On 16th March, 1968 Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson Jnr was flying helicopter recon for a US attack on My Lai, an alleged Viet Cong-controlled village in Vietnam.
But as the attack developed below, Thompson realised he was witnessing something something else:
A massacre.
He decided to act. 1/28
But as the attack developed below, Thompson realised he was witnessing something something else:
A massacre.
He decided to act. 1/28
Comments
But most of the Americans were "just following orders" like so many Nazis.
https://www.historynet.com/interview-larry-colburn-why-my-lai-hugh-thompson-matter/
Amazing that decades later, he was able to meet the young boy he rescued at My Lai.
F'd up, but not unexpected that after Thompson died, that Colburn's load of the hate mail and death threats increased.
Picked out, It was hard to know what to think of why we were there. Awful times.
thanks for sharing this
Until the photographs.
Thompson's testimony was also powerful: My brother was door gunner...(1/2)
If you knew the Army culture then it would come as no shock that only Lt. Calley faced consequences.
Both my brother and my Dad were pretty tough dudes, soldiers to the core. And they didn't understand how that could have happened. (2/2)
Whatever happens, it must not be allowed to reflect badly on the Navy. I assume the Army is similar.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Iowa_turret_explosion?wprov=sfla1
Doing not only dehumanizes, but also enables people like Medina and others to commit wider atrocities, by encouraging their soldiers to see them as individual acts, never the whole.
"This base is named after a Warrant Officer. This is why."
History remembers these men and women for what they were, but the only thing that forces America to stick to its ideals is these brave people and shame. Shame.
I didn't mean that we're vilifying the hero, but America's institutions often do. There are countless stories like Mr. Thompson's. They had to fight for what is right and were vilified, and sometimes punished heavily, for standing up to America.
It's an awkward thing for most cultures to accept. Including mine (UK)
All humanity is shared,
more joins us than separates us, no matter faith, colour, culture, gender...we are human.
Hugh Thompson Jnr was a complete hero, to be lauded.
https://a.co/d/7lxoFJR
They dropped a green flare near a wounded civilian, expecting the infantry to help.
Cpt Medina of Charlie Company walked over and shot her in the head. 2/28
"When we saw Medina do that, it clicked. It was our guys doing the killing." 3/28
“These are human beings!" He yelled at the Lieutenant there, trying to get him to rein in his men. "Unarmed civilians sir!” 4/28
Thompson had no direct radio to them or to their command at Landing Zone Dottie, so began demanding the other aerial forces present who did radio back and intervene.
None did. 5/28
Thompson threw his small helicopter towards them and grounded it between the advancing soldiers and the terrified civilians. 6/28
If 2nd Platoon fired on him OR the civilians...
“Open up on ‘em. Blow ‘em away.”
Brooks demanded Thompson and his crew move. He refused. 7/28
RVN 69/70
I want to find the Hugh Thompson's in the IDF, i hope there are some speaking now