The True Story of Max Cleland's Vietnam Injuries

The True Story of Max Cleland's Vietnam Injuries

I
wrote last night in response to the column by Ann Coulter.
My father, who has close personal ties with Max, has responded to me
and I
forward his reply.

What
follows is the true account of Max Cleland's injury in Vietnam.

---------

Thank
you Chris. I did not have the links to this, but Max called me about
it
in case I needed to tell the real truth should someone want to
know. This
Ann Coulter has written real slime. Only in America. Our service
men and
women fight and die to defend your right to a free press. The press
needs to
be aware of their responsibility to use this democratic tool in
a
responsibility way.



------------------------------

The
2nd of the 12th Cavalry was engaged in a combat operation at the time
of
this incident. Max Cleland was with the Battalion Forward Command
Post in
heavy combat involving the attack of the 1st Cavalry Division
up the valley
to relieve the Marines who were besieged and surrounded at the
Khe Shan
Firebase. The whole surrounding area was an active combat zone
(some might
call the entire country of Vietnam a combat zone). (Is Iraq a
combat zone?)
Max, the Battalion Signal Officer, was engaged in a combat mission
I
personally ordered to increase the effectiveness of communications
between
the battalion combat forward and rear support elements: e.g.
Erect a radio
relay antenna on a mountain top. By the way, at one point the
battalion rear
elements came under enemy artillery fire so everyone was in harms
way.

As
they were getting off the helicopter, Max saw the grenade
on the ground
and he instinctively went for it. Soldiers in combat don't leave grenades
lying around on the ground. Later, in the hospital, he said he thought
it
was his own but I doubt the concept of "ownership" went through
his mind in
the split seconds involved in reaching for the grenade. Nearly two decades
later another soldier came forward and admitted it was actually his grenade.
Does ownership of the grenade really matter? It does not.

Maury Cralle'

Battalion Executive Officer

2d/12th Cavalry Battalion

1st Air Cavalry Division

During the assault on Khe Shan