Posted on 01/06/2006 11:09:16 AM PST by Joe 6-pack
Just heard Hugh Thompson passed away. While many people don't know Hugh by name, most remember "the helicopter pilot," generally credited with putting a stop to the My Lai massacre.
Hugh lived close by, and up until I quit drinking a few years back, Hugh and I spent more than a few hours together in the bars. After retiring from the Army, Hugh went to work with the Louisiana Department of Veteran Affairs. We disagreed on some politics, but agreed on many things in life in general.
God bless you Hugh. Rest in Peace buddy.
If you want to compare this to Abu Ghraib you have to tweak a few things. Had Calley sent in photos of the massacre and claim that they were ordered to do that on a daily basis in order to save his sorry ass from prison then we'd have a proper comparison.
The military was properly handling Abu Ghraib and it went public to save some sorry asses. My Lai went public because the gov't tried to save some sorry asses.
Leadpenny, thanks for the info on Hugh Thompson. I somehow missed his part in the story, even though as a teen, I was an avid follower of the events of the day, and My Lai was huge in 1969-1970.
I also appreciate your patience on this thread with some who need a wider view of events such as these that require a person of real courage to do the right thing, without counting the cost. Hugh Thompson was one of these persons, and history will look kindly on him.
And thank you for your service to our country. I'm in my early fifties now, and I have lived my entire life in prosperous freedom. I realize that this was made possible by you and men and women like you, who have served this great land in military uniform. Thank you.
The same bastards who will lose this war if they take over Congress next year.
I relly having a chuckle over your private message to me.
"Go back and read my original post, son, and then STFU. I've got socks in my dresser older than you. If you want to make a total ass of yourself in front of all these folks then you just have at it. I'm done with this. If I want to talk to a retard I've got a pug at home. Even he has sense enough to keep still most of the time."
That's pretty good. Next you'll tell me you have stains in your shorts older than me as well. If you didnt want to talk to a retard you sure had the desire to type out your message. I'll leave your pug alone because he is probably the best part of you.
Agreed. They are totally indefensible.
One purpose of a private message is to try to get a point across to an individual when you have no desire to ridicule that individual in a public forum. It's also rather bad form for the receiver to then make that private communication public without the sender's OK. No matter.
You are apparently the sort of person who doesn't mind looking stupid in front of others if it will get you some attention. And I was actually about to give you some credit for black-listing Martin Sheen (even though he wasn't in that movie). You ask who lost the Vietnam war? Same ones who lose in every war - the common, ordinary folk who are just trying to get through another day.
Sorry you weren't able to keep this exchange on an adult level. Guess it requires TWO adults. G'night kid.
Folks, I'm still taken aback somewhat by the answer I received from DogBarkTree. In that one paragraph much of what Vietnam was about for the US is said. There are the families back home who wait, the follow-on generation who got the images from TV, the lifetime effects on those who lost someone, and the lasting effects on the rest of us.
I went through two tours driving hueys and came home without so much as a physical scratch, but not without scars and, probably, not without survivor guilt.
Feelings get bruised and sometimes rubbed raw while we sit at our keyboards, but nothing that happens on this medium can compare to the real world.
I just want to publicly thank DogBarkTree for saying so much.
We were in the same AO. I deployed with the last unit of the 4th ID out of Ft. Lewis during the first week of 67. A Co., 4th Avn Bn. arrived in Pleiku via C-141. Our 25 Slicks wouldn't arrive for almost another month by sea. Even though I transferred to Camp Holloway on a DEROS shuffle half way through 67, I still supported the 4th ID, and later, the 173rd AB Brigade while flying with the 119th AHC. I have pics somewhere of MG Peers getting off of his huey with the cigar in his mouth. Always the cigar.
He was assigned the job of investigating the My Lai incident when he was a three star and the rumors were that he did such a good job, and was so disgusted with what he found, that it probably kept him from getting a forth.
You want to point a finger, the same old socialist anti-American Media are where you should be pointing it. They spun this to make everyone in country look like some sort of monster.
The Div CG was retired as a one star. The ADC was retired as a Colonel and there were many reprimands that ended careers. It's always seemed unlikely to me that a CPT/MAJ in the DIV G-3 would not have known what had gone on that day at My Lai. I like General Powell but I believe some things would have come out had he ever put himself up as a candidate for President.
forth = fourth star.
lead
Dumb and dumber???? That was uncalled for and is beneath the integrity I always find demonstrated by you. Expressing ones opinions is not a call for such treatment.
Not an excuse but I was initially surprised that there was really any opposition to going after the perps at My Lai and those who tried to sweep it under the rug. I never heard a word of support for anyone in that chain of command in the military circles I traveled in during the rest of my career.
D & D was a little strong but it was the heat of the moment.
I have known Old Friend for a very long time. Old Friend is by no means Dumb. Furthermore, Friend will not tell you of military family contributions, so I will not.
There are two reasons I read your posts, civility and intelligence, I respect such.
I'll "straighten up and fly right," as my dad used to say.
Nevertheless, they are both wrong here. Thompson did the right thing and deserves recognition.
So, instead I'll chime in with "Wrong and Wronger."
I'm on dial-up and I see it's going to take some time to load your personal page so I can check you out. ;)
You must be ok if you were born and raised in MI.
"I'll be bak!"
LOL! Not much really to see there. Or in Michigan right now, unless you really like snow. :-)
I don't know? Something fishy. Dallas PD. Russia. Grassy Knoll. Italian name. Hmmmm . . .
BTW, if you visit the National Police Memorial in DC, look up J. D. Tippit. The name next to his is John Kennedy. Not the same JK and placed there randomly or otherwise.
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