Max Cleland
Max Cleland | |
---|---|
Georgia Senate from the 55th district | |
In office January 11, 1971 – January 13, 1975 | |
Preceded by | Ed Reeder |
Succeeded by | Bud Stumbaugh |
Personal details | |
Born | Joseph Maxwell Cleland August 24, 1942 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
Died | November 9, 2021 (aged 79) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Education | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1965–1968 |
Rank | Captain |
Unit | 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | |
Joseph Maxwell Cleland (August 24, 1942 – November 9, 2021) was an American politician from
After returning from the Vietnam War having lost three limbs, he entered politics soon after recovering from his injuries. From 1971 to 1975, he served as a
Early life and military service
Cleland was born on August 24, 1942, in Atlanta, the son of Juanita Wilda (Kesler) and Joseph Hughie Cleland.[3] He grew up in Lithonia, Georgia, and graduated from Stetson University in the class of 1964, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Cleland was named outstanding senior in high school.[4] He went on to receive a master's degree from Emory University (Georgia).[5]
Cleland then served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, attaining the rank of captain. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for valorous action in combat, including during the Battle of Khe Sanh on April 4, 1968.[5]
Injury at Khe Sanh
In 1968, Captain Cleland was the Battalion Signal Officer serving with the 2nd Battalion,
On April 8, with a month left in his tour, Cleland was ordered to set up a radio relay station on a nearby hill. A helicopter flew him and two soldiers to the treeless top of Hill 471, east of Khe Sanh. When the helicopter landed, Cleland jumped out, followed by the two soldiers. They ducked because of the rotor wash and turned to watch the liftoff. Cleland reached down to pick up a grenade he believed had dropped off his flak jacket. It then exploded, the blast slamming him backward, shredding both his legs and one arm.[5]David Lloyd, a
Lloyd said the unnamed soldier was crying. "It was mine," he said, "it was my grenade." According to Lloyd, the private had failed to take the extra precaution experienced soldiers did when they grabbed M26 grenades from the ammo box: bend the pins, or tape them in place, so they couldn't accidentally dislodge. This soldier had a flak jacket full of grenades with treacherously straight pins, Lloyd says. "He was a walking death trap."[8]
Due to the severity of his wounds, doctors amputated both of Cleland's legs above the knee, and his right forearm. He was 25 years old.[9]
Georgia state politics
Cleland served from 1971 to 1975 in the
According to an interview featurette with Jon Voight on the DVD of Coming Home (1978), Cleland also served during this time as a consultant on the Academy Award-winning drama set in a VA hospital in 1968.[12]
In 1977, Cleland received the
U.S. Senate (1997–2003)
Tenure
Following the retirement of Sam Nunn, Cleland ran in the 1996 United States Senate election in Georgia and won by just 30,000 votes over Republican Guy Millner. A third-party candidate, Libertarian John Cashin, garnered over 80,000 votes.[14]
Cleland was viewed as a moderate in the Senate. Though he supported some Republican budgetary measures, and voted in favor of
Cleland was one of the 29 Senate Democrats who backed the authorization to go to war in Iraq. He later stated he had misgivings about the Bush administration's stance, but said he felt pressure in his tight Senate race to go along with it. In 2005, he said "it was obvious that if I voted against the resolution that I would be dead meat in the race, just handing them in a victory." He characterized his vote for war as "the worst vote I cast."[16]
2002 election
In 2002 Cleland faced
A week before the voting, an
Post-Senate career
Cleland was originally appointed to serve on the
In 2003, Cleland began working for the
Cleland's official Senatorial papers are held by the University of Georgia's Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. His Veterans Administration papers are held in the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. In 2007, Max Cleland donated a large collection of Vietnam and personal political memorabilia to the library of his alma mater, Stetson University. The Cleland Collection includes more than 800 memorabilia items, more than 5,000 photos, and hundreds of CDs, DVDs, videos, and films.[28]
On May 21, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Cleland to serve as the next Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission.[29] He was appointed Secretary on June 3,[30] and served in the position until the end of Obama's second term as president. Retired Major General William M. Matz Jr., was appointed as his successor almost a year after he left the ABMC.[31]
Cleland died as a result of heart failure at his home in Atlanta, on November 9, 2021, at age 79.[32]
Awards
Cleland received an honorary degree in 2001 from Oglethorpe University in Doctor of Laws.[33]
Works
- Heart of a Patriot: How I Found The Courage To Survive Vietnam, Walter Reed, and Karl Rove by Max Cleland, with Ben Raines (Simon and Schuster, 2009). ISBN 978-1-4391-2605-9.
- Odysseus in America by Jonathan Shay, Max Cleland, and ISBN 0-7432-1156-1.
- Strong at the Broken Places by Max Cleland (Longstreet Press, updated edition, October 2000). ISBN 1-56352-633-6.
- Going for the Max!: 12 Principles for Living Life to the Fullest by Max Cleland (Broadman & Holman, September 2000). ISBN 0-8054-2021-5.
- Controlled Substances Laws of Georgia: Code Title 16-13 by Max Cleland (State Examining Boards, Georgia State Board of Pharmacy, 1992). OCLC 36381622.
Electoral history
Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996
|
Max Cleland | 1,103,993 | 49% | Guy W. Millner | 1,073,969 | 48% | John Gregory Cashin | Libertarian | 81,262 | 4% | ||||
2002
|
Max Cleland (incumbent) | 932,422 | 46% | Saxby Chambliss | 1,071,352 | 53% | Claude Sandy Thomas | Libertarian | 27,830 | 1% |
See also
References
- Export-Import Bank of the United States. December 16, 2003. Archived from the originalon July 15, 2007. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
- ^ "Senate Approves Farrell for Import-Export Bank Post". Westport Now.com. August 3, 2007. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
- ^ Galloway, Jim; Badertscher, Nancy (November 9, 2021). "Former VA administrator and Georgia senator Max Cleland dies at home". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ "Strong at the Broken Places". Josephson Institute. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
- ^ a b c Smith, Harrison (November 9, 2021). "Max Cleland, Vietnam War veteran who led VA and served in Senate, dies at 79". Washington Post. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ "12th Cavalry Regiment – Vietnam War". Archived from the original on September 17, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
- ^ [1] Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 44 (Friday, March 19, 1999) pages S2992-S2993
- ^ Thompson, Neal. "30 Years of Self-Loathing, and Then, Finally, the Truth." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel December 5, 1999: 1. Find Articles. October 11, 2006.
- ^ "Max Cleland." Contemporary Heroes and Heroines, Book IV. Gale Group, 2000.
- ^ Georgia law won't hurt brokers, judge rules. Deseret News.
- South Florida Sun-Sentinel
- ^ Seelye, Katharine (November 9, 2021). "Max Cleland, Vietnam Veteran and Former Senator, Dies at 79". The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ "Jefferon awards: Past winners". Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
- ^ General Election Results - Clerk U.S. House
- ^ "Max Cleland on the Issues". www.issues2000.org.
- ^ Thomas E. Ricks, Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq, July 25, 2006
- ^ McGrory, Mary (June 20, 2002). "Dirty-Bomb Politics". Washington Post. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ "PBS Newshour: Vote 2002: Races: Georgia". PBS. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
- YouTube, August 25, 2006
- ^ a b c Crowley, Michael (April 2, 2004). "Slate.com: The Democrats' favorite victim". Archived from the original on December 7, 2008.
- ^ Coulter, Ann (December 31, 2008). "Teaching Democrats New Tricks". Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
- ^ The Atlantic: The Daily Dish: Quote for the Day. November 12, 2008.
- ^ The Orlando Sentinel: Ex-senator Boosts Kerry, Battles Critics. June 13, 2004
- ^ Shenon, Philip (December 5, 2003). "Ex-Senator Will Soon Quit 9/11 Panel, Leaving Gap for Victims' Advocates". New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
- ^ "9/11 panel to get access to withheld data". The Boston Globe. November 13, 2003. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ Barabak, Mark (July 18, 2004). "The Democrats' 'Poster Boy'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ "Max Cleland's Speech at the Democratic National Convention". PBS. July 29, 2004. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ "Max Cleland Collection". Stetson University Archives. Stetson University. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- National Archives.
- ^ "Halfway Home - Profiles". Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ^ "Retired Maj. Gen. William M. Matz, Jr., Sworn In as New ABMC Secretary". www.abmc.gov. January 9, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ "Honorary Degrees Awarded by Oglethorpe University". Oglethorpe University. Archived from the original on March 19, 2015. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Archived from the original on July 30, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2007.
External links
- Biographical Directory of the US Congress
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- 9/11 Commission profile
- Former senator, Vietnam vet promotes Kerry Archived August 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine The Daily Cardinal
- Two-minute clip from "Stealing America: Vote by Vote" on YouTube
- video interview Archived November 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- Entry in the New Georgia Encyclopedia Archived December 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- Max Cleland Collection at the Stetson University Library
- Dirty-Bomb Politics