| Hugh C. Thompson |
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Hugh C. Thompson, a U.S. Army helicopter pilot, helped expose the My Lai massacre in Vietnam on March 16, 1968. Wide public awareness of the incident did not surface until well over a year later, in the Fall of 1969. After confronting LT William Calley on the ground, he and his crew (Larry Colburn and Glenn Andreotta) put themselves in harm's way to save nine Vietnamese civilians. Thompson later testified about the day's events before Congress. In March 1998 the Army recognized Thompson's heroic actions at My Lai with the award of the Soldier's Medal. In 2004, Thompson was elected to the Army Aviation Hall of Fame. This account was found at "http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:NZxB5Fhl5GgJ:travel.hubcom.net/vietnam/mylai.html+hugh+c.+thompson+viet+nam&hl=en" It appears to be in Thompson's own words: Thompson recounts: "I was unable at first to figure out how the civilians had gotten into the ditch. I landed the helicopter, unstrapped my seatbelt, and climbed out. The motor was still running and there was a blast of downwash from the rotors. A husky sergeant walked over and I shouted to counter the noise from the engine. I asked if there was any way they could help the people in the ditch. The sergeant replied the only way to help them was to put them out of their misery. A young infantry officer [2nd Lt. William Laws Calley came up and I questioned him about what was happening on the ground. Calley said it was none of my business because he was in charge of the ground troops."] Several members of Calley's platoon observed Thompson's intervention. Calley had gone to speak with {Link without Title} . Stanley overheard Calley telling Sledge afterwards that the pilot hadn't liked what was taking place: "He don't (sic) like the way I'm running the show but I'm the boss here." Olsen, who wanted no part in the executions at the irrigation ditch, had moved 150 meters out into the paddy field to set up a perimeter defence. He saw the pilot angrily shaking his arms and gesticulating. Frustrated, Thompson lifted off again and circled the area for a few minutes. Almost as soon as he took off his worst fears were confirmed. Andreotta reported the sergeant was now shooting people in the ditch. Thompson began thinking about what the Nazi's had done in the last war - marching people to a ditch then blowing them away. Furious with himself and everyone else he finally snapped. He flew towards the North East corner of the village and spotted a group of about ten civilians, including children, running towards a homemade bomb shelter. Pursuing them was a group of soldiers returning from their murderous expedition to Binh Tay. Because of what he had seen in the village that morning it was obvious to Thompson what would happen next to the fleeing civilians. He landed his aircraft between the civilians and the advancing troops and radioed the other gunships he needed help. Screeming to his crew that they had to get the civilians out of the bunker, he issued an instruction which bewildered Colburn. If the troops opened fire on the civilians, Colburn should turn his gun on the Americans and blow them away. Colburn turned his gun towards the GI's although he was unsure if he would be able to open fire on fellow Americans. Concerned for their own safety, Collburn wasn't sure it was a good idea to land in the middle of a combat zone. The pilot confronted the lieutenant in charge, He said he wanted to get the peasants out of the bunker. [Calley told him the only way to do this was with hand grenades. Thompson shouted that he personally would get them out and told the lieutenant to stay put. With that he went over to the bunker and gingerly coaxed the civilians to come out. Crew members in the gunships overhead Thompson announce over the radio that an old man was sitting in the path of the troops near the door of a small bomb shelter. Thompson's voice was choking with emotion. He swore obscenities, cursed and pleaded with the aircrew to come down and help rescue the civilians. One pilot initially queried the request and Thompson threatened that if the infantry opened fire on the civilians his machine gunner would turn his guns on the Americans. Danny Millians, a warrant officer on the low gunship, realised the delicate nature of the drama unfolding below and knowing that Thompson couldn't talk directly with the ground troops, radioed the high gunship to tell the infantry to stop killing. Millans and Brian Livingstone, another pilot, landed their ships and flew the Vietnamese - two men, two women, and five or six children - four miles away to the safety of the road which led to Quang Ngai city. Catain Hugh C. Thomas Jr United States Army (ret.) His testimony can be found at "http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mylai/Myl_hero.html#HUGH%20THOMPSON:" |
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