Truth: A Casualty Of War

Harry Smith: In War, Getting Out The True Story Is Not Always A Priority

(CBS)  This column was written by CBS News Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.

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I remember it like it was yesterday: A story in The Washington Post about the battlefield exploits of Jessica Lynch.

Her transport unit had been ambushed in Nassaryah, at the start of the war in Iraq. The unit had taken serious casualties, but young Lynch, a truck driver, had survived.

There in the paper that day was the story of her heroism — continuing to fire her weapon after being hit.

Of course we know now she was never hit and she never fired a shot.

Yes, that was Jessica Lynch on Monday in the same hearing room as Pat Tillman’s family, telling their stories and wondering why the American military flat-out lied about what happened to them.

Jessica told me this morning she was proud to support the Tillmans, who believe that they have not yet been told what really happened to the young man who gave up a career in the NFL to serve as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan.

Their testimony was chilling — and a reminder that one of the first casualties of war is truth.

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Harry's daily commentary can be heard on many CBS Radio News affiliates across the country.

[trackerhunter]

First of all, I admire the courage and honesty of Jessica Lynch. I read Bragg's book about her in six hours when it first came out. I could not put it down. Second, I am a disabled veteran and I fought through the bureaucratic lies that I consider to be the practice of risk management to save money. It's the only reason I can fathom of why they conceal evidence. The government plays the odds that the truth will not be found so they can save money. I still have not figure out why the military gives severance pay to soldiers and the VA takes it back. It makes no sense. In my case, the government saved the severance pay by deducting it from my VA compensation pay and saved even more money be refusing to do an MRI to prove herniated discs. Fourteen years after the injury, an MRI was done proving herniated discs. They continued to hide evidence and if not for the help of the House of Representatives Veterans Affairs Committee, the hidden evidence might never have been found. It is my opinion that risk management for liability is why the military and the VA lies. In Lynch's case, the government lied to make a better story, but they never counted on her honor. Soldiers are taught honor and now other soldiers of honor are coming forward. Maybe one of these days, soldiers that serve in the military will be awarded severance pay and not have it retracted, be given benefits and compensation without having to fight for it.