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Like all political portrayals (on both sides) it's unbalanced and disregards the fact that his actions four days prior to the grenade explosion garnered him a Silver Star at Khe Sahn. Certainly the Democrats and the Cleland camp prefer to portray losing the limbs in a grand heroic manner which does not seem to be the case.
The fact is Cleland is a war hero. Not for having lost limbs but for his actions at other times during his career. There is a bit of dishonesty from all sides in this.
From the Atlanta Constitution:
"While disembarking from a transport helicopter [on April 8 near Khe Sanh], Capt. Cleland reached for a grenade he believed had become dislodged from his web gear. Later it was discovered that the grenade belonged to a young soldier new to the theater. That soldier had improperly prepared the grenade pin for easy detonation and had dropped it while coming off the helicopter. The grenade exploded and severely injured Capt. Cleland."
Here's a first-hand account:
"On April 4*, 1968, Price was with the Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines.
"Charlie Company was opening up Route 9 going into Khe Sanh, near the demilitarized zone between the then-separate North and South Vietnams, and had secured a mountaintop.
"Cleland, a captain in the Army Signal Corps, and his team flew by helicopter to the hill that Price and Charlie Company held to set up a radio relay tower.
"When the helicopter landed, Cleland and his soldiers jumped off and the helicopter immediately ascended.
"Then there was an explosion.
"Price, who was digging a foxhole, thought the blast might have been an enemy mortar round. It was common for the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese to shoot at landing helicopters, Price said.
"This time, a soldier was severely wounded. It was Cleland and he had lost an arm and a leg. His other leg was badly mangled."
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Strive to be more curious than ignorant.
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