More detail on this person: He is the OH-23
pilot who put his ship, crew and himself between
the U.S. troops and the Vietnamese civilians at My
Lai the troops were firing on. It was just a few
years ago that he was awarded a belated Soldier's
Medal for his actions.
From J. C. Pennington
Article published Jan 7, 2006 in
http://www.theadvertiser.com
Family, comrades honor Thompson
Man who stopped My Lai massacre dies at 62
By Amanda McElfresh
amcelfresh@theadvertiser.com
As word spread of the death of Hugh Thompson,
Vietnam veterans and others who knew him
reflected on his service to his country and his
integrity.
Thompson died Friday at age 62 after being
diagnosed with cancer. He was known as a hero for
his role in stopping the My Lai massacre during
the Vietnam War in 1968, when he helped innocent
Vietnamese civilians escape the attacks of his
fellow American soldiers. The former Army
helicopter pilot was awarded the Soldier's Medal
in 1998 for his actions.
Jim Brazee, a Lafayette attorney who also served
in Vietnam, said Thompson personified bravery.
"He took his own life in his hands to save those
people. I think he deserves everyone's
admiration," Brazee said.
An Atlanta native who later made his home in
Lafayette, Thompson joined the U.S. Navy in 1961
and then the U.S. Army in 1966. He trained as a
helicopter pilot. In 1968, he volunteered for duty
that involved flying over Vietnamese forests to
draw enemy fire and pinpoint the location of enemy
troops.
On March 16, 1968, he was flying on such a
mission when he came across bodies of
Vietnamese civilians outside My Lai. When he
recognized that American troops were apparently
shooting civilians, Thompson landed his OH-23
helicopter between the troops and civilians and
confronted the American lieutenant in charge.
When the lieutenant refused to listen to him,
Thompson had his crew members - crew chief
Glenn Andreotta and door gunner Lawrence Colburn
- cover him with the helicopter weapons and called
in more helicopters to carry out 11 wounded
Vietnamese. The crew members also received the
Soldier's Medal.
Brazee said that although Thompson's actions
brought him accolades and attention later in life,
Thompson never sought the limelight.
"The attention just kind of came to him. He never
sought it out," Brazee said. "People became
curious about him, but he was not a publicity
seeker."
Trent Angers, the author of The Forgotten Hero of
My Lai: The Hugh Thompson Story and a close
friend of Thompson's, said the pilot stuck to his
convictions, even as some of his fellow soldiers
were committing dishonorable acts.
"Hugh Thompson is a symbol of the American
soldier who fought with honor in Vietnam," Angers
said. "He did what he did as a matter of
conscience and conviction. He took to heart the
basic Judeo-Christian principles of how you should
act toward your neighbors."
Thompson testified at the court martial hearings
that resulted in the court martial of Lt. William
Calley for the massacre of about 500 civilians at
My Lai.
According to chief My Lai prosecutor William
Eckhardt, "Thompson put his guns on Americans,
said he would shoot them if they shot another
Vietnamese, had his people wade in (a) ditch in
gore to their knees ... took out children, took
them to the hospital .... flew back to
headquarters (and) standing in front of people,
tears rolling down his cheeks, pounded on the
table saying, 'Notice, notice, notice' ... then
had the courage to testify time after time after
time."
In 1998, Thompson and Colburn returned to My Lai,
where they met some of the villagers they had
saved, including a young girl whom they'd pulled
from a mass of bodies.
Sulie Bourque, one of Thompson's good friends,
said the veteran possessed character, integrity
and morals that were above many others. After his
war service, Bourque said Thompson also spent
time in Washington, trying to help fellow veterans
receive appropriate benefits.
"I'm at a loss of words to describe the kind of
courage that he had," Bourque said. "He was
different. He's going to be very much missed. What
a man."
Thompson's wife, Mona Gossen, his three sons,
former crew member Colburn and friend Rod
Touchet were at his bedside at Veterans Affairs
Medical Center in Alexandria when he died.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be
handled by Delhomme Funeral Home in
Lafayette.
(Jim Bradshaw contributed to this report.)
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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