Vietnam – October 2019

(singke) #1
OCTOBER 2019 39

ATTEMPTED


MURDER,


FORGIVEN


SOLDI ER


By Fred L. Borch

One Special Forces sergeant tried to


‘frag’ his superior officer—yet went on


to a long career in the Army


ll of my pent-up emotions came to a head. In a
cold killing rage, I went to my hootch and
grabbed a grenade, walked back to the bunker
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on the grenade, threw it into the bunker, closed
the bunker door, and started back to the hootch.
As I was walking back, I heard the explosion of the grenade. Everyone
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KWUXW]VL_I[]VLMZI\\IKS1\_I[J]\VW\Ja\PM>+C>QM\+WVOE°<PM
supply sergeant ran over to tell me that the XO had been wounded and
needed my help. I knew I was in trouble right then because I hadn’t gotten
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C+ZQUQVIT1V^M[\QOI\QWV,Q^Q[QWVEWЅKMZ[QV\MZ^QM_MLUMI[SQVOUM_Pa
1\ZQML\WSQTT\PMM`MK]\Q^MWЅKMZ1_I[ZMITTa\QZMLWN\PMJ]TT[PQ\IVL1
told them he was an asshole who deserved to die.”
—Alan G. Cornett/WVM6I\Q^M")V6+7¼[;\WZa

During the Vietnam War[WUM=;\ZWWX[SQTTMLWZ\ZQML\WSQTT\PMQZW_V
WЅKMZ[IVLVWVKWUUQ[[QWVMLWЅKMZ[][]ITTa\PZW]OP\PM][MWNINZIO-
mentation grenade, which blasts sharp fragments throughout an area as
Q\M`XTWLM[,Z]O[IVLITKWPWTQVLQ[KQXTQVMZIKQ[UIVLXWWZTMILMZ[PQX
were all factors in these murders or attempted murders, called “frag-
OQVO[ºQV\PMUQTQ\IZa[TIVOWN\PMLIa<PM=;UQTQ\IZa¼[WЅKQIT\ITTa
shows 788 fraggings between 1969 and 1972, with 86 deaths and more
than 700 wounded.

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