In memory of Hugh Thompson, Jr. who died #tdih2006 (age 62.) On March 16, 1968, during the My Lai Massacre, Chief Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson blocked fellow U.S. troops with his helicopter, had his crew train machine guns on them, and rescued a group of civilian Vietnamese villagers hiding in a bunker. His actions led to an end to the brutal massacre. Learn more from this ballad by David Rovics, here:http://bit.ly/19ZLJWY (A related new book is "Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam" by Nick Turse that documents (tragically) that My Lai was not a rare event. Learn more from this Democracy Now! broadcast:http://bit.ly/1hre14h)
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Bruce A. Dixon of Black Agenda Report posted addional information from Wikipedia
via Karen Watson... Thompson: What's going on here, Lieutenant? Calley: This is my business. Thompson: What is this? Who are these people? Calley: Just following orders. Thompson: Orders? Whose orders? Calley: Just following... Thompson: But, these are human beings, unarmed civilians, sir. Calley: Look Thompson, this is my show. I'm in charge here. It ain't your concern. Thompson: Yeah, great job. Calley: You better get back in that chopper and mind your own business. Thompson: You ain't heard the last of this! Thompson took off again, and Andreotta reported that Mitchell was now executing the people in the ditch. Furious, Thompson flew over the northeast corner of the village and spotted a group of about ten civilians, including children, running toward a homemade bomb shelter. Pursuing them were soldiers from the 2nd Platoon, C Company. Realizing that the soldiers intended to murder the Vietnamese, Thompson landed his aircraft between them and the villagers. Thompson turned to Colburn and Andreotta and told them that if the Americans began shooting at the villagers or him, they should fire their M60 machine guns at the Americans: "Y'all cover me! If these bastards open up on me or these people, you open up on them. Promise me!" He then dismounted to confront the 2nd Platoon's leader, Stephen Brooks. Thompson told him he wanted help getting the peasants out of the bunker. ~ Wikipedia
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