My Lai Massacre Savior Dies - US Hero And Moral Example

"These people were looking at me for help and there was no way I could turn my back on them,"

Thompson,1998 AP interview.

We lost an American hero earlier this month. Sad thing is, in life Hugh Thompson never was quite recognized as a hero. Rather he was scorned by some of the same people he served with.

Hugh Thompson, was an Army helicopter pilot who, with his two younger crew mates, was on a mission to draw enemy fire over the Vietnamese village of My Lai in March, 1968.

Hovering over a paddy field, they watched a platoon of American soldiers led by Lt. William Calley, deliberately shoot unarmed Vietnamese civilians, mainly women and children, cowering in muddy ditches. Thompson landed his craft and appealed to the soldiers, and to Calley, to stop the killings.

Here is the full story that is worth reading.

This good soul will not be forgotten. His heroism is a shining example of the rare individual who does the right thing despite the pressures that are placed upon them. More and more people quietly honor Mr. Thompson for his courageous actions back in 1968.

This author wanted to honor his memory with a brief mention on this new journal and encourage younger Americans to learn about a good spirit that in difficult times made so many of us proud.