Did military try to kill Seattle soldier’s Medal of Honor?

A new investigation questions whether military officials tried to “kill” a Medal of Honor nomination for a U.S. soldier hailed as a hero during a fierce battle in Afghanistan.

In an interview with Ross and Burbank, reporter Jonathan Landay detailed his probe into why Army Capt. William Swenson has yet to receive the honor.

>>>Listen to Ross and Burbank’s interview with reporter Jonathan Landay

Swenson, who hails from Seattle, was nominated for the nation’s highest military honor along with Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer. Meyer’s nomination sailed through and he received the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony, while Swenson’s disappeared into what Landay calls a “bureaucratic black hole.”

The veteran war reporter says he has no doubt Swenson deserves the honor, as much or even more than Meyer.

“I witnessed Captain Swenson’s heroism during the ambush and I witnessed the first part of his actions in retrieving casualties from the ambush zone,” Landay says of the 2009 battle of Ganjgal.

Landay says while his investigation didn’t reveal any evidence of wrongdoing, it raises troubling questions.

The military denies any wrongdoing, claiming the file was lost. Landay says that’s improbable, considering that hasn’t happened since the awards system was computerized in the mid-70’s.

Swenson’s original nomination was also downgraded to a lesser award. It has since been resubmitted.

So why would someone want to sabotage the award? Landay says transcripts reveal Swenson was highly critical of military leaders for failing to provide air and artillery support sooner during the battle to avoid civilian casualties for political reasons.

“When he was interviewed, he gave voice to what a lot of troops feel about those rules of engagement and in doing so, that’s implicitly criticizing the senior commanders who designed those rules,” Landay says.

Swenson has refused interview requests, according to Landay. He calls him a modest guy who doesn’t seek the spotlight and although the soldier might be troubled by not receiving the award, it’s what possibly happened behind the scenes that’s more troubling.

“It seems to me he is fairly bothered by the fact this investigation didn’t go any further than it did after uncovering evidence that someone may have tried to kill his nomination.”