Max Cleland was a disabled Vietnam veteran and a former Democratic U.S. senator from Georgia.
- Died: November 9, 2021 (Who else died on November 9?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Atlanta of congestive heart failure at the age of 79.
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Military service
Cleland served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was fighting in the Battle of Khe Sanh when he picked up a grenade that he thought had fallen off his jacket. The grenade – which was actually dropped by another soldier who hadn’t secured it properly – exploded in Cleland’s hand. His injuries were so severe that both of his legs and his right forearm had to be amputated. Cleland had to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He received honors including the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his military service.
Political career
After returning home and recovering from his injuries, Cleland was elected to the Georgia State Senate, where he served for four years before being named administrator of Veterans Affairs by President Jimmy Carter. He followed that appointment with a 14-year term as Georgia’s Secretary of State. In 1996, Cleland made a successful run for U.S. Senate. While in office, he was a moderate who voted in support of entering the war in Iraq. Cleland’s 2002 run for a second term was thwarted, in part by a notorious attack ad run by his opponent in which Cleland’s commitment to homeland security was questioned alongside images of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. In later years, Cleland campaigned for John Kerry and served as secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Cleland on how people can support U.S. troops
“The best way to support the troops is never to send them into war in the first place. In the second place, if they go to war, make sure it’s worthwhile. That’s the second-best way to support the troops, so then they won’t have to worry about the reception they will get upon their return.” —from an interview for Historynet
Tributes to Max Cleland
Full obituary: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
