military

Hackworth suffered a rough childhood, and ran off to join the U.S. Merchant Marine at age 14, towards the end of World War II. After the war, he lied about his age (15) to enlist in the U.S. Army, and was assigned occupation duty in Trieste, and also gave him the majority of the lessons that he would later draw on as a non-commissioned officer and officer. It was under the tutelage of Sergeant Steve Prazenka that Hackworth would learn the value of hard training and the quest for perfection, cutting troopers no slack and questing to be STRAC. The start of the Korean War found him a sergeant and he volunteered for duty there.

In Korea, Hackworth fought with the 25th Infantry Division, winning a battlefield commission as a lieutenant and several medals for valor along with multiple Purple Hearts for being wounded several times. He subsequently volunteered for a second tour in Korea, this time with the 40th Infantry Division.

Demobilized after the cease-fire in Korea, Hackworth quickly became bored with civilian life.

Interwar service

He managed to get back into the expanding "Cold War" model U.S. Army, which had changed substantially from the army he had known. Assigned to Germany in the 1960's, he was a company commander under Colonel Glover S. Johns, and learned a great deal of the skills that were needed to be an effective officer from this old warhorse. He was involved in a number of firedrills around the Berlin Blockade, and his exploits at the time were rivalled only by the loyalty of his troops and the growth in his leadership skills and style that he enjoyed.

Vietnam service

He was among the earliest volunteers to go to Vietnam with the Special Forces, although the Army did not execute his request to be sent to Vietnam.

In 1965, he deployed to Vietnam as a major. He served as an operations officer and battalion commander in the 101st Airborne Division and original leader of the Tiger Force. He quickly developed a reputation as an eccentric but effective soldier. Following a stateside tour at the Pentagon and promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, Hackworth co-wrote "The Vietnam Primer" with General S.L.A. "Slam" Marshall after returning to Vietnam in the winter of 1966-67 on an Army-sponsored tour with the famous historian and commentator. The book adopted some of the same tactics as Mao Zedong and Che Guevera and the Viet Cong in fighting guerillas. Hackworth described the strategy as "out-geeing the G."

But Hackworth was not just a theoretician. He put his theories to work most famously with the 4/39 Infantry in the Mekong Delta. It's said that the role of Colonel Kilgore in Apocalypse Now was modeled after him.

However, both his assignment with "Slam" Marshall and his time on staff duty at the Pentagon soured Hackworth on the Vietnam War. One aspect of the latter required him to defend the US position on the war. Even with his reservations concerning the conflict, he refused to resign, feeling it was his duty as a field grade officer to wage the campaign as best he could.

Hackworth was assigned to a training battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington, and then returned to Vietnam to lead elements of the 9th Infantry Division. He next served as a senior military advisor to the South Vietnamese. His view that the U.S. Army was not learning from its mistakes, and that South Vietnamese ARVN officers were essentially corrupt, created friction with Army leadership.

Hackworth's disgruntlement ultimately culminated in a television interview with ABC. On June 27, 1971 he appeared on the program Issues and Answers and strongly criticized U.S. commanders in Vietnam, said the war couldn't be won and called for U.S. withdrawal.

The interview enraged senior U.S. Army officers at the Pentagon. Hackworth was nearly court-martialed for giving the interview, and found himself ostracized in the defense establishment. At the same time, he was experiencing personal problems that resulted in divorce. He soon retired at the rank of colonel, and in an effort to rebuild his life, Hackworth moved to Australia.

Hackworth the businessman

Settling on the Australian Gold Coast near Brisbane, Hackworth soon made a fortune through savvy real estate investing, a profitable duck farm, and a popular restaurant called Scaramouche. He was also active in the Australian anti-nuclear movement.

Hackworth the Journalist

Hackworth returned to the U.S. in the mid-1980s and began working as a contributing editor on defense issues for Newsweek. He also made regular television appearances to discuss various military-related topics. His commentary on the psychological effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, based on his own experiences in overcoming the disease, resonated with disabled veterans.

In the mid-1990s, Hackworth interviewed Admiral Jeremy Michael Boorda, then Chief of Naval Operations. Hackworth questioned Boorda's wearing of potentially unauthorized V (Valor) devices on his Navy Achievement Medal and Navy Commendation Medal, generating much controversy. Boorda committed suicide during the ensuing media coverage.

Later, CBS had a similar report about Hackworth wearing unauthorized decorations. Hackworth responded with a U.S. Army audit confirming his medals, and CBS admitted to an error in reporting.

King Features Syndicate distributed Hackworth's weekly column "Defending America" until his death from bladder cancer in May, 2005. Associates believe that his cancer was caused by exposure to Agent Blue; a defoliant used in Vietnam, and are lobbying the United States government to have the substance acknowledged as a known carcinogen like the more famous Agent Orange.

Hackworth died on May 4, 2005 at the age of 74 in Tijuana, Mexico. He is survived by his wife, Eilhys England, a stepdaughter, and four children from his two previous marriages. His remains were interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

Quotes

"Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid."

"It's human nature to start taking things for granted again when danger isn't banging loudly on the door."

"Sweat in training saves blood on the battlefield."

Military decorations

Hackworth earned over ninety decorations, including numerous individual citations for valor as well as unit citations earned by units he served in or commanded. He was proudest of his Combat Infantryman Badge, which he frequently wore on the lapel of his civilian sportsjackets in retirement.

Individual decorations and service medals

Unit awards

Badges and tabs

Foreign awards

World War II Merchant Marine awards

Controversy

Works

Books

  • About Face: The Odyssey of an American Warrior
  • Steel My Soldiers' Hearts
  • Hazardous Duty
  • Price of Honor
  • Brave Men
  • The Vietnam Primer (with General S.L.A. "Slam" Marshall)

Journalism

Hackworth authored articles for:

Hackworth was also a founder of Soldiers for the Truth, an advocacy group focused on military reform, both in terms of capability and treatment of personnel.

Sources

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