Day After Newspaper Publishes EXPOSE' On Kentucky's Decorated Medal Of Honor Winner Dakota Mayer, He Settles Lawsuit With Defense Contractor BAE Systems. HMMMMNNNN!

Decorated Marine Settles Suit With Defense Contractor BAE
By JULIAN E. BARNES

Dakota Meyer, the first living Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, dropped an employment-related lawsuit against BAE Systems Thursday, settling a day after a newspaper article said the account of his heroism conveyed by the Marines Corps was exaggerated.

The terms of the settlement weren't disclosed. A person familiar with the discussions said BAE paid far less than what Mr. Meyer originally demanded.

On Wednesday, McClatchy Newspapers published a story alleging the Marine Corps embellished the battlefield heroics by Mr. Meyer, then a corporal in Afghanistan, that earned him the Medal of Honor. The article concluded that the crucial parts of the narrative of Mr. Meyer's heroism, as related at a September White House event, were embellished, unsubstantiated or untrue. The article also said this was unnecessary because "Meyer by all accounts deserved his nomination" for his heroism in Afghanistan.

The Marine Corps criticized the McClatchy account, saying Thursday that the award was "entirely appropriate and well-deserved." Mr. Meyer rose to the rank of sergeant before leaving the service.

"Because of the nature of the events supporting awards for valor, it is normal for minor discrepancies to appear when reviewing the source information and collecting eyewitness statements," the Marine Corps statement said.

In his lawsuit, Mr. Meyer said a BAE supervisor had retaliated against him for objecting to the defense contractor's proposal to sell weapons scopes to Pakistan.

In a statement Thursday, Mr. Meyer said he and BAE had settled their differences "amicably." He also reiterated his opposition to the sale of thermal optical scopes by OASYS, the BAE unit he worked for. "I am gratified to learn that BAE Systems-OASYS did not ultimately sell and does not intend to sell advanced thermal scopes to Pakistan," Mr. Meyer said.

Mr. Meyer could not be reached for comment. His lawyer and a spokesperson representing Mr. Meyer both declined to comment on the settlement and the McClatchy article.

Since the lawsuit was filed in San Antonio on Nov. 28, BAE has made clear that the scopes arousing Mr. Meyer's concerns were never sold to Pakistan. "BAE Systems has the highest respect for Sgt. Dakota Meyer, who exemplifies the qualities that make the men and women of our armed services the best in the world," the company said.

Bobby McCreight, the supervisor who allegedly accused Mr. Meyer of having a drinking problem and being mentally unstable, wasn't a party to the settlement. But Mr. Meyer still dropped his lawsuit against Mr. McCreight. In a court filing this month, Mr. McCreight, himself a former Marine, denied he had called Mr. Meyer mentally unstable and said he was attempting to mentor and help the younger veteran. Through his lawyer, Mr. McCreight declined to comment.