Warrant Officer Thompson at My Lai, Vietnam

 

  

În 1968 media comunistă, de la noi din ţară şi nu numai, făcea mare caz de masacrul locuitorilor satului vietnamez My Lai şi de judecarea şi condamnarea în Statele Unite a comandantului unităţii ce a participat la masacru:  ofiţerul William L. Calley. Totuşi media comunistă nu a suflat un cuvînt despre personajul pozitiv care a semnalat masacrul şi a determinat oprirea sa: americanul Hugh C. Thompson, Jr, pilot al unui elicopter din dotarea trupelor SUA.   

 On 16 March 1968, WO1 Hugh C. Thompson, Jr. and his two-man helicopter crew were on a reconnaissance mission over the village of My Lai, Republic of Vietnam. WO1 Thompson watched in horror as he saw an American soldier shoot an injured Vietnamese child. Minutes later, he observed more soldiers advancing on a number of civilians in a ditch. Suspecting possible reprisal shootings, WO1 Thompson landed his helicopter and questioned a young officer about what was happening. Told that the ground combat action was none of his business, WO1 Thompson took off and continued to circle the embattled area.

 When it became apparent to Thompson that the American troops had now begun firing on more unarmed civilians, he landed his helicopter between the Soldiers and a group of ten villagers headed towards a homemade bomb shelter. Thompson ordered his gunner to train his weapon on the approaching soldiers and to fire if necessary. Then he personally coaxed the civilians out of the shelter and airlifted them to safety.

 WO1 Thompson’s immediate radio reports about what was happening triggered a cease-fire order that ultimately saved the lives of many more villagers. Thompson’s willingness to place himself in physical danger to do the ethically and morally right thing was a sterling example of personal and moral courage. 

  

  

 Sursa: FM 6-22, 2006 Army’s field manual on leadership.