Decent American dies early

The My Lai whistleblower (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4589486.stm) passed away this weekend. Those of us involved with beautiful people from South East Asia in those years when Pattaya and Silom Road were awash with GIs on R&R might like to pause for a few minutes to remember someone who understood his country's real values.

NorthStar ?

[Smiles]

The link in the opening thread seems to be dead (or copied/pasted incorrectly?).

The gentleman in question (i.e. The Whistle Blower) name is Mr Hugh Thompson.
As the darling Nancy Grace says: an American hero.


Saturday, January 07, 2006
Hugh Thompson, My Lai whistleblower, R.I.P.
__________________________________________________ _____________

Not likely to get much press, but some of us remember.

Hugh Thompson Jnr, a former US military helicopter pilot who helped stop one ofthe most infamous massacres of the Vietnam War has died, aged 62.

Mr Thompson and his crew came upon US troops killing civilians at the village of My Lai on 16 March 1968. He put his helicopter down between the soldiers and villagers, ordering his men to shoot their fellow Americans if they attacked the civilians.

"There was no way I could turn my back on them," he later said of the victims.

Mr Thompson, a warrant officer at the time, called in support from other US helicopters, and together they airlifted at least nine Vietnamese civilians - including a wounded boy - to safety.

He returned to headquarters, angrily telling his commanders what he had seen. They ordered soldiers in the area to stop shooting.

But Mr Thompson was shunned for years by fellow soldiers, received death threats, and was once told by a congressman that he was the only American who should be punished over My Lai.

A platoon commander, Lt William Calley, was later court-martialed and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the killings.

President Richard Nixon commuted his sentence to three years' house arrest.

A longer story can be found here: My Lai massacre (http://www.nola.com/national/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-0/113661854561500.xml)

Cheers ...

Seem to be having problems with c&p

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4589486.stm shows in my browser pointer

<clicks URL; pastes it in; crosses fingers>


news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4589486.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4589486.stm)

It was mentioned on BBC News before "The Archers Omnibus" on BBC Radio 4 this morning... :smurf:

...aha! fixed the original. I'd copied the "http://" bit thus causing duplication.