Anthony Herbert (lieutenant colonel)
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Anthony B. Herbert (7 April 1930 – 7 June 2014) was a
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
officer, who served in both the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
and the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
. He is best known for his claims that he witnessed war crimes in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, which his commanding officer refused to investigate. He reached the rank of lieutenant colonel and was the author of several books about his experiences, including ''Soldier'' and ''Making of A Soldier''.


Military career

Herbert enlisted in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
in May 1947 to be a paratrooper. He completed Basic Combat Training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and Basic Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. After a few months of service in the peacetime Army at Fort Lewis, Washington, he accepted a discharge in 1948, returned home and graduated from high school. He then re-enlisted in the Army in February 1950 and became a
paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...
in the 82nd Airborne Division.


Korean War

Herbert deployed for Korea in October on the troopship ''Walker''. It was here, in the Korean War, that he first built his reputation as a fighter, and was rapidly promoted to become one of the youngest master sergeants in the Army, and one of the most decorated. Herbert was selected by General
Matthew Ridgway General Matthew Bunker Ridgway (March 3, 1895 – July 26, 1993) was a senior officer in the United States Army, who served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (1952–1953) and the 19th Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1953–1955). Altho ...
in 1951 to represent the American soldier in Korea and returned to the U.S., going to the
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to meet
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Harry Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
, and traveling the country to promote the war. It was during this time that Herbert met former first lady
Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
and was persuaded by her to go to college and gain an education, for whatever he would do with the rest of his life. Herbert left the U.S. Army once again in 1952 to enter the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
in order to complete a
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
degree, graduating in 1956 and re-entering the Army as a second lieutenant in the
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. At the same time, Herbert accessioned for active duty and began the Infantry Officer's Basic Course (then called Basic Infantry Officer's Course, or BIOC) at Fort Benning, Georgia. After graduating that course with high marks, he was assigned as an instructor to the Mountain Ranger Training Camp at
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. David Donovan, one of his cadets, reported being "impressed by his charisma, his leadership ability, and his military expertise." Herbert followed this with assignments of increasing responsibility and was promoted quickly.


Author

*''Conquest to Nowhere'', self published, 1954 *''Complete Security Handbook'', Scribner, 1983 *''Herbert--The Making of a Soldier'', Hippocrene Books, 1982 *''Military Manual of Self Defense'', Hippocrene Books, 1991 *''International Traveler's Security Handbook'', Hippocrene Books, 1984 *''Soldier'', Holt, Rinehart and Winston; 1st edition (1973)


Personal appearance

Anthony Herbert and his wife Mary Grace appeared on the 6 October 1955 episode of the TV quiz program ''
You Bet Your Life ''You Bet Your Life'' is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show deb ...
'', hosted by Groucho Marx. He was studying creative writing and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. His book ''Conquest to Nowhere'', about the Korean War was mentioned. They won $110.


Vietnam War

He was first deployed in Vietnam War in 1968 with the Inspector General's Office assigned to the
173d Airborne Brigade The 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers") is an airborne infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States European Command's conventional airborne strategic response force for Eu ...
, a unit with which he would later make a dramatic mark, and one in which he would encounter many controversial roles later on. He commanded the 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry. In the wake of the controversy surrounding the
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, Herbert claimed to have witnessed a number of war crimes in Vietnam, which he reported to his superiors but which they allegedly refused to curb or discipline. Herbert pressed charges against his commanding officers for their intransigence. Herbert had reported eight separate war crimes, including incidents of looting, execution and murder. In one episode involving some Vietnamese girls Herbert stated, "The area was brilliantly lit by floodlights ... Each of them he girlswas seated with their hands on a table, palms down." Herbert described the instruments used as a "long springy rod of bamboo split into dozens of tight, thin flails on one end. It was a murderous weapon", he said. "I'd seen it take the hide off a buffalo. When it was struck down hard, the flails splayed out like a fan, but an instant after impact they returned to their order, pinching whatever was beneath." According to Herbert, "War crimes are infinitely easier to overlook than to explain to an investigating committee. Nor do they do much for promotion among the '
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
Protection Society' of the Army's upper-echelon career men. So when I kept bringing up the matter, I kept on making enemies and getting answers such as, 'what the hell did you expect, Herbert? Candy and flowers?' I reported these things and nothing happened." Some commentators have opined that Herbert's allegations were exaggerated or unsubstantiated. The Army also released a statement to the effect that Herbert had raised the war crimes issue for the first time in September 1970, eighteen months after he was relieved of command in Vietnam and only after he had exhausted other means of salvaging his military career. Herbert was accused of exaggeration and outright lying in his filed reports. In April 1969 he was relieved of his command of the Second Battalion, despite its outstanding record under his leadership. "I know now it wasn't just the Army", Herbert says. "It was General Westmoreland in particular. He did everything he possibly could to keep my case covered up because of the heat being placed on the Army from the My Lai case." The U.S. Army's Criminal Investigation Division (CID) produced several reports on Herbert's claims. A report dated August 23, 1971, reviewing Herbert's allegations stated: "technique employed included the transmission of electrical shock by means of a field telephone sed to a Vietnamese girla water rag treatment which impaired breathing, hitting with sticks and boards, and beating of detainees with fists." A CID report marked FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY: "Herbert's S-3 on-commissioned officerwitnessed a field telephone in use during interrogation, but no objection was raised". Dozens of official CID documents substantiated Herbert's statements. Despite this, the Army claimed that Herbert had "a propensity to lie or exaggerate." The deputy brigade commander of the 173d Airborne, Col. J. Ross Franklin stated that Herbert "was incapable of telling the truth, even on inconsequential matters ... And after ne combat assault I realized the man was extremely dangerous. I had doubts even as to his sanity, and I was fearful for what he might do in the future." On 15 March 1971, Herbert reported 14 separate charges to his superior J. Ross Franklin, including corpse mutilation and the electrical torture of a Vietnamese girl by Army intelligence. Herbert gave interviews to ''
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'', ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' and on the ''
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''. He took voluntary
polygraph A polygraph, often incorrectly referred to as a lie detector test, is a device or procedure that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a person is asked ...
tests and passed. "Army harassment increased until at last, my family began to show signs of stress from the ordeal", Herbert said.


Retirement

Feeling pressured by the Army, on 7 November 1971, Herbert set his own retirement in motion, retiring from the United States Army in February 1972. A year later Herbert and ''New York Times'' correspondent James Wooten wrote the best selling book ''Soldier'', an autobiographical book documenting his efforts to expose both the incompetence and the atrocities he'd seen in Vietnam. Some years after his retirement from the Army, he was asked in an interview how he felt about leaving the Army after all that had come to pass. He remarked, "If you stick by your guns, if you stand by the truth, you win. I feel good about my time in Vietnam and my time in the Army. As my friend Sgt. Maj. John Bittorie once said, 'There are two kinds of military reputations. One is official and on paper in Washington DC. The other is the one that goes from bar to bar from the mouths of those who served with you there.' That is the only reputation I ever really cared about."


"The Selling of Colonel Herbert"

On February 4, 1973,
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
's '' 60 Minutes'' aired a segment titled "The Selling of Colonel Herbert". CBS correspondent
Mike Wallace Myron Leon Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012) was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. He interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade career. He was one of the original correspo ...
and producer Barry Lando challenged his credibility, implying that ''Soldier'' was fictitious and that Herbert himself was guilty of war crimes. Supporting the CBS allegations against Herbert on the show was Herbert's old nemesis, Colonel J. Ross Franklin, who had been relieved of his command for throwing a Vietnamese body out of a helicopter. (Franklin retired from the Army in 1980 and in 1991 was convicted and sent to prison to serve a five-year sentence for his role in a securities scam.) Herbert suspected that the
Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
administration put pressure on CBS, which led to the story. CBS president Frank Stanton was under subpoena for an earlier broadcast called '' The Selling of the Pentagon''. At about that time, Stanton paid a visit to Nixon White House counsel
Charles Colson Charles Wendell Colson (October 16, 1931 – April 21, 2012), generally referred to as Chuck Colson, was an American attorney and political advisor who served as Special Counsel to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1970. Once known as P ...
, who later said in ''The New York Times'' that Stanton volunteered to help Nixon and was unusually accommodating.


''Herbert v. Lando''

Herbert sued CBS over the ''60 Minutes'' segment that painted him as a liar. The charge stemmed from an appearance he made on the show, when host Mike Wallace surprised him by bringing one of Herbert's Army colleagues into the interview, who proceeded to deny the veracity of much of Herbert's story.Blum, David. ''Tick... Tick... Tick...: The Long Life and Turbulent Times of 60 Minutes''. 2005, pp. 64–65. The case reached the
United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
(''Herbert v. Lando'', 441 U.S. 153 (1979)). The court ruled that defendants have no privilege under the
First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
which would bar a plaintiff from inquiring into the editorial process or states of mind of those involved in the alleged libel, if the inquiry was tailored to the production of evidence considered material to plaintiff's necessary burden of proof. This ruling allowed Herbert to seek proof of the alleged libel. In 1986 'Herbert v. Lando'', 781 F.2d 298 (2d Cir. 1986) the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York dismissed the libel suit. Judge Irving R. Kaufman, a member of the three-judge panel, ruled Herbert had no grounds to take his case to trial in a 43-page opinion. The opinion stated the CBS story was essentially accurate. To go to trial over some minor unresolved issues would be a "classic case of the tail wagging the dog.""No Case, Colonel: A new twist in a long libel suit"
''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
''. 2005-06-21. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
Herbert was reportedly considering again appealing his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. It was Judge Kaufman whom the Supreme Court reversed in the 1979 decision. Jonathan Lubell, Herbert's attorney, claimed that Kaufman has long been sympathetic to the press.


Post-military life

During Herbert's military career, he earned a doctorate in psychology, and later become a police and clinical psychologist. Herbert died of cancer on 7 June 2014 at the age of 84. His death was not made public until after his burial at
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
, in February 2015.


Awards and decorations

Herbert was awarded four Silver Stars, three Bronze Star Medals with a 'V' for valor, six
battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...
s, four
Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...
s. He was wounded 14 times—10 by bullets, 3 by bayonet, and once by white phosphorus.Remembering Colonel Tony Herbert
, Joe Bageant
joebageant.com
, 2007-04-12, Retrieved 2011-02-10
Ranger tab : 
Combat Infantryman Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces soldiers in the rank of colonel and below, who fought in active ground combat while assigned as members of e ...
, second award : 
Expert Infantryman Badge The Expert Infantryman Badge, or EIB, is a special skills badge of the United States Army. The EIB was created with the CIB by executive order in November 1943 during World War II. Currently, it is awarded to U.S. Army personnel who hold infan ...
:  
Master Parachutist Badge The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings" is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces. The United States Space Force and United States Coast Guard are the only branches that do not award the Parachutist Badge, bu ...
:  
Glider Badge The Glider Badge was a special skills badge of the United States Army. According to the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, the badge was awarded to personnel who had "been assigned or attached to a glider or airborne unit or to the Airborne Departm ...
:   Pathfinder Badge :   Silver Star with 3
oak leaf clusters An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...
:   Legion of Merit :  
Soldiers Medal The Soldier's Medal is an individual decoration of the United States Army. It was introduced as Section 11 of the Air Corps Act, passed by the Congress of the United States on July 2, 1926., Appendix 5, p. 126. The Army' Soldier's Medal is equiv ...
:   Bronze Star Medal with 2
oak leaf clusters An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...
and
"V" Device A "V" device is a metal capital letter "V" with serifs which, when worn on certain decorations awarded by the United States Armed Forces, distinguishes an award for heroism or valor in combat instead of for meritorious service or achievement. ...
designating heroism or valor :  
Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...
with Bronze Numeral "2" :  
Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...
with 3
oak leaf clusters An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...
:  
Army Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...
with 3
oak leaf clusters An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...
and "V' Device :   Good Conduct Medal :  
Army of Occupation Medal The Army of Occupation Medal is a military award of the United States military which was established by the United States War Department on 5 April 1946. The medal was created in the aftermath of the Second World War to recognize those who had ...
:  
National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four ...
with bronze
service star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or se ...
:  
Korean Service Medal The Korean Service Medal (KSM) is a military award for service in the United States Armed Forces and was established November 8, 1950 by executive order of President Harry Truman. The Korean Service Medal is the primary US military award for s ...
with 6 service stars :  
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, after ...
:  
Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War by all members of the U.S. Arm ...
with 4 service stars :  
Armed Forces Reserve Medal The Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) is a service medal of the United States Armed Forces that has existed since 1950. The medal recognizes service performed by members of the reserve components and is awarded to both officers and enlisted per ...
(Army) with bronze hourglass device. :   United Nations Service Medal :   RVN Campaign Medal w/ 1960- Device :   Korean War Service Medal :   Presidential Unit Citation w/3 OLCs :   Meritorious Unit Commendation :  
Presidential Unit Citation (Korea) A Presidential Unit Citation is a unit citation awarded by the president of a state. Specific awards include: * Presidential Unit Citation (United States), awarded for actions on or after December 7, 1941, World War II * Vietnam Presidential Uni ...
:   RVN Gallantry Cross with Palm and Frame Unit Citation :   RVN Civil Actions with Palm and Frame Unit Citation : German Army Parachute Wings : British Army Parachute Wings


Reception of a Turkish award

In the 1955 book ''Conquest to Nowhere'', by Herbert, it is stated that he received an "Osminieh" from the then president of Turkey
Celâl Bayar Mahmud Celâleddin "Celâl" Bayar (16 May 1883 – 22 August 1986) was a Turkish economist and politician who was the third President of Turkey from 1950 to 1960; previously he was Prime Minister of Turkey from 1937 to 1939. Bayar began his c ...
for his service with the Turkish brigade in the Korean War. This claim was made as well in his later book ''Soldier'' (1973), and reprinted in the ''Schenectady Gazette''. In later accounts, in 2006, this award was described in an article on Herbert that stated he received the "coveted Turkish Ozanu Order".Bridges, the Lithuanian American News Journal (p. 4) http://www.lithuanian-american.org/m/wp-content/uploads/pubs-bridges/publications-bridges-200611.pdf


External links

* Sam Roberts
Anthony B. Herbert, Decorated War Hero Turned Army Whistleblower, Dies at 84.
In: ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', 25 February 2015


Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Herbert, Anthony 1930 births 2014 deaths United States Army personnel of the Korean War United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam) Recipients of the Soldier's Medal United States Army colonels People from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Military personnel from Pennsylvania