Hackworth, David H(askell) 1931–2005

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born November 11, 1931, in Santa Monica, CA; died of bladder cancer May 4, 2005, in Tijuana, Mexico. Military officer, business owner, journalist, and author. A highly decorated soldier of the Korean and Vietnam wars, Hackworth achieved the rank of colonel only to be forced to resign in 1971 because of his outspoken criticism of U.S. military policies. Orphaned as an infant and raised by his grandmother, he grew up a tough, streetwise child enthralled by stories of generations of family members who had served in the military. Enamored by what sounded like a glamorous life, he lied about his age and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946. After time spent in post-war Italy, he saw his first active duty in 1950 in Korea, where he rose through the ranks to command the all-volunteer platoon known as the Wolfhound Raiders. A fearless fighter, his decorations quickly mounted and eventually included eight Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star with seven oak-leaf clusters, a Silver Star with nine oak-leaf clusters, and a Distinguished Service Cross with one oak-leaf cluster. After a few years of peacetime duty, he returned to war in 1965 at the beginning of the Vietnam conflict. During his command of the 101st Airborne Division, Hackworth began noticing changes in army commanders that troubled him greatly, including superiors who seemed more interested in their careers than the war, and the unprovoked bombing of Cambodia. He also began to believe that America could not win the war in Indochina by fighting the way they had during World War II. The Vietcong used unconventional guerilla tactics, and Hackworth hoped to advise others on how to adapt to this new form of warfare by writing his first book, Vietnam Primer (1966). By 1971, however, he had become highly critical of U.S. policies, including the military's lack of will to provide soldiers with adequate supplies and munitions to fight effectively. That year, he publicly criticized American policy on ABC television, and it was not long after that that he was threatened with a court-martial. Rather than face a military trial, he resigned his commission as a colonel, moved to Australia, and opened a duck farm and a restaurant. He stayed in Australia for eighteen years and became a highly successful businessman. When he finally returned to the United States, he joined the staff at Newsweek in 1990 as a reporter. As a journalist, he covered events ranging from the Gulf War to Somalia, and from Korea to Haiti, continuing his criticisms of short-sighted American foreign policies until 1996, when he left the magazine. Eventually, the U.S. Army made amends to Hackworth by granting him an honorable discharge with full benefits. He published many of his opinions and experiences in several books, including the bestselling memoir About Face: The Odyssey of an American Warrior (1989) and Steel My Soldier's Hearts: The Hopeless Hardcore Transformation of the 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry, United States Army, Vietnam (2002), which was written with his wife, Eilhys England. He was also the author of the 1999 novel The Price of Honor. A colorful character throughout his years, Hackworth's life as a soldier was said to have inspired the character of Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, played by Robert Duvall in the movie Apocalypse Now.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Chicago Tribune, May 6, 2005, section 1, p. 9.

Los Angeles Times, May 6, 2005, p. B10.

New York Times, May 6, 2005, p. C14.

Times (London, England), May 12, 2005, p. 57.

Washington Post, May 6, 2005, p. B7.