3 in ‘Friendly Fire’ Death Awarded Bronze Stars

Three U.S. soldiers in a unit that accidentally killed an Army sergeant with “friendly fire” during the Persian Gulf War nonetheless received Bronze Stars for their actions, according to a report Saturday.

The soldiers were awarded the medals based on “misleading statements and misrepresentations” by their commanding officers, according to a confidential General Accounting Office report on the Army’s inquiry into the incident, obtained by U.S. News & World Report.

The GAO informed the Army of its findings in May, 1994, and last August the Army inspector general urged the Army to revoke the awards. The Army says it has begun that process, the report said.

Sgt. Douglas (Lance) Fielder, 22, of Nashville was killed and another soldier was wounded Feb. 27, 1991, when troops of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment strayed outside their assigned area and, mistaking Fielder and four others for Iraqi troops, fired on their disabled ammunition carrier.

Col. Douglas Starr, Lt. Col. John Daly Jr. and Capt. Bo Friesen ultimately were reprimanded for negligence for allowing their troops to cross battle boundary lines.

But the reprimands of Starr and Daly were not placed in their permanent records, on the orders of an Army general, the GAO said. Friesen’s reprimand was withdrawn.

Starr has since retired from the Army. Daly, the son-in-law of World War II hero Gen. Creighton Abrams, currently is assigned to the Pentagon. He declined to comment to the magazine.

Three soldiers under the command of Starr, Daly and Friesen received the medals that are now in dispute.