My Lai massacre hero dies at 62

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.

so sorry.

I think the wabbit has something stuck in it's throat ... Coughing up a hair ball maybe

Anon

Anon-Voter wrote:

I think the wabbit has something stuck in it's throat ... Coughing up a hair ball maybe

Anon

Not at all.


What DO you say about facts like those?


I thought I had some idea about how awful Vietnam was....(insofar as one palely can when one has not experienced it)...but when I hear My Lai was a not especially bad quotidian sorta thing....what are you supposed to say?


I wish you guys would say these things more, as it might give some of the rabid pro war idiots here something to correct their "romantic" notions.



I can see why you don't, though.

Sigh.

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

A very interesting book to read is called "Four Hours in My Lai: the My Lai Masacre."
As a career member of the military and a history teacher, I found the book to be very informative. As was pointed out, Calley was also a victim. His company commander constantly belittled and degraded him in front of his troops. This is as wrong as wrong gets. The young LT had almost no chance of getting the respect of his troops. I also blame the NCO's. The senior NCO's never stood up and took proper control of that platoon.
Those of you who are or have been in the military know exactly of what I speak.
Just for claification- There are pro military and pro war. Please do not confuse the two!
I have the utmost respect for people like Thompson.

As was pointed out, there were other events similar to My Lai. It wasn't the first or the last. It was just the most publicized. Events like that happened on both sides. The North Vietnamese killed the south Vietnamese when they aided the US troops. Very similar to what insurgents are doing in Iraq.

In my opinion it is too easy to say, 'Both sides do it.'

Here is another description of events of that day:

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/doubleissue/heroes/thompson.htm

In a war, both sides become monsters. The winner has an easier time to whitewash his deeds. The loser is hung from the nearest tree.

detano inipo wrote:

In a war, both sides become monsters. The winner has an easier time to whitewash his deeds. The loser is hung from the nearest tree.

This is just another variant on that hoary old chestnut (and a whorey one, too), that the victors write the history. As can be seen from the simple-minded metaphor in the third sentence, one has to reduce complexities to a witless statement in order to support the thesis. There are so many reasons why this is not true, that i'm not going to waste the time here to point them out. I also doubt, given my experience, that this member would listen.

detano
If you will read Setanta's post again, I think you may see you missed the point he was making.

good item jjorge, thanks.