These people are going to die, Thompson said to his crew. Hugh was the generals personal pilot. We went back to the ditch because we knew there were a lot of people there who could have been saved. In the midst of it, they had a conversation like this: Remember those old guys from Vietnam and what they told us back at Annapolis?. But remember, at My Lai only about a third of the men participated in the massacre, but no one else tried to stop it. No Id never seen nor heard of anything like that before, except in World War II. Larry Colburn was a door gunner with crew chief Glenn Andreotta and Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson as pilot of a small scout . Ill never fly again, he vowed. No, because the commander was on a different frequency. Hugh Thompson & Helicopter Crew Honored for Helping End My - YouTube It was fresh enough that things hadnt changed much. While the massacre took place, helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson and his crew flew over the jungle, offering air support. The only radio communication we had was with the low gunship. We started thinking what might have happened, but you didnt want to accept that thought, Thompson said in a 2000 interview, because if you accepted it, that means your own fellow Americans, people you were there to protect, were doing something very evil.. Im not going to let this happen, weve got to do something. I flew in the 23 as a gunner through that summer, then I asked about throwing my hat into ring for a gunship where there was a little more armor and security. I was aghast at hearing how Lt William Calley got away with cold blooded murder, spending one day behind bars as a convicted criminal. At that point, no one had a clue beside you and Hugh? On March 6, 1998, the Army presented the Soldier's Medal, for heroism not involving conflict with an enemy, to Mr. Thompson; to his gunner, Lawrence Colburn; and, posthumously, to Mr. Andreotta, who was killed in a helicopter crash three weeks after the My Lai massacre. When the American people responded as they did in defense of Calley, it was really hard, especially for Hugh. Im sorry. No, we had no knowledge of who they were, we just knew they were Americans on the ground and we would have done anything for them. 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. Remember, this was later in the morning approaching noon, most of the killing had already been done. It was denial on the part of the public. I met Thompson in 2000 and interviewed him for my radio program on KPFK in Los Angeles. When did you make your report of what happened? And it turned out, after we dropped him off with the nun at the hospital, he didnt stay 24 hours. As we found out from the farce of justice being served via trials of the monsters responsible, politicians and their cronies cant be trusted either. For the sake of any kind of lame justice, they should have been put to death for their atrocities. It was Hugh and he told me that I would be getting orders to report to Washington. Are you guys with me?. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Furious, Hugh Thompson landed again, this time in front of a bunker where civilians were hiding. Interview: Larry Colburn | American Experience | PBS But one of things the most infuriating is being called a whistleblower, as if we went and ratted someone out. I was always comfortable as the sidekick and enjoyed the time with Hugh. Hugh Thompson and the My Lai Massacre - Truth or Fiction? %PDF-1.6 % Particularly because of the Peers and the IG investigations, I thought there were people sincere about upholding the Uniform Code of Military Justice. And he was a character, a real joker. Among those numbers were 17 pregnant women and 56 infants. At the age of 62, after extensive cancer treatment, Thompson was removed from life support and died on January 6, 2006, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Pineville, Louisiana. I know who I am, Im no hero, I was scared shitless most of the time. US military helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson helped stop one of the most infamous massacres of the Vietnam War. "I'd received death threats over the phone," he told the CBS News program "60 Minutes" in 2004. He struggled too. It took the Army 30 years, but in 1998, they finally acknowledged that Thompson had done something good. Now, if I had known then what I know now about some of the activity going on there, the rapes and barbarism. Glenn took a .51-caliber in the head, he was dead before he hit the ground. When it was all over, hundreds of unarmed civilians had been murdered by American forces. He started accusing me of being with CID. Then, in 1998, the Army awarded him the Soldiers Medal for heroism. When he had a heart attack he said he would slow down, but he didnt. They were finally recognized for the heroic act they did. You can imagine the emotions that surfaced. Meet Hugh Thompson, The Hero Who Stopped The M Lai Massacre And Was Branded A Traitor For It. That was a point of no return for Thompson? These were infants, two-, three-, four-, five-year-olds, women, very old men, no draft-age people whatsoever.. This is not what Im here for. The Army covered it up, but the facts eventually came to light and the responsible officer, Capt. ArmyThe bodies of massacred villagers at M Lai, as captured by a U.S. Army photographer. It was denial on the part of the public, said Colburn. Today theres a little museum in My Lai, where Thompson is honored, and which displays a list of the names and ages of people killed that day. When I arrived at My Lai in 2008, no one knew where he was. Thompson was vilified by many Americans for his testimony against United States Army personnel. Company C (Charlie Company), 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment of Task Force Barker, led by Captain Ernest Medina, moved into Sn M. The Forgotten Hero of My Lai: The Hugh Thompson Story - Goodreads I have a few lined up at some universities this year. Letters to the Editor: Hey, leave linoleum out of the DeSantis-Disney fight. On February 8, Congressman Charles Boustany (R-La.) In mid-March 2022, posts about a warrant officer named Hugh Thompson and his role in the My Lai massacre circulated on social media, including a tweet describing that time period as the 50-year anniversary of that incident:. ' Thompson recalled. Hugh said that was OK, because that was the appropriate place. In 1964, Thompson received an honorable discharge from the Navy and returned to Stone Mountain to live a quiet life and raise a family with his wife. Court-martial me, and he left his weapon and walked away. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. Charlie Company arrived in M Lai with orders to destroy the village. How many of them were paid and paid well to rape and murder innocent babies, children, women and men? When they started convicting people, I thought, now this is how it should unfold. Hugh landed and ran over and told the sergeant, These are civilians, we got to help them out. The sergeant agreed, telling Hugh hed help themout of their misery. Hugh continued to argue, said they were no threat, they had no weapons. For a while we were going out on snatch missions, where wed basically kidnap draft-age males and take them in for interrogations. Indeed, for a time, Thompson himself feared court-martial. They were true American heroes. We hope to link up with other organizations and grow some legs. It was unusual, the only time it happened while I was there. Thompson and his crew stood in front of the bunker, protecting the civilians. To this day I cant remember exactly about that day reporting to Henderson. Hugh Clowers Thompson Sr. was an electrician who served in the United States Navy during World War II. It was a dime short and day late for Hugh, 30 years after the factafter causing him griefthen theyre going to call him a hero? Anyway, they remembered our story about My Lai, and instead of just lighting up a target, they took the time to analyze and study the situation. The high gun stayed in the air and circled. So you were encouraged at that point? I have accompanied Hugh when he has spoken at West Point, the Naval and Air Force Academies, to the Red Cross, in Norway, Australia and elsewhere. How many of them went on to draw military pay and benefits? Document points to Nixon in My Lai cover-up attempt - CBS News There was a guy at the ditch with Calley, shooting people not yet dead. Kyle Hockenberry: For Those I love I will sacrifice, Adam Brown: The life and legacy of fearless Navy SEAL, Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart: The real heroes of the Battle of Mogadishu, Ivica Jerak: The Croat who died as American hero. But when he returned to his Stateside home in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Thompson received death threats and insults, while Calley was pardoned by President Nixon. They also led as many surviving civilians as they could to shelter. The . To see people herded up like so many animals, marched into a ditch and machine-gunned? Colburn said. Thompson wanted you to also make a report? . And just sitting there saying, God, howd this happen? Meet the Soldier Who Prevented More Killings During the My Lai Massacre Thompson left the Army in 1983 and became a private helicopter pilot in the South. Dont salute me or call me sir, he said, Just Mr. Thompson. He didnt believe in that no fraternization stuff, he was really one of the fellows, he knew both sides. Then, as I was in this crowd, I turned around and there he waswith his beautiful wife and new baby boy. Did you consider bringing gunships to ferry out others from the ditch? On March 16, 1998, Mr. Thompson and Mr. Colburn attended a service at My Lai marking the 30th anniversary of the massacre. By this time, Lt. William Calleys Charlie Company was reaching My Lai? That same day, the cover up started. We came to think we were indirectly killing these people ourselves by marking them with smoke. Hugh was running scenarios through his head to figure it out. But I still dont think the topic really gets the exposure it really needs. An army helicopter piloted by Chief Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson arrived in the My Lai vicinity about 9 a.m. Thompson noticed dead and dying civilians all over the village. Hugh said, No, lets do it at the Wall. They said no, the weather might be bad or something. At that point, Hugh realizes hes got an aircraft that wont accommodate them. Jon Wiener is professor emeritus of history at UC Irvine, and working, with Mike Davis, on a book on Los Angeles in the 1960s. You are not comfortable with being called a hero, either? The eyewitness testimony of Thompson and his surviving crew member helped convict Calley at a court-martial. We thought that was good, that they would be out of the way. So, how did you guys feel when you got the Soldiers Medals in 1998? When I finally got in to see the guy, he was a major, he wouldnt make eye contact as I read my list. Andreotta died in action a few weeks later, but Thompson and Colburn were key witnesses in the investigations and trials to follow. Mercy Thompson, Testimony, Church of Christ in Missouri v. Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 70 F. 179 (8th Cir. Traces the life of U.S. Army helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson, who tried to stop the infamous My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War Genres NonfictionHistoryWar BiographyMilitary HistoryMilitary Fiction 248 pages, Hardcover First published May 1, 1999 Book details & editions About the author Trent Angers 40 books6 followers Friends Following After we took the boy to Quang Nai, we went back to our base, and Hugh Thompson and I reported to Colonel Oran Henderson. I want you to come down here and shuttle these people out of here. And thats what happened, but at that he had to make two trips. We know that Americans committed a massacre 50 years ago today; and we also know that an American stopped it. 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. Meet the Participants | American Experience | Official Site | PBS Did you have any knowledge of who was being inserted into My Lai that morning? No. When he arrived,. He didnt want to appear to be frantic; he wanted to be taken seriously by Henderson. People should realize that when atrocities are committed like this and covered up, it degrades us all. Innocent people didnt die that day They didnt just fly off the handle and engage a target that was borderline. 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. Back at the base, Thompson threw his flight helmet on the ground. But, after going through the process and seeing the ultimate outcome, I wasnt really surprised, but I was disillusioned. I was a helicopter pilot that day, and I guess I was invited here to tell you about a day of my life. They could communicate with the command craft that was flying at altitude. When did you see those particular villagers again? In 1966, Thompson enlisted in the United States Army and completed the Warrant Officer Flight Program training at Fort Wolters, Texas, and Fort Rucker, Alabama. 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. I think he broke his flight helmet, he threw it down so hard. Fortunately for the monsters that committed these crimes against everything that is good, the generations that remember this (I remember the headlines and I was only 11 years old) are dying off and the current generations of American citizens think the world revolves around them and cant see past the end of their cell phones. Ill always know that we did was morally right, we did what we could to help people who could not defend themselves. It was absurd, but you have to be willing to pay the price. Even though the military has admitted to the massacre, many people are not capable of acknowledging and processing that information. So he gave me prescriptions for several psychotropic drugs. The Forgotten Hero of My Lai: The Hugh Thompson Story (First Edition All of a sudden I hear my name called, I had no advance knowledge, no idea what was happening until they pinned the Bronze Star with Valor on me. On the morning of March 16, 1968, the people of M Lai were making breakfast when soldiers stormed in. In addition to scholarly publications with top presses, she has written for Atlas Obscura and Ranker. You felt pretty vulnerable in that little helicopter. I think I may have been in shock to some extent. Im not that much of a man., I always questioned, in my mind, did anybody know we all arent like that? By then I was a civilian and was trying to attend college on the GI Bill, but I kept getting subpoenas. Hugh Thompson was a volunteer officer in the Vietnam War who turned his squad's weapons on American soldiers to stop them raping and murdering more women and . I felt that my testimony validated Hughs, and that was why it was important. In the last incident, his helicopter was brought down by enemy machine-gun fire, and he broke his back in the resulting crash landing. Testimony in the case against Officers Brendan Thompson and Herbert Davis is scheduled for Tuesday, with follow-ups expected in May. Wed done what we could. Landed the aircraft in between the Americans and the Vietnamese, told my crew chief and gunner to cover me, got out of the aircraft, went over to the American side.. After seeing U.S. troops advancing on a Vietnamese family, he landed his helicopter, called in gunships to rescue the civilians, and ordered his gunner to fire on any American who interfered. Everybody's heard of the My Lai massacre March 16, 1968, 50 years ago today but not many know about the man who stopped it: Hugh Thompson, an Army helicopter pilot. One of the instructors told me a story that he wished Hugh could hear. And yes, they did know that. After the trial, Hugh Thompson received death threats. In this exclusive interview with Vietnam magazine and VietMag.com, Larry Colburn talks about his late friend Hugh Thompson, the My Lai massacre, the subsequent cover up, investigations and trials, his journeys back to Vietnam and meetings with survivors and the Hugh Thompson Foundation, which he formed after Thompsons death in 2006. Hugh told her he probably didnt have any family left. Colburn came from Atlanta to be at his bedside. ", 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. We came across a ditch, with probably 150 or more people in it and the wounded trying to crawl out. Hugh Clowers Thompson Jr. (April 15, 1943 - January 6, 2006) was a United States Army Major, and a former warrant officer in the 123rd Aviation Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Division.He is credited with ending the M Lai Massacre of the South Vietnamese village known as Sn M on March 16, 1968, alongside and hierarchically above Glenn Andreotta and Lawrence Colburn. So, he decided to do something. I think Task Force Barkers intent was to create panic and drive the enemy forces out of the area. PDF The Forgotten Hero of My Lai: The Hugh Thompson Story I hope to take as many speaking engagements as I can. Where else in history has a massacre of civilians been stopped in the middle of the massacre? That is completely false, there was no backstabbing going onwe were right in their face at My Lai, we were ready to confront those people then and there. We started noticing these large numbers of bodies everywhere, he told me, people on the road dead, wounded. I dont know who did what. I looked at them and the first thing I saw was, Reason: to conduct necessary military business. So thats all I would tell the CO. On March 16, 1968, Chief Warrant Officer Thompson and his two crewmen were flying on a reconnaissance mission over the South Vietnamese village of My Lai when they spotted the bodies of men, women and children strewn over the landscape. If you are an American who thinks all of our foreign policy and actions over the years is as pure as the driven snow, well that is just not reality. He is still tiny, but he remembers everything. Return to My Lai - CBS News As he approached the soldiers, he told them to stop. I think it is deception, and that remains constant today. "I cannot explain why it happened. Just then Glenn spotted some people in an earthen bunker, saw faces peering out of the entry. We never thought we were heroes. Thompson was more experienced than Lt. Calley, more ethical, more talented, and brighter, and probably recognized Calley didnt know what he was doing. The hero received death threats for speaking out about the massacre. As I understand, that part of brain doesnt develop until 25. He is best known for his role in stopping the My Lai Massacre, in which a group of US Army soldiers tortured and killed several hundred unarmed Vietnamese civilians, mutilating their bodies after they had been murdered. In front of Lt. Calley,Hugh Thompson was outranked. I think that is probably what has helped me get through it all. I testified in the trials of Henderson, Medina and Calley. I didnt write Hugh up for anything and he said he didnt write me up. I flew with him dozens of times and saw sporadic action. NYPD officers face departmental trial over shooting death of mentally Thompson acted more instinctively, given his morals, character, and military training. He had to make sure his mother, brother and sister, killed in the ditch, were buried properly. My Lai massacre hero Hugh Thompson on being shunned - BBC News It had to be. 199 0 obj <>stream Every time Ive been back there, the survivors ask me, Why dont the men who committed the atrocities come back and ask for forgiveness so that we might forgive them. Theyre Buddhists you know, they can forgive, put it behind them and carry on. Hugh Thompson, a helicopter pilot, had threatened to fire on the American troops in order to rescue Vietnamese women and children from the slaughter. Some peoplepublicly stated that they felt Thompson was the only soldier at My Lai who should be punished (for turning his weapons on fellow American troops) and wanted to see him court-martialed for his actions at My Lai. If people have some confusion about that, thats their problem. We took him out of the area to a hospital and gave him to a nun. Today is the 50th anniversary of the My Lai Massacre, when US soldiers raped and murdered 500 Vietnamese civilians and burned their homes. Hugh Thompson, the hero who stopped a massacre committed by US - Reddit And we did, the best we could. Hugh Thompson Jr. was a twenty-five-year-old helicopter pilot and Army warrants officer. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. When Hugh realized it was our people doing this killing, he knew he had to take drastic measures. Ever reflect about how you are part of an event of such historical significance? Bettmann/Getty ImagesHugh Thompson on his way to testify against William Calley on November 23, 1970. Did the gunship crews know what was happening on the ground before this? 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. I was on the backup team that day and we went out to try to retrieve the bodies. I have come to understand him more now than I did when he was here. You and Hugh had a pretty low profile during and after the trials? In unison, all three of us shouted, You son of a bitch! That was Captain Ernest Medina. I did hear that the men on the ground were told to pretend like it never happened. Im not judge, jury and executioner. endstream endobj 172 0 obj <. "Something terrible happened here 30 years ago today," Mr. Thompson was quoted as saying by CNN. When it was all happening, the feeling I had was, if this is how Im going to die, Im OK with it. He wanted to give us some idea of what were getting into. And then she finished her sentence: she said, So we could forgive them.'. Central to the case prosecuted by the Civilian Complaint. Testimony to the Truth: Smyth, Reverend Hugh P.: 9781163377390: Amazon Commentary: Opponents need to stop equating abortion with eugenics, Editorial: Polluters keep trying to block gas bans. If its not sincere, it doesnt mean anything. After Hugh died, I was invited to Annapolis to speak one more time. The bodies of massacred villagers at M Lai, as captured by a U.S. Army photographer. Who were the people lying in the roads and in the ditch, wounded and killed? What drove you to create the Hugh Thompson Foundation? Thompson felt obliged to return to military service when the Vietnam War began. Are you guys with me?. Were you talking about this at the time? He didnt have much support for decades. DOC HUGH THOMPSON'S TESTIMONY: - Social Studies with Miss Daniel the testimony he gave to the House Committees and the courts-martial of the . But when he returned to his Stateside home in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Thompson. If there was anything that was cleansing for me that was it. How many men were in squad and were they threatening? Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a49bccbef3b55dea5fdfe48a500a42a9" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Content on this website is free to use and share, but please provide a link back to Spec Ops Magazine as a source. Ultimately, it was a pubic relations move, they had to give the medal. I may have clipped him but he made it to the trees. Dead animals on your porch, mutilated animals on your porch some mornings when you get up. You are the ones that deserve to be called American Soldiers. From his helicopter, Hugh Thompson could not communicate with Charlie Company on the ground. If they fire on these people, or fire on me while Im doing that, shoot em!. He just lateraled the ball to Medina. This meant that military prosecutors would be prohibited from calling those persons as witnesses . Hugh was being jovial. Calley pointed his weapon at him and threatened him with a court-martial. Hugh Clowers Thompson, Jr. (April 15, 1943 - January 6, 2006) was a United States Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. Testimony to the Truth Calley was convicted, and Medina was acquitted. Facebook gives people the power to. 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. Letters to the Editor: Should speed humps be put around all L.A. elementary schools? We were the closest and should have been able to communicate, but thats the way it was structured. Then came the backlash. When the orders came down, the CO called me into his office and demanded to know what they were for. He kept the aircraft and himself in between these people and the squad. He was presumably mindful of the ostracism he had faced and the long wait for that medal ceremony in Washington. hb```,(qaB3W[ 4 `Tfc" QB\%xv{ Hugh transmitted what he could to the low gun in hopes that it would get up to the commander and someone would make a decision to stop it. Digital History Ernest Medina and Lt. William Calley were court-martialed. I figured, I was in the Army, so I should experience it where the action was. We didnt talk about it. Months later you were surprised with a medal for action at My Lai? We knew something seemed wrong. I wish we could have done more to thank him. So we continued our recon. I told him everything and he didnt know how to respond, he had no idea how to deal with it. 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. Calley had many supporters, who condemned and harassed Thompson. When did you meet Hugh Thompson? Did you expect something would be done as a result? Hugh and I went in 1998 with 60 Minutes, just after we were given the Soldiers Medal. Whats that make you, my buddy? So, just because guys served in the same theater doesnt necessarily mean we are all that close. I remember catching one of the soldiers eyes and I waved to him and he waved back. Hugh Thompson reported the massacre to his commanding officer. Those on station knew something about it but not many saw it up close and personal except for the men on the ground and a couple of helicopter crews. Friends I had on the division level told me they were taking volunteers for the 123rd Aviation Battalion. You saw him again in 2008? This is not what Im here for. However, Ive spoken to survivors on different occasions who had been at the bottom of the pile. Im not going to let this happen, weve got to do something. Out of the blue, our unit was called out onto the tarmac for an awards and decoration ceremony. When did you start talking to investigators? I read the citation and thought what? They tried to make arrangements to get him there, but couldnt find him.
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