I know what you've experienced.
I saw a couple of similar instances of the same sort of thing in the Soui Ca valley the year before. They wiped out an entire family including a 3 year old boy. Hung them in the village square on the eve of the elections. father was the local mayor. As though a 3 year old boy could add anything to the war effort.
The platoon was different for quite a while after that.
I never saw a GI exhibit any cruelt toward the civilians. Usually it was the exact opposite. The desoicable NVA and VC were exactly the opposite. Yet, with the leftist re-writing of the history of the war, in the popular mind it was the GI that was the 'Baby-killer'.
I blamed the atrocities you and I, and I'm sure many others, saw on the anti-war traitors then and still do.
Thanks for the ping! As for you gentlemen, we know you were a bunch of babykilling murderers. John Kerry says so and he has to be right. Right? After all, he's the presumed Democratic nominee. He must be telling the truth. I think. Right? :)
We have seen with our own eyes the REAL American Soldier in action....NOT the one that Liberals would have us believe exists.
We Americans,after all, (and in direct refutation of everything Liberalism stands for)...are the "GOOD GUYS".
redrock