May 6, 2005

To Eilhys England

David H. Hackworth's wife

Greenwich, CT

Subject: Hacks' passing

Dear Eilhys,

I was very sad to learn today of Hack's passing in an AP story in which you were quoted commenting from Tijuana. So I hope this letter reaches you eventually, as Greenwich was the last address I had for Hack. Please accept my sincere condolences.

Hack and I shared the passion for writing and for the truth. When at times I had doubts about whether a particular truth may be too much for this country to take (such as my 1995 prediction that America would eventually break up due to ethnic strife - see "When Cultures Collide...," Washington Times, Aug 1996), he encouraged me to publish the story anyway. I did. For that, and for many other friendship gestures I am eternally grateful to him.

"Thx Bob.  Keep punching.  You're doing a great job," he wrote to me in May 1998, for example, in response to a story about the NATO expansion (Re. "Death Merchants - 81; Taxpayers - 19", 5/02/98).

Hack and I also shared a love for Australia. He insisted that I stay at his home in Maleny, Queensland, in 1996 when I was looking for a property to buy myself down under. He was slightly pissed with me when I eventually bought a place in Western Australia. He tried to scare me off with a story of gigantic WA horse flies that can bite through a leather jacket. I thought it was hysterical that America's most highly decorated living soldier would be scared of horse flies (I've never actually encountered them... Hack may have invented the story to try to make me his neighbor in QLD). :-)

It is very sad that I will no longer be able to boast that "America's most highly decorated living soldier" is a friend of mine. To say that Hack was a great man would be a great understatement. I will miss him. I am sure you will.  Hope our country does, too.

Best regards,