The eyewitness testimony of Thompson and his surviving crew member helped convict Calley at a court-martial. Upon coming home, he got death threats and the like. On March 16, 1998, Mr. Thompson and Mr. Colburn attended a service at My Lai marking the 30th anniversary of the massacre. Sorry thats not what we did and I dont care what they think of me. When he had a heart attack he said he would slow down, but he didnt. No. 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. They tried to make arrangements to get him there, but couldnt find him. I met Thompson in 2000 and interviewed him for my radio program on KPFK in Los Angeles. After My Lai, did you feel traumatized or feel like you carried a huge burden? HUGH THOMPSON'S TESTIMONY: I'm Hugh Thompson. Back at the base, Thompson threw his flight helmet on the ground. But many in the Army and the public supported Calley over Thompson. I think Task Force Barkers intent was to create panic and drive the enemy forces out of the area. That one person will go on to tell 10 other people. At first, they only wanted to give it to Hugh at a private ceremony. When I got to Vietnam I was attached to a headquarters company. Furious, Hugh Thompson landed again, this time in front of a bunker where civilians were hiding. Mr. Thompson, you and Mr. Colburn are indeed the heroes in this sordid story and I am ashamed at how they were treated. He tried to explain that these people appeared to be civilians, that we hadnt taken any fire and there was no evidence of combatants in that area. I was on the backup team that day and we went out to try to retrieve the bodies. He wanted to give us some idea of what were getting into. Youve got to love this guy. For a while we were going out on snatch missions, where wed basically kidnap draft-age males and take them in for interrogations. Letters to the Editor: Hey, leave linoleum out of the DeSantis-Disney fight. 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. He found 69 between the ages of 4 and 7, and 91 between the ages of 8 and 12. On March 16, 1968, did you have any expectations of serious action? But eventually the journalist Seymour Hersh found out about the massacre, and his report made it worldwide news and a turning point in the war. 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. Yes. Larry Colburn talks about his late friend Hugh Thompson, the My Lai massacre, the subsequent cover up, investigations and trials, https://www.historynet.com/interview-larry-colburn-why-my-lai-hugh-thompson-matter/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot. It was an enemy tactic to blur the lines between combatants and noncombatants. 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. When the orders came down, the CO called me into his office and demanded to know what they were for. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians.
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