David Hackworth Colonel David Haskell Hackworth ( November 11 , 1930 – May 4 , 2005 ) , also known as " " Hack " " , was a highly decorated soldier , having received 24 decorations for heroism in combat from the Army Commendation Medal to the Distinguished Service Cross . He was also a prominent military journalist . During his time as a journalist , Hackworth investigated many subjects , including an assertion into the accused improper wearing of ribbons and devices by Admiral Mike Boorda , an investigation which is speculated to have driven Boorda to committing suicide . Hackworth is also known for his role in the creation and command of Tiger Force , a military unit formed during the Vietnam War to apply guerrilla warfare tactics to the fight against Vietnamese guerrillas . Early life and entrance into the military . Hackworth joined the U . S . Merchant Marine at age 14 , towards the end of World War II , when teenagers routinely entered the armed services before their 18th birthday by lying about their age . After the war , he lied again to enlist in the United States Army . He was assigned as a rifleman to the 351st Infantry Regiment , 88th Infantry Division , and stationed on occupation duty in Trieste . His unit , part of TRUST ( Trieste United States Troops ) , at times served under British command , and his duty as a private gave him many of the lessons that he would later draw on as a non - commissioned officer and a commissioned officer , including his belief that U . S . units should never be placed under operational control of foreign militaries . It was under Sergeant Steve Prazenka that Hackworth learned the value of hard training and the quest for perfection . In the Korean War he became a sergeant , volunteering again to serve . Hackworth fought in Korea with the 25th Reconnaissance Company , the 8th Rangers , and finally the 27th Infantry ( Wolfhound ) Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division . He gained a battlefield commission as a lieutenant and was awarded several medals for valor , and several Purple Heart s for being wounded several times . After a successful raid on Hill 1062 and battlefield promotion to first lieutenant , the commander of the 27th Infantry Regiment offered Hackworth command of a new volunteer raider unit . Hackworth created the 27th Wolfhound Raiders and led them from August to November 1951 . He subsequently volunteered for a second tour in Korea , this time with the 40th Infantry Division . Hackworth was promoted to the rank of captain . Demobilized after the in Korea , Hackworth became bored with civilian life after two years of college and reentered the U . S . Army in 1956 as a captain . Interwar service . When Hackworth returned to active duty , the expanding " Cold War " substantially changed the structure of the Army from what he had known . Initially posted to 77th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion in Manhattan Beach , California , Hackworth was eventually assigned to Germany , initially in staff roles but returning to infantry in the early 1960s as an Infantry 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 veteran . He was involved in a number of fire drills around the Berlin Crisis of 1961 , and his exploits at the time were rivaled only by the loyalty of his troops and the growth in his leadership skills and style . He recounted his experiences with the Russia n guard and his views on military history in his book " About Face " . After attending college in several locations , in 1964 Hackworth graduated from Austin Peay State University with a bachelor of science degree in history , after which he attended the Command and General Staff College . Vietnam service . When President Kennedy announced that a large advisory team was being sent to South Vietnam , Hackworth immediately volunteered for service . His request was denied , on the grounds that he had " too much " combat experience for the mission . In 1965 , he deployed to Vietnam as a major . He served as an operations officer and battalion commander in the 101st Airborne Division . He quickly developed a reputation as an eccentric but effective soldier , becoming a public figure in several books authored by General S . L . A . " Slam " Marshall . Following a stateside tour at the Pentagon and promotion to lieutenant colonel , Hackworth co - wrote " The Vietnam Primer " with 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 Guevara and the Viet Cong in fighting guerrillas . Hackworth described the strategy as " out - G - ing the G . " His personal and professional relationship with Marshall soured as Hackworth became suspicious of his methods and motivation . 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 publicly defend the U . S . position on the war in a speaking tour . 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 , turning his theories about guerrilla warfare and how to counter it into practice with the 4 / 39 Infantry in the Mekong Delta , an under performing unit made up largely of conscripts which Hackworth transformed into the counter - insurgent " Hardcore " Battalion ( Recondo ) from January to late May 1969 . Hackworth next served as a senior military adviser 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 . In early 1971 , Lieutenant Colonel David Hackworth was promoted to the rank of colonel , and received orders to attend the Army War College . Hackworth received another opportunity to attend the War College as he had turned down a previous opportunity to go there . Colonel Hackworth was being groomed for bigger and better things , but he had no desire to become a general officer and declined once again to go to the War College . Hackworth soon became totally fed up with the system , not to mention the war in Vietnam . Hackworth ' s dissatisfaction 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 could not be won and called for U . S . withdrawal . The interview enraged senior U . S . Army officers at the Pentagon . He soon found himself ostracized in the defense establishment . Hackworth was nearly court - martial ed for various infractions such as running a brothel for his troops in Vietnam , running gambling houses , and exploiting his position for personal profit by manipulating U . S . currency . At the same time , he was experiencing personal problems that resulted in divorce . He was allowed to retire , in order to avoid a court martial , 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 profitable real estate investing , a lucrative 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 , and the shortcomings of the military . His commentary on the psychological effects of post - traumatic stress disorder , based on his own experiences in overcoming the disorder , resonated with disabled veterans . In the mid - 1990s , Hackworth investigated Admiral Jeremy Michael Boorda , then Chief of Naval Operations . Hackworth , through his " Newsweek " articles , questioned Boorda ' s wearing of potentially unauthorized V ( for valor ) devices on his Navy Achievement Medal and Navy Commendation Medal , generating much controversy . Boorda committed suicide before he could be interviewed by Hackworth . Hackworth appeared on countless televisions 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 . King Features Syndicate distributed Hackworth ' s weekly column " Defending America . " Many of his columns discussed the War on Terrorism and the Iraq War and were concerned with the policies of the American leadership in conducting the wars , as well as the conditions of the soldiers serving . Hackworth continued the column 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 labelled 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 . Controversy . In response to Hackworth ' s investigation of Admiral Boorda , CNN and the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather questioned the accuracy of Hackworth ' s own military decorations . In particular , the reports accused Hackworth of claiming a Ranger Tab to which he was not entitled and an extra Distinguished Flying Cross on his website . Hackworth threatened to sue CBS and requested a formal audit of his military records . In response to the military audit , the Executive Producer of CBS News sent a letter to Hackworth that stated : In 2002 , Hackworth was asked about the controversy in an interview with " Proceedings " . In the interview he stated : Military decorations . Hackworth earned over ninety decorations , including numerous individual citations for valor as well as unit citation s 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 . Works . Books Journalism – Hackworth wrote 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 .