B
Bruzilla
Guest
Ann Coulter has been taking a lot of heat lately for her last column. In it she said that Max Cleland has been receiving a lot of press for being a war hero as he's criticized George Bush, and that the Libs have been trying to say that he lost his limbs in combat, left them on a battlefield, etc. Ann said that he lost his limbs when he picked up a hand grenade on his way to have a beer with some friends, and she's been widely ridiculed despite the fact that in Cleland's own words... what she said is the truth.
Apparently, Cleland and some other guys were dropped off on a hilltop to set up a communications station. He was going to go back on the helo that brought them there, but he changed his mind and decided to jump out of the helo and stay with his guys and have a few beers. After getting off the helo, he says he saw a US hand grenade on the ground, and thought that he had dropped it. As he reached for it it went off and he lost two legs and an arm.
I think that Ann has been vindicated, and the Libs have once again been exposed as liars, but I just can't buy Cleland's story. In order for a grenade to go off, several things have to happen. First, a cotter keyed "pin" has to be removed; then a lever has to lift up and strike the fuze; then the fuze has to burn down and ignite the explosive. There is a HUGE difference between what a safe grenade looks like, and what one that's about to go off looks like. For example, on the later, the pin will be missing, the lever will be either in the up poisition or off the grenade all together; and lastly, the thing will be smoking! I don't see how anyone could possibly mistake an armed grenade for one that was safe to handle.
My guess is that Cleland was doing something he shouldn't have been doing. He was playing a joke on his friends; he mishandled the grenade, etc., but I don't see how his story can be true.
Apparently, Cleland and some other guys were dropped off on a hilltop to set up a communications station. He was going to go back on the helo that brought them there, but he changed his mind and decided to jump out of the helo and stay with his guys and have a few beers. After getting off the helo, he says he saw a US hand grenade on the ground, and thought that he had dropped it. As he reached for it it went off and he lost two legs and an arm.
I think that Ann has been vindicated, and the Libs have once again been exposed as liars, but I just can't buy Cleland's story. In order for a grenade to go off, several things have to happen. First, a cotter keyed "pin" has to be removed; then a lever has to lift up and strike the fuze; then the fuze has to burn down and ignite the explosive. There is a HUGE difference between what a safe grenade looks like, and what one that's about to go off looks like. For example, on the later, the pin will be missing, the lever will be either in the up poisition or off the grenade all together; and lastly, the thing will be smoking! I don't see how anyone could possibly mistake an armed grenade for one that was safe to handle.
My guess is that Cleland was doing something he shouldn't have been doing. He was playing a joke on his friends; he mishandled the grenade, etc., but I don't see how his story can be true.
