Justice Rejected

摘要

John Lavelle and Terryl Schwalier should have been vindicated by now. Lavelle, the commander of 7th Air Force in Vietnam, was sent home and forced to retire with a double demotion to major general in 1972 for allegedly ordering unauthorized air strikes against North Vietnamese military targets. Lavelle insisted he had authorization for the air strikes, but died in 1979 with his reputation in shambles. In 2007, newly declassified recordings proved President Nixon knew of and authorized Lavelle's actions. Last August, President Obama nominated Lavelle for posthumous promotion to full general, his final rank in Vietnam. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) pledged to act quickly on the nomination.