When we would come back to those we marked, wed find they were now dead. I thought someone else was getting recognition for something. Thompson and his crew stood in front of the bunker, protecting the civilians. Hugh Thompson was a United States Army Major and a former warrant officer in the 123rd Aviation Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Division who helped end the My Lai Massacre of the South Vietnamese village known as Sn M on March 16, 1968. Glenn went down into the ditch and found the boy that he had seen moving and handed him up to me. Glenn had a visual on some sort of movement in the ditch, so Hugh landed, and Glenn and I got out. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Opinion: California wants more psychiatric detentions. He said: They are coming this way. They landed their helicopter between the American forces and the civilians, and they trained their guns on the advancing Americans. Join Facebook to connect with Hugh Thompson and others you may know. When it was all over, hundreds of unarmed civilians had been murdered by American forces. The dead were women, old men and children. When Hugh asked me to come with him and report what had happened, he said: Just tell the truth. We went back to the ditch because we knew there were a lot of people there who could have been saved. Hugh Thompson, an Army helicopter pilot who rescued Vietnamese civilians during the My Lai massacre, reported the killings to his superior officers in a rage over what he had seen, testified at. I flew from Ft. After the initial shock, I think some sort of a defensive mechanism kicked in. Nick Turse investigated violence in Vietnam against noncombatants for his book Kill Anything that Moves. He concluded after a decade of research in Pentagon archives and more than 100 interviews with American veterans and Vietnamese survivors that Americans killing civilians in Vietnam was pervasive and systematic. One soldier told him there had been a My Lai a month.. No, because the commander was on a different frequency. But Ive had my episodes. We also want to carry on Hughs passionate advocacy for all veterans, not just Vietnam vets. In November 1970, the M Lai trials started and Hugh Thompson testified against William Calley. Friends I had on the division level told me they were taking volunteers for the 123rd Aviation Battalion. When the orders came down, the CO called me into his office and demanded to know what they were for. They were not combatants. Hugh Thompson | US news | The Guardian Hugh Thompson Jr. - Wikiwand I said Im not really at liberty to say. When we first saw him in 2001, he said all he wanted was to get out of Ho Chi Minh City where he worked in a factory at low wages, and get back to village and find a wife. Were you prepared to fire on the squad? Glenn Andreotta was killed just a few weeks after My Lai? I did hear that the men on the ground were told to pretend like it never happened. I imagine he wants to get right with God; hes not a young guy anymore. Likewise, what Hugh did has been ignored or glossed over in history texts, much the same way the incident has been. Saw some advancing Americans coming that way. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? I went back in 2008 for the 40th anniversary. Hugh said, No, lets do it at the Wall. They said no, the weather might be bad or something. Im going to go over to the bunker myself and get these people out. Then came the backlash. Hugh Thompson was a helicopter pilot in 1968, on a day American soldiers gunned down more than 500 unarmed civilians in a village called My Lai. Testimony to the Truth: Smyth, Reverend Hugh P.: 9781163377390: Amazon From his helicopter, Hugh Thompson could not communicate with Charlie Company on the ground. How many men were in squad and were they threatening? Hugh alerted the low gunship as to what we had seen on the ground. 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:. I was 17 when I enlisted in 1966 with some friends. Wed 11 Jan 2006 08.06 EST. And the people guilty of committing war crimes should have been dealt with. Everywhere wed look, wed see bodies. Hood to give testimony in the basement war room of the Pentagon. Testimony to the Truth [Smyth, Reverend Hugh P.] on Amazon.com. You felt pretty vulnerable in that little helicopter. We hope to link up with other organizations and grow some legs. He looked up and saw us and then took off for the tree line. He had to make sure his mother, brother and sister, killed in the ditch, were buried properly. 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. You were a witness for the prosecution in the trials that followed? Where else in history has a massacre of civilians been stopped in the middle of the massacre? They had been writing to the Pentagon for years about Hugh, totally unbeknownst to Hugh. When I moved to the East Coast, I stopped at a VA hospital and had a list of things I thought I should get out. I think he broke his flight helmet, he threw it down so hard. For his interference. No, but Hugh was sent on missions in his OH-23 with his back up another OH-23no gunshipsinto Dragon Valley, where there was rocket activity. Thompson risked his life and career and had Lt. Calley shoot him. We were very protective of the men on the ground. Thompson continued to fly and was hit eight times, in four of which incidents the aircraft was lost. "Something terrible happened here 30 years ago today," Mr. Thompson was quoted as saying by CNN. hbbd``b`:$WXWkZ ["|Ab b:H2@#H@ ( He threw his weapon down and said he wasnt going to do it. After My Lai, did you feel traumatized or feel like you carried a huge burden? PDF Prepared Testimony and William Calley, the officer who ordered the slaughter at M Lai. As far as a place in history, thats not something I dwell on. 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. Glenn shouted, Hes firing into the ditch again!, How did Hugh react when reason failed? On March 16, 1998, Mr. Thompson and Mr. Colburn attended a service at My Lai marking the 30th anniversary of the massacre. In 1999, Thompson and Colburn received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award. So you were encouraged at that point? He didnt have much support for decades. 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 tried to make arrangements to get him there, but couldnt find him. Mr. Thompson, you and Mr. Colburn are indeed the heroes in this sordid story and I am ashamed at how they were treated. The M Lai massacre started when the U.S. Army declared everyone in a broad region of Vietnam either part of the Viet Cong or sympathizers. Did the boy have a recollection of March 16, 1968? In front of Lt. Calley,Hugh Thompson was outranked. Just then Glenn spotted some people in an earthen bunker, saw faces peering out of the entry. Nixon and the My Lai massacre coverup - New York Post I waited in the hospital waiting room for about four hours to see a psychologist. Instead, the Army hid the slaughter of hundreds of innocent people, including 182 women and 173 children. Medina and maybe higher. Months later you were surprised with a medal for action at My Lai? Trent Angers, Thompsons biographer and friend, analyzed the list and found about 50 there who were 3 years old or younger. 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. While the massacre took place, helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson and his crew flew over the jungle, offering air support. I guess thats the $64,000 question isnt it? The Forgotten Hero of My Lai: The Hugh Thompson Story (First Edition If people have some confusion about that, thats their problem. But it turns out he was 8. Like most 18-year-old males I was nave, had no idea what risks were. Hugh Thompson Jr. was a twenty-five-year-old helicopter pilot and Army warrants officer. He just said I was a prime candidate for PTSD. A sergeant stood by the ditch. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. That was the only enemy combatant we saw that day. As we flew around more, we started seeing small groups of people dead or dying in other parts of the village. In unison, all three of us shouted, You son of a bitch! That was Captain Ernest Medina. Ernest Medina and Lt. William Calley were court-martialed. And it turned out it was a good thing that they did. He showed no reaction at all. Some were sent out into the field for 60-75 days straight, and they started getting the feeling somebody was trying to get rid of them. Are you guys with me?. By this time, Lt. William Calleys Charlie Company was reaching My Lai? The My Lai story and Hugh Thompsons role in it is really important, but do you find most people are unaware of it? As the wounded tried to crawl out, they were fired on by someone who had been left there to do just that. Calley was convicted, and Medina was acquitted. There was also testimony of absolute insanity. We came across a ditch, with probably 150 or more people in it and the wounded trying to crawl out. Id received death threats over the phone, Thompson said in 2004. Some of Calleys men didnt follow Calleys orders and did nothing. There was some chatter since most of the people at Ft. Did you have any knowledge of who was being inserted into My Lai that morning? That is what other people say. From Testimony to Tragedy: My Lai in Personal Perspective Hugh Thompson, a pilot of the 123rd Aviation Battalion of the 23rd Americal Division, flew an observational helicopter supporting Task Force Barker on March 16, 1968. Thompson acted more instinctively, given his morals, character, and military training. Hugh Thompson, an Army helicopter pilot who rescued Vietnamese civilians during the My Lai massacre, reported the killings to his superior officers in a rage over what he had seen, testified at the inquiries and received a commendation from the Army three decades later, died yesterday in Alexandria, La. Digital History HUGH THOMPSON'S TESTIMONY: I'm Hugh Thompson. I got there and Ill never forget my mother taking me into the kitchen and telling me if I didnt want to tell these people anything, I didnt have to. You and Hugh had a pretty low profile during and after the trials? I was aghast at hearing how Lt William Calley got away with cold blooded murder, spending one day behind bars as a convicted criminal. I just figured it was time to do something, to not let these people get killed. And I was just devastated. Hugh came back to the aircraft and because we had flight helmets on and the aircraft was running, we had to literally put our heads together as Hugh shouted instructions. Did you expect something would be done as a result? PDF Testimony of Dr. Hugh Thompson, HTA Engineering (Expert Witness It was an enemy tactic to blur the lines between combatants and noncombatants. 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. 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. He remembered how Glenn would put him down and pick him back up as he checked on other victims in the ditch. But when he returned to his Stateside home in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Thompson. And you want to instill the spirit of Thompson in others. It is amazing to see the strength of the human spirit. Innocent people didnt die that day They didnt just fly off the handle and engage a target that was borderline. Glenn said, If we are going to do something, we better do it right now! So Hugh lands right between the approaching squad and the bunker. Were you talking about this at the time? Remember, this was later in the morning approaching noon, most of the killing had already been done. This meant that military prosecutors would be prohibited from calling those persons as witnesses . He said youre a plant arent you. Hugh Thompson, 62, Who Saved Civilians at My Lai, Dies Im a garden-variety human being and thats all there is to it. Billy Waugh, a fabled Special Forces Green Beret and CIA military operative, served in Vietnam and helped hunt for Osama Bin Laden and other terrorists. We knew something seemed wrong. 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. They approached but because the aircraft was at flight idle they tended to stay back a little. .d,H2F How many of them went on to draw military pay and benefits? 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. Hugh Thompson, the hero who stopped a massacre committed by US troops in the Vietnamese village of My Lai by landing his helicopter in the line of fire, 1968. Hugh Thompson - Tom Joad Interview: Larry Colburn | American Experience | PBS Ronald L. Haeberle/U.S. 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. After we took the boy to Quang Nai, we went back to our base, and Hugh Thompson and I reported to Colonel Oran Henderson. The squad leader ordered Thompson and his men to get out of the way. 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. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. I wish I was, but I wont lie to anybody. Wed done what we could. 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. If we would have had direct contact, we could have told them that these people are unarmed, no threat. Hugh Thompson was a United States Army Major and a former warrant officer in the 123rd Aviation Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Division who helped end the My Lai Massacre of the South Vietnamese village known as Sn M on March 16, 1968. He had a great rapport with enlisted men, as he had been one himself. I was raised with a sense of duty. All content is protected by copyright and may not be used for commercial purposes without prior written permission. HUGH THOMPSON: I'm Hugh Thompson. 199 0 obj <>stream You started out on an OH-23 scout helicopter? He found 69 between the ages of 4 and 7, and 91 between the ages of 8 and 12. At that point, no one had a clue beside you and Hugh? And Hugh said, What about my crew? They said they didnt have any intention for awards of the crew. He was evacuated to a hospital in Japan and began a long rehabilitation period. 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. Mercy Thompson and the Revelation on Marriage - The Church of Jesus The My Lai Massacre was and still is a huge, shameful event that will be hard for several generations to get past. When the American people responded as they did in defense of Calley, it was really hard, especially for Hugh. You know, you think everybody feels you and you can ignore your own symptoms. Upon seeing that, Hugh Thompson landed the helicopter, approached Calley, and talked to him. That Is little Hugh!" It was "Little Hugh" sure enough. Testimony of Dr. Hugh Thompson, HTA Engineering (Expert Witness) (Exhibit Allegra-10) Exhibit Allegra-10 includes Survey Notes and 12 photographs taken by HTA Engineering on January 12, 2010. Mr. Thompson remained in combat, then returned to the United States to train helicopter pilots. Since Hughs death, I have become the recipient of some of the hate mail he used to get. She asked me what it was about, and I said I wasnt sure. An American Hero - CBS News Andreotta died in action a few weeks later, but Thompson and Colburn were key witnesses in the investigations and trials to follow. Im not that much of a man., I always questioned, in my mind, did anybody know we all arent like that? This fella stood up and said: Fuck you. I was back at Ft. Hugh Thompson was determined to stop the massacre. According to Miriam-Webster.com, the word "testimony means: proof or evidence that something exists or is true, firsthand authentication of a fact, an open acknowledgment, a public profession of religious experience . Im not going to let this happen, weve got to do something. Only he would have known that. We didnt know what was happening. Hugh Clowers Thompson Sr. was an electrician who served in the United States Navy during World War II. But in the end,. Bettmann/Getty ImagesHugh Thompson on his way to testify against William Calley on November 23, 1970. Harry's phone-hacking testimony contained 'troubling factual Now we saw them again, but they were all lying on the road, dead or dying. On February 8, Congressman Charles Boustany (R-La.) Letters to the Editor: Should speed humps be put around all L.A. elementary schools? They were old women, old men, children, kids, babies., Then Thompson and his crew chief, Glenn Andreotta, and his gunner, Lawrence Colburn, saw some civilians hiding in a bunker, cowering, looking out the door. You can imagine the emotions that surfaced. When he had a heart attack he said he would slow down, but he didnt. Im sorry. This is not what Im here for. We took him out of the area to a hospital and gave him to a nun. Larry Colburn was a door gunner with crew chief Glenn Andreotta and Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson as pilot of a small scout . I thank God to this day that everybody did stay cool and nobody opened up. Hugh told her he probably didnt have any family left. Many fellow GIs still dont think you did the right thing? The alternative was to be in an infantry unit, and I was told it would be a good idea to attach to an aviation company, better odds there. Two young infantrymen in Iraq came upon a situation where a number of civilians were questionable and the men werent sure whether to engage or not. Hugh said: These people are going to die. Are you guys with me?. I was on the backup team that day and we went out to try to retrieve the bodies. It took several weeks of time, and several volumes of testimony to satisfy the United States pen<rion bureau that "Old Reliable" was the identical soldier who had enlisted in Company H, Fifteenth Ohio volunteer Infantry, in 1862, and who was last reported "wounded and missing In battle of . The pilots were briefed, if the crew was briefed it was by the pilot in the aircraft on the way to the area. So we continued our recon. In 1998, 30 years after the massacre, Hugh Thompson and the two other crew members, Andreotta and Colburn, were awarded the Soldiers Medal (Andreotta posthumously), the United States Armys highest award for bravery not involving direct contact with the enemy. He didnt want to appear to be frantic; he wanted to be taken seriously by Henderson. I enjoyed that. If they fire on these people, or fire on me while Im doing that, shoot em!. On the morning of March 16, 1968, the people of M Lai were making breakfast when soldiers stormed in. Glenn took a .51-caliber in the head, he was dead before he hit the ground. I dont know how they found me, but I gave a brief interview, and it appeared with the Life magazine photo spread in December 1969. They got some people to listen, and then there were others in the Pentagon trying to put it at the bottom of the stack. 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.