David Hackworth: ARE McCAIN'S HANDLERS PLAYING THE WRONG CARD?

[Purveyor]

Jan. 25, 2000
By David Hackworth

John McCain is being hailed by the press as a "genuine war hero." But is he a war hero in the conventional sense like Audie Murphy and John Glenn?

Or is his "war hero" status the creation of a very slick publicity campaign that plays on flag, duty, honor and country?

For sure, McCain has the fruit-salad -- a Silver Star, a Legion of Merit for Valor, a Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Stars , two Commendation medals plus two Purple Hearts and a dozen service gongs.

On a purely medal count basis, he out-weighs Murphy and Glenn, who both for years repeatedly performed extraordinary deeds on the ground or in the air against an armed enemy.

McCain's valor awards are based on what happened in 1967, when during his 23d mission over Vietnam, he was shot down, seriously injured, captured and then spent 5 1/2 brutal years as a POW.

In an attempt to find out exactly what the man did to earn these many hero awards, I asked his Senate office three times to provide copies of the narratives for each medal. I'm still waiting.

I next went to the Pentagon. Within a week, I received a recap of his medals and many of the narratives that give the details of what he did.

None of the awards, less the DFC, were for heroism over the battlefield -- where he spent no more than 20 hours. Two Naval officers described the awards as "boilerplate" and "part of an SOP medal package given to repatriated (Vietnam-era) POWs."

McCain's Silver Star narrative for the period 27 October 1967 -- the day after he was shot down -- to 8 December 1968 reads: "His captors… subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes. Through his resistance to those brutalities, he contributed significantly towards the eventual abandonment…" of such harsh treatment by the North Vietnamese.

Yet in McCain's own words just four days after being captured, he admits he violated the U.S. Code of Conduct by telling his captors "O.K, I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital."

A Vietnam vet detractor says, "He received the nation's third highest award, the Silver Star, for treason. He provided aid and comfort to the enemy!"

The rest of his valor awards -- issued automatically every year while he was a POW -- read much like the Silver Star. More boilerplate often repeating the exact same words. An example: "By his heroic endeavors, exceptional skill, and devotion to duty, he reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces."

Yet McCain's conduct while a POW negates these glowing comments. The facts are that he signed a confession and declared himself a "black criminal who performed deeds of an air pirate." This statement and other interviews he gave to the Communist press were used as propaganda to fan the flames of the anti-war movement.

Accounts by McCain and other writers tell of the horror he endured: relentlessly beatings, torture, broken limbs. All inflicted during savage interrogations. Yet no other POW was a witness to these accounts.

A former POW says "No man witnessed another man during interrogations… We relied on each other to tell the truth when a man was returned to his cell."

The U.S. Navy says two eye-witnesses are required for any award of heroism. But for the valor awards McCain received, there are no eye-witnesses, less himself and his captors.

And they're not talking.

Our POWs in Vietnam were treated appallingly. The Viets would either break a POW or kill him. POWs provided info beyond name, rank and serial number or they didn't come back.

Based on these stalwart men's horrific experiences, the Code of Conduct has been changed. A POW says, "Now the training is to give them something… don't risk permanent damage to health, mind or body."

McCain refused an early release. An act of valor? Three former POWs told me he was ordered to turn it down by his U.S. POW commander and he "just followed orders."

McCain certainly doesn't appear to be a war hero by conventional standards, but rather a tough survivor whose handlers are overplaying the war hero card.

---eoe---

http://www.hackworth.com/25jan00.html

[msongs]

1. he failed his missio and lost his plane, then allowed himself to be captured. thats a hero? nt

[Hangingon]

8. So did JFK only he lost a PT boat.

We should get off this track.

[Skittles]

9. they just don't f***ing get it, Hanginon

it's disgusting to see

[Richard Steele]

2. A yup. nm

[opihimoimoi]

3. Its called DESPERATION...its all they have.....Like Bush, "He is a BUSINESSMAN" an MBA for Gods Sake

McClones handlers are stymied by the Lack of Ammo they can use...No smart Bombs anywhere...only some BS Grenades and FEAR CARDS

[Catch22Dem]

4. I do miss Col. Hackworth (n/t)

[FourScore]

11. me too. n/t

[speedoo]

5. K&R. Thanks for posting this. nt

[ColonelTom]

6. Every minute we talk about McCain's military service, he gains votes.

He's much more vulnerable on what he's done in the thirty-some-odd years since he returned from Vietnam. His military service is irrelevant to questions like "When are the troops coming home from Iraq" and "what are you planning to do regarding Iran". Obama never served in the military, so focusing on how heroic McCain was during his military service doesn't help one whit.

Gen. Clark's comment hit him on the lack of *leadership* experience, both during and after his military service. We should be focusing on what he's done on the occasions he's had a chance to show such leadership as a Senator. There's plenty of fodder there without digging through his military service record to try to tarnish it. It's a fool's errand, a waste of time, and it focuses the media narrative on McCain's military service - and, by contrast, Obama's lack of it. Obama's the better leader. Let's focus on that instead.

[patrice]

7. Okay. nt

[MadMaddie]

10. This is tricky but we shouldn't let it slide...

they drug Kerry through the Pits of hell....for his service because he came back and realized what a horrible mistake Vietnam was.

Obama got rolled over the coals because of his Pastor of his former church.

Now as we Democratic types typically do....We have McCain who is running on his Vietnam hero status...something that he has used over the last 30 or so years to claim some invisible right to being not be questioned on the very thing that he is basing his campaign on.

McCain even got the Swiftboat liar that came out against and destroyed Kerry on a stage today......This may be McCains achiles heel....

If this is McCains platform why can we not evaluate it? Are we obligated to accept his record just because he says so?

On top of that in the Clark interview he was defending Obama, Bob Schiefer set up the question and Clark responded appropriatly.

[27inCali]

13. agreed

we should be talking about him fighting against the new GI bill then trying to claim credit when he was overridden, the SOB!

[Demeter]

14. Funny How That DIDN'T Work for Kerry

GOP Double Standards strikes again.

[Trajan]

12. John McCain was interred in a concentration camp ....

As much as I disagreed with the Vietnam war ..... McCain served admirably ....

Not heroic ... but ably and honestly ....

Clark's statement has been overplayed .. and stretched beyond what is reasonable, in my view ...

[groovedaddy]

15. David Hackworth on McCain's "heroism"

DEFENDING AMERICA
BY DAVID H. HACKWORTH
ARE McCAIN'S HANDLERS PLAYING THE WRONG CARD?
John McCain is being hailed by the press as a "genuine war hero." But is he a war hero in the conventional sense like Audie Murphy and John Glenn?
Or is his "war hero" status the creation of a very slick publicity campaign that plays on flag, duty, honor and country?
For sure, McCain has the fruit-salad -- a Silver Star, a Legion of Merit for Valor, a Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Stars , two Commendation medals plus two Purple Hearts and a dozen service gongs.

On a purely medal count basis, he out-weighs Murphy and Glenn, who both for years repeatedly performed extraordinary deeds on the ground or in the air against an armed enemy.

McCain's valor awards are based on what happened in 1967, when during his 23d mission over Vietnam, he was shot down, seriously injured, captured and then spent 5 1/2 brutal years as a POW.
In an attempt to find out exactly what the man did to earn these many hero awards, I asked his Senate office three times to provide copies of the narratives for each medal. I'm still waiting.
http://www.hackworth.com/25jan00.html