Kentucky

Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer sues former employer

By Bill Estep - bestep@herald-leader.com

November 29, 2011 01:20 PM

The Medal of Honor is worn by former Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer, 23, from Greensburg, Ky, after it was awarded to him by President Baraack Obama, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Meyer was in Afghanistan's Kunar province in Sept. 2009 when he repeatedly ran through enemy fire to recover the bodies of fellow American troops. He is the first living Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
The Medal of Honor is worn by former Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer, 23, from Greensburg, Ky, after it was awarded to him by President Baraack Obama, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Meyer was in Afghanistan's Kunar province in Sept. 2009 when he repeatedly ran through enemy fire to recover the bodies of fellow American troops. He is the first living Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) AP
The Medal of Honor is worn by former Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer, 23, from Greensburg, Ky, after it was awarded to him by President Baraack Obama, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Meyer was in Afghanistan's Kunar province in Sept. 2009 when he repeatedly ran through enemy fire to recover the bodies of fellow American troops. He is the first living Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) AP

Former Marine Dakota Meyer, an Adair County native who received the Medal of Honor, has sued a major defense contractor for allegedly saying that he is mentally unstable and has a drinking problem, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Meyer said a supervisor at BAE Systems made the remarks to another defense contractor, which has ruined his ability to get jobs in the industry, the Journal reported.

According to the article, Meyer worked for BAE earlier this year but left after objecting to the company's attempt to sell high-tech thermal optic scopes to Pakistan.

Meyer tried to get a job with another contractor after that, but a BAE supervisor told someone with the other company that Meyer was "mentally unstable" and "had a problem related to drinking in a social setting," Meyer's lawsuit claims, according to the Wall Street Journal.

A BAE spokesman said the company disagrees with Meyer's claims, according to the article.

President Barack Obama awarded Meyer the Medal of Honor for heroic action in Afghanistan in 2009. Meyer repeatedly braved heavy enemy fire to try to reach four comrades who were pinned down, saving the lives of 26 soldiers in the process, the U.S. Marine Corps said.

Meyer left active duty in 2010.

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