My Lai massacre hero dies at 62

Forums: Politics
Email this Topic • Print this Page

It looks like the whistle blower had a more difficult time than the war criminals. A sad story indeed.
..................................................
My Lai massacre hero dies at 62

Hugh Thompson Jnr, a former US military helicopter pilot who helped stop one of the most infamous massacres of the Vietnam War has died, aged 62.

Mr Thompson and his crew came upon US troops killing civilians at the village of My Lai on 16 March 1968.

He put his helicopter down between the soldiers and villagers, ordering his men to shoot their fellow Americans if they attacked the civilians.
...................
A platoon commander, Lt William Calley, was later court-martialed and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the killings.

President Richard Nixon commuted his sentence to three years' house arrest.
.................................
Mr Thompson was shunned for years by fellow soldiers, received death threats, and was once told by a congressman that he was the only American who should be punished over My Lai.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4589486.stm

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 1,614 • Replies: 38

No top replies

Yes, detano, a very sad story. If I recall correctly. F.Lee Bailey defended Calley and thus came in to the spotlight, but I'll have to check that out.

aside: Nice to see that you like jazz. <smile>

0 Replies

Letty, anyone who likes jazz can't be all bad.

0 Replies

Indeed, Canada. It rather neutralizes the effects of Nam, sometimes.

0 Replies

detano,
I appreciate a thread such as this. Hugh Thompson Jr.......

0 Replies

Imagine this good man being vilified because he was an honest soldier.
The officer who committed the crime was practically pardened by the president.
It boggles the mind.

0 Replies

Letty, you are right. Sometimes I turn off the (bad) news and lie down to listen to some vintage jazz.
The only artform that originated in the US.

0 Replies

It's amazing what a teacher can do, Maple and detano. After the incident, the students all came into class disgruntled and against Calley. As we all discussed the situation, they saw things in a different light. That day, I felt that I had won a small battle.

Well, Canada. You'll have to join Maple and me on WA2K radio. It's designed to promote music, among many other things. Jazz is just one genre.

0 Replies

Letty, I can't find that station. Dozens of sites and no proper station.

0 Replies

Hold on. I will send you a link. It's a mock up radio thing, but the format simulates a real radio station:

0 Replies

You mean, smoke and mirrors? Not a bad idea, a fake radio station. Only the music is real.

0 Replies

Here you go, detano. So far we have several countries that contribute:

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1771759#1771759

0 Replies

A true hero.

I am sad to hear he has died.

0 Replies

Hugh Thompson, hero? yeah I guess so but then Lt Calley, in my eyes, was as much as victim as he was a villain. It was a very ugly war. Methinks peeps in this day and age forget or never knew just how ugly that war was. It was VERY ugly. I sometimes wonder if I was a war criminal.

0 Replies

I was out of the military by the time the war became mandatory service. I consider myself extremely lucky not to have gone. It is the sort of thing I will continue to protest til my dying day.

0 Replies

dyslexia wrote:

It was VERY ugly. I sometimes wonder if I was a war criminal.

You're not the only one to come up with that thought Dys. All we can do now is be thankful it is over, and try to fight it as it happens yet again.

Anon

0 Replies

Anon-Voter wrote:

dyslexia wrote:
It was VERY ugly. I sometimes wonder if I was a war criminal.

You're not the only one to come up with that thought Dys. All we can do now is be thankful it is over, and try to fight it as it happens yet again.

Anon

Yes, I agree anon and thanks.

0 Replies

dyslexia wrote:

Hugh Thompson, hero? yeah I guess so but then Lt Calley, in my eyes, was as much as victim as he was a villain. It was a very ugly war. Methinks peeps in this day and age forget or never knew just how ugly that war was. It was VERY ugly. I sometimes wonder if I was a war criminal.

Sure.

But Thompson, one place, one time, acted to stop something really wrong.

I think the context makes that a more heroic act, rather than a lesser one.

0 Replies

that something really wrong was the norm, was a daily occurence and was MINOR in the scheme of things. I am no apologist but I saw far worse things as routine.

0 Replies

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/turse1.html

0 Replies

My Lai massacre hero dies at 62

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know