A US military attorney has recommended charging a former soldier in a 1967 rampage of alleged atrocities committed by US troops against hundreds of civilians in Vietnam, a newspaper reported.
The Blade said in its Sunday edition that the recommendation involved retired Major James Hawkins, 63, a former unit commander who now lives near Orlando, Florida. Hawkins declined to comment on the military attorney's recommendation, the newspaper said.
Army Reserve lawyer Michael Walther reviewed the original case and The Blade's series and concluded that the evidence was strong enough to return Hawkins to duty for an Article 32 hearing, the equivalent of a military grand jury, the newspaper said.The Army has not decided whether to prosecute Hawkins, according to the newspaper, which said questions remain whether Army lawyers have the legal power to charge him.
Hawkins was among 18 former Tiger Force soldiers accused by investigators of crimes ranging from murder to dereliction of duty during an investigation in 1971 to 1975. The case was dropped and concealed from the public until revealed by The Blade.
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