Hackworth, David Haskell

▪ 2006

      colonel (ret.), U.S. Army (b. Nov. 11, 1930, Venice, Calif.—d. May 4, 2005, Tijuana, Mex.), was a highly decorated soldier and a scourge of the U.S. military establishment; he earned a reputation as a brilliant but rebellious battlefield commander. Hackworth lied to enlist in the army at age 15 and won a battlefield commission at 20 to become the youngest U.S. captain in the Korean War. He was the youngest American full colonel during the Vietnam War but incurred the wrath of senior officers for his harsh public criticism of U.S. strategy and policies. He was allowed to resign, however, with an honorable discharge rather than face court-martial. Hackworth earned 91 medals, including 2 Distinguished Service Crosses, 10 Silver Stars, 8 Bronze Stars, and 8 Purple Hearts. Once out of uniform, he moved to Australia, where he became a successful restaurateur and poultry farmer. His 1989 autobiography, About Face, became a best seller, and he was hired in 1990 by Newsweek magazine to report on the Gulf War; he again became a severe critic of U.S. military policy. Later his syndicated column “Defending America” appeared regularly in newspapers across the U.S.

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