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 & 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 enlisted in the U.S. Army, and was assigned occupation duty in Trieste. 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 Heart for being several times wounded. He subsequently volunteered for a second tour in Korea, this time with the 40th Infantry Division.
Vietnam Service
Demobilized after the cease-fire in Korea, Hackworth quickly became bored with civilian life. Hackworth managed to get back into the expanding "Cold War" model U.S. Army, which had changed substantially from the army he had known.
A tour in Vietnam as a [battalion]] commander in the 101st Airborne Division, followed by staff duty at The Pentagon soured Hackworth on the Vietnam War. Even so, 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, then returned to Vietnam to lead elements of the 9th Infantry Division. He next served as a sernior 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 the ABC program Issues and Answers in 1970.
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. A the same time, he was experiencing personal problems that culminated 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 1990's, 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 duing the ensuing media frenzy.
Later, CBS had a similar report about Hackworth wearing unauthorized decorations. Hackworth responded with an U.S.Army audit confirming his medals, and CBS admitted to an error in reporting.
Hackworth's weekly column "Defending America" was distributed by King Features Syndicate until his death from 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 is survived by his wife, Eilhys England, a stepdaughter, and four children from his two previous marriages.
Works
Books
- About Face: The Oddysey of an American Warrior
- Steel My Soldiers' Hearts
- Hazardous Duty
- Price of Honor
- 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 personnel.