President Obama asks Senate to restore rank of disgraced Vietnam general

[bigtree]

August 5, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 30 years after his death, an Air Force general has been exonerated of charges that he violated presidential restrictions on aerial bombing during the Vietnam War and that he ordered the falsification of records to conceal the missions.

John D. Lavelle was forced to retire in April 1972 at the rank of major general — two stars below the rank he held as commander of air operations in Vietnam — after being relieved of duty for ordering unauthorized airstrikes against North Vietnamese military targets.

In 2008 the Air Force Board for the Correction of Military Records found no evidence that Lavelle caused, directly or indirectly, the falsification of records or that he was even aware of their existence.

The board also agreed with the family's assertion that the 1972 decision had been based on incomplete information and that the White House and others withheld important facts.

The Air Force board recommended, in light of the new information, that Lavelle be reinstated to the rank of general. Defense Secretary Robert Gates endorsed the recommendation and President Barack Obama has asked the Senate to confirm Lavelle to the rank of general.

The Lavelle family issued a statement Wednesday praising the decision . . .

read more: http://www.rgj.com/article/20100805/NEWS12/100805011/1321/news

[TwilightGardener]

1. Poor man died under an unnecessary cloud of disgrace--glad this was cleared up.

[denverbill]

2. His survivors should sue Kissinger.

Kissinger was complicit in this travesty. He knew Nixon was lying. Friggin weasel.

[Catherina]

3. Shameful but not surprising anymore n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Rachel Maddow played the audio tapes of Nixon/Kissinger ...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#38586092

Nixon later went on TV and claimed Lavelle had exceeded his authority -- a direct lie.