Max Cleland

I salute Mr. Cleland and Ms. Sheehan's son for having served in the military, but more shouldn't be made from their situations.

Ms. Sheehan shouldn't exploit her sons death for her own personal hatred for Republicans, and Democrats shouldn't say that we are just viscously attacking Mr. Cleland whom they claim is a great "war hero" for having lost his limbs in combat.

Mr. Cleland, I salute you for having served your country, which I'm sure you did bravely. The following is in response to folks who say you were in combat when you lost your limbs, which you never claimed.

Key points.

It was an American grenade.

He was not in combat as Lt. Col. Maury Cralle' would have us believe

In Cleland's own words: "I didn't see any heroism in all that. It wasn't an act of heroism. I didn't know the grenade was live. It was an act of fate."

This is from a piece in the Boston Globe, hardly a Republican hack rag, by Jill Zuckman in 1997

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Finally, the battle at Khe Sanh was over. Cleland, 25 years old, and two members of his team were now ordered to set up a radio relay station at the division assembly area, 15 miles away. The three gathered antennas, radios and a generator and made the 15-minute helicopter trip east. After unloading the equipment, Cleland climbed back into the helicopter for the ride back. But at the last minute, he decided to stay and have a beer with some friends. As the helicopter was lifting off, he shouted to the pilot that he was staying behind and jumped several feet to the ground.

Cleland hunched over to avoid the whirring blades and ran. Turning to face the helicopter, he caught sight of a grenade on the ground where the chopper had perched. It must be mine, he thought, moving toward it. He reached for it with his right arm just as it exploded, slamming him back and irreparably altering his plans for a bright, shining future.

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This is the same story that has been told for 30 years, including the part about "having a beer with some friends".

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"He told the pilot he was going to stay awhile. Maybe have a few beers with friends. ... Then Cleland looked down and saw a grenade. Where'd that come from? He walked toward it, bent down, and crossed the line between before and after." (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 5, 1999)

"[Cleland] didn't step on a land mine. He wasn't wounded in a firefight. He couldn't blame the Viet Cong or friendly fire. The Silver Star and Bronze Star medals he received only embarrassed him. He was no hero. He blew himself up." (Baltimore Sun, Oct. 24, 1999)

"Cleland was no war hero, but his sacrifice was great. ... Democratic Senate candidate Max Cleland is a victim of war, not a casualty of combat. He lost three limbs on a long-forgotten hill near Khe Sanh because of some American's mistake ..." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sept. 29, 1996)

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It was never denied by Cleland

"How did I become a war hero?" he said to the Boston Globe reporter in 1997. "Simple. The grenade went off."

To me, Max Cleland was a war hero just by being there, doing his job and not whining about it.

I salute you sir.