August 17, 2022: David Haskell Hackworth
David Haskell Hackworth was born in November 1930 in Santa Monica, California. He joined the U.S. Merchant Marines in 1945 and then falsified his age to enlist in the Army the following year. He initially served as part of a tank crew in Italy during the time between World War II and the Korean War. At the outbreak of the Korean War, he joined the 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. In 1951, while serving in Korea, he received a commission and became a lieutenant.
Hackworth was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division when he was sent to Vietnam in 1965. While in Vietnam, he founded and worked with Tiger Force, a small group that, in his words, served to “out-guerilla the guerillas.” He received his first Distinguished Service Cross in 1966 after rescuing a unit of American soldiers that had been pinned down by enemy fire for four hours. He single-handedly surveilled the enemy positions and then led an assault to free the trapped Americans. He received another Distinguished Service Cross in 1969 for disregarding his own personal well-being and leading an assault against enemy positions.
Hackworth is one of the most decorated Veterans of the U.S. military, having received over 90 medals, awards and other honors from the U.S. and foreign militaries. The medals and awards he received over the course of his military career include two Distinguished Service Crosses, 10 Silver Stars and eight Purple Hearts.
After leaving active duty in 1971 at the rank of colonel, Hackworth worked as a journalist and later a contributing editor for Newsweek in the 1990s. He advocated for the rights of the average American soldier but became controversial after he publicly criticized the United States’ involvement in Vietnam and Iraq.
Hackworth died from cancer on May 4, 2005, at the age of 74. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
We honor his service.
Nominate a Veteran
Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s “Honoring Veterans” social media spotlight is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission
Writer: Jack Patterson
Editors: Theresa Lyon, Annabelle Colton
Researchers: Christian Williams, Kennady Hertz
Graphic Designers: Philip Levine
Topics in this story
Link Disclaimer
This page includes links to other websites outside our control and jurisdiction. VA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of non-VA Web sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy or terms and conditions of those sites to fully understand what information is collected and how it is used.
Statement of Endorsement
Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
More Stories
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Alvin C. Tso, who served during the Korean War as a forward observer.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Coast Guard Veteran Alan Spielman, who served in Alaska.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Air Force Veteran Jan Klebukowski, who served in the United States, United Kingdom and South Korea.
I would think you would mention his books, ABOUT FACE, and STEAL MY SOLDIERS HEARTS.