Colonel who knows war to speak tonight
Deepa Bharath
Col. David Hackworth knows war. He’s been in three of them.
And Hackworth believes a war with Iraq could result in a “long
occupation of the country that could put our forces in jeopardy.”
One of the country’s most decorated soldiers -- he has been
awarded eight Purple Hearts and more than 70 medals of valor for his
services in World War II, Vietnam and Korea -- Hackworth will speak
his mind to an audience at the Newport Beach Public Library and
students at Newport Harbor High School.
The program at the main library tonight is open to the community.
The session in Newport Harbor High will be open only to students and
teachers.
Hackworth, who lives in Connecticut, has been vocal about his
opinions on war and military issues since the days of the Vietnam
War. In 1971, as the Army’s youngest colonel, he spoke out on
national television saying, “This is a bad war ... it can’t be won we
need to get out.”
He now says whether a war should be waged depends on whether a
situation warrants one.
“I would advocate war if you were taking out someone like Hitler,”
Hackworth said Tuesday. “[World War II] was a very moral war. But
with Iraq, there are no moral grounds.”
The country must take lessons from Vietnam, he said.
“We paid a terrible, terrible price in Vietnam,” Hackworth said.
“We need to ask ourselves, ‘What’s the threat here?’ And as much as I
search here, I don’t see a threat to the nation’s security.”
Hackworth’s 52 years of military experience will give the local
community an insight into the present situation with Iraq, said
Jacquelyn Beauregard Dillman, board member of the Newport Beach
Library Foundation, which is hosting the event.
“We just thought that he would have interesting input in terms of
everything that is going on in this world,” she said. “His main
concern is that our troops and our military are put to good use.”
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