hugh thompson testimonychemical that dissolves human feces in pit toilet
Mr. Thompson, you and Mr. Colburn are indeed the heroes in this sordid story and I am ashamed at how they were treated. I was back in Mount Vernon, outside Washington, and I got a call from my mother saying there were some people at the house who wanted to talk to me. I imagine he wants to get right with God; hes not a young guy anymore. As murderous bloodlust unfolded on the ground below, Thompson and crew confronted fellow GIs to save numerous civilians from the fate of some 500 others that morning. So, how did you guys feel when you got the Soldiers Medals in 1998? My Lai massacre was a bloody stain of the Vietnam War, but one man changed the course of the battle and went from traitor to hero. I dont know, at the time I thought about creating a diversion, discharging my weapon in another direction. Hugh Thompson Profiles | Facebook I said, Thank you, sir, and went back to work. We went back to the ditch because we knew there were a lot of people there who could have been saved. Hugh Thompson & Helicopter Crew Honored for Helping End My - YouTube Hugh Thompson, an Army helicopter pilot who rescued Vietnamese civilians during the My Lai massacre, reported the killings to his superior officers in a rage over what he had seen, testified at. Letters to the Editor: Hey, leave linoleum out of the DeSantis-Disney fight. From Testimony to Tragedy: My Lai in Personal Perspective From Testimony to Tragedy: My Lai in Personal Perspective Michael W. Flamm Michael W. Flamm Michael W. Flamm is professor of history at Ohio Wesleyan University. I was 17 when I enlisted in 1966 with some friends. They could communicate with the command craft that was flying at altitude. Our main job was to fly close to the deck, entice fire to get the enemy to give up their position, mark it, suppress fire and get out of the gunships way. They approached but because the aircraft was at flight idle they tended to stay back a little. In the middle of a firefight I was an E4, what was I to do? It was in their hands. Hugh Thompson and his crew rescued a surviving child whom they flew to the nearest field hospital. Hugh Thompson, who has died aged 62, was the helicopter pilot who tried to halt the My Lai massacre of more than 500 villagers by American troops during the Vietnam war . Yes. Thompson landed his helicopter next to a ditch that contained 150 people many dead, but many others wounded and trying to escape. Does it worry you that it was, and remains, in our capacity to excuse or rationalize an atrocity like My Lai committed by Americans? Michael Bernhardt, who was at M Lai. Thompson had become something of a professional witness. He struggled too. What would I have done if I were a man on the ground? If they fire on these people, or fire on me while Im doing that, shoot em! Now Hugh really had no idea who or what was in that bunker, could have been an AK47 waiting for him there. "Something terrible happened here 30 years ago today," Mr. Thompson was quoted as saying by CNN. I am sorry this world has lost you. Hugh Thompson Jr. graduated from Stone Mountain High School on June 5, 1961. What drove you to create the Hugh Thompson Foundation? I think that is probably what has helped me get through it all. Hugh Thompson reported the massacre to his commanding officer. Mr. Thompson landed twice in an effort to determine what was happening, finally coming to the realization that a massacre was taking place. Hugh Thompson Jr (1943-2006) - EA Forum There could be a reason for doing it, or there could have simply been a complete breakdown in leadership. They tried to make arrangements to get him there, but couldnt find him. I was on the backup team that day and we went out to try to retrieve the bodies. %%EOF When we would come back to those we marked, wed find they were now dead. Were you vilified or the target of death threats the way Hugh Thompson was? Upon entering Sn M, officers and soldiers of Company C moved through the Song My Village and vicinity, murdering civilians, raping women, and setting fire to huts. Hugh Thompsons actions may be unique. In 1998, 30 years after the massacre, Hugh Thompson and the two other crew members, Andreotta and Colburn, were awarded the Soldiers Medal (Andreotta posthumously), the United States Armys highest award for bravery not involving direct contact with the enemy. Thats what keeps me going. To do something like that in the whirlwind of war was downright insane, and thats exactly what he did. To this day I cant remember exactly about that day reporting to Henderson. He made some notes on a legal pad and excused me and I left. Its like the line from the movie No Country for Old Men when the Vietnam veteran played by Josh Brolin, who responds to another guy who introduced himself and says he was in Nam too: Oh, you were in Vietnam too. Larry Colburn talks about his late friend Hugh Thompson, the My Lai massacre, the subsequent cover up, investigations and trials. Jon Wiener is professor emeritus of history at UC Irvine, and working, with Mike Davis, on a book on Los Angeles in the 1960s. 1st Platoon of Company C, commanded by Lieutenant William Laws Calley Jr., forced approximately 7080 villagers, mostly women and children, into an irrigation ditch and murdered the civilians with knives, bayonets, grenades, and small arms fire. That particular morning we were to provide reconnaissance for a ground operation that was going on in My Lai . I just figured it was time to do something, to not let these people get killed. PDF Prepared Testimony and Hugh Thompson in his Army uniform, c. 1966. Nixon and the My Lai massacre coverup - New York Post Now Trent Angers, who chronicled Hugh Thompson's heroism during the My Lai massacre of Vietnamese civilians in 1968, believes he has uncovered information about an unseen adversary Thompson fought . Using hand signals, Mr. Thompson persuaded the Vietnamese to come out while ordering his gunner and his crew chief to shoot any American soldiers who opened fire on the civilians. Hugh Thompson | US news | The Guardian When he had a heart attack he said he would slow down, but he didnt. If people have some confusion about that, thats their problem. That Is little Hugh!" It was "Little Hugh" sure enough. Justice, if it could ever be achieved in this case, would have been to line each and every one of them up in front of a firing squad and start shooting from the knees up. But it was mostly done with a machine gun. Were you glad you got it? Hugh Thompson Jr., The Army Major Who Stopped The My Lai Massacre NYPD officers face departmental trial over shooting death of mentally It has turned me into a cynic philosopher. Testimony to the Truth: Smyth, Reverend Hugh P.: 9781163377390: Amazon Particularly because of the Peers and the IG investigations, I thought there were people sincere about upholding the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Genevieve Carlton earned a Ph.D in history from Northwestern University with a focus on early modern Europe and the history of science and medicine before becoming a history professor at the University of Louisville. Hugh alerted the low gunship as to what we had seen on the ground. But he didnt even draw a sidearm as he walked up to the bunker and motioned to the people to come out. And when Thomson reported the horrific actions, the Army tried to cover up the M Lai massacre. Hugh told me that was what was going through his mind, he was thinking of Nazi Germany, people digging trenches, forced to march into those trenches, mass graves.. I have mine put away somewhere, but I think Hugh threw his away one night. It was a case of bloodlust. ", Hugh Thompson, 62, Who Saved Civilians at My Lai, Dies, https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/07/us/hugh-thompson-62-who-saved-civilians-at-my-lai-dies.html. As we watched from about 15 feet off the ground, back maybe 20 meters, we saw this captain approach the woman, look down at her, kick her, step back and then blow her away. made a statement in Congress honoring Thompson, stating that the United States has lost a true hero, and the State of Louisiana has lost a devoted leader and dear friend. Could you have just reported this and left, knowing youd at least made an effort? Then, take a look through these declassified Vietnam War photos. And although he lived with post-traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, and nightmare disorder for decades, he eventually became a veterans counselor for the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs. Hugh Thompson and My Lai - CounterPunch.org A defendant charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, who testified that he believed he was "following presidential orders" from President Donald Trump when he stormed the building. I flew from Ft. Through the years, he continued to speak out, having been invited to West Point and other military installations to tell of the moral and legal obligations of soldiers in wartime. No, because the commander was on a different frequency. Did the gunship crews know what was happening on the ground before this? We want to recognize people in the military and all walks of life who really make difficult decisions the way Hugh did. Hugh Thompson Jr. - Wikipedia He tried to persuade him to stop the attack but with no success. Larry Colburn was a door gunner with crew chief Glenn Andreotta and Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson as pilot of a small scout . But in the end,. We had thought there were two or three, but there were about 10 in the bunker.
Carol Alice Henning,
Pen + Gear Small Digital Safe Replacement Key,
Articles H
