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Hugh Thompson, Jr. Quotes

Hugh Clowers Thompson Jr. was a United States Army Major, and a former warrant officer in the 123rd Aviation Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Division. He helped end the My Lai Massacre of the South Vietnamese village known as Sơn Mỹ on March 16, 1968.

During the massacre, Thompson and his Hiller OH-23 Raven crew, Glenn Andreotta and Lawrence Colburn, stopped a number of killings by threatening and blocking American officers and enlisted soldiers of Company C, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division. Additionally, Thompson and his crew saved a number of Vietnamese civilians by personally escorting them away from advancing United States Army ground units and assuring their evacuation by air. Thompson reported the atrocities by radio several times while at Sơn Mỹ. Although these reports reached Task Force Barker operational headquarters, nothing was done to stop the massacre. After evacuating a child to a Quảng Ngãi hospital, Thompson angrily reported to his superiors at Task Force Barker headquarters that a massacre was occurring at Sơn Mỹ. Immediately following Thompson's report, Lieutenant Colonel Frank A. Barker ordered all ground units in Sơn Mỹ to cease search and destroy operations in the village.

In 1970, Thompson testified against those responsible for the My Lai Massacre. Twenty-six officers and enlisted soldiers, including William Calley and Ernest Medina, were charged with criminal offenses, but all were either acquitted or pardoned. Thompson was condemned and ostracized by many individuals in the United States military and government, as well as the public, for his role in the investigations and trials concerning the My Lai massacre. As a direct result of what he experienced, Thompson experienced posttraumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, divorce, and severe nightmare disorder. Despite the adversity he faced, he remained in the United States Army until November 1, 1983, then continued to make a living as a helicopter pilot in the Southeastern United States.

In 1998, 30 years after the massacre, Thompson and the two other members of his crew, Andreotta and Colburn, were awarded the Soldier's Medal , the United States Army's highest award for bravery not involving direct contact with the enemy. Thompson and Colburn returned to Sơn Mỹ to meet with survivors of the massacre at the Sơn Mỹ Memorial in 1998. In 1999, Thompson and Colburn received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award. Wikipedia  

✵ 15. April 1943 – 6. January 2006
Hugh Thompson, Jr. photo
Hugh Thompson, Jr.: 11   quotes 0   likes

Famous Hugh Thompson, Jr. Quotes

“They said I was screaming quite loud. I threatened never to fly again. I didn't want to be a part of that. It wasn't war.”

Hugh Thompson, Jr.

In a 2004 interview with US News & World Report. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/07/national/07thompson.html
Attributed

“Something terrible happened here 30 years ago today. I cannot explain why it happened. I just wish our crew that day could have helped more people than we did.”

Hugh Thompson, Jr.

Quoted by CNN, regarding the My Lai massacre. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/07/national/07thompson.html
Attributed

“Thompson landed again. Glenn and I got out of the aircraft, took out the guns. Hugh walked over to this lieutenant [Brooks], and I could tell they were in a shouting match. I thought they were going to get in a fist fight. He told me later what they said. Thompson: 'Let's get these people out of this bunker and get 'em out of here.' Brooks: 'We'll get 'em out with hand grenades.' Thompson: 'I can do better than that. Keep your people in place. My guns are on you.”

Hugh Thompson, Jr.

Hugh was outranked, so this was not good to do, but that's how committed he was to stopping it.
Thompson's gunner, Spec. Lawrence Colburn http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2002/0310/cover.html
Quotes of others about Thompson

“Don't do the right thing looking for a reward, because it might not come.”

Hugh Thompson, Jr.

In a 2004 interview with AP. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/07/national/07thompson.html
Attributed

“You can't imagine what courage it took to do what he did.”

Hugh Thompson, Jr.

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1136568553158920.xml&storylist=louisiana
Seymour Hersh, journalist who "broke" the My Lai massacre story.
Quotes of others about Thompson

“I'm going to go over and get them out of the bunker myself. If the squad opens up on them, shoot 'em.”

Hugh Thompson, Jr.

To Spec. Lawrence Colburn, giving him the order to fire on any fellow US Army soldiers if they attempted to kill a group of unarmed Vietnamese civilians. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2002/0310/cover.html

Hugh Thompson, Jr. Quotes

“What a great man. There are so many people today walking around alive because of him, not only in Vietnam, but people who kept their units under control under other circumstances because they had heard his story. We may never know just how many lives he saved.”

Hugh Thompson, Jr.

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1136568553158920.xml&storylist=louisiana
Col. Tom Kolditz, head of the Army academy's behavioral sciences and leadership department.
Quotes of others about Thompson

People

“He was treated like a traitor for 30 years, so he was conditioned to just shut up and be quiet. Every bit of information I got from him, I had to drag it out of him.”

Hugh Thompson, Jr.

Trent Angers, Thompson's biographer http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1136568553158920.xml&storylist=louisiana
Quotes of others about Thompson

“He was the guy who by his heroic actions gave a morality and dignity to the American military effort. At war sometimes things get topsy turvy, so he was a moral example at a time when things were pure evil.”

Hugh Thompson, Jr.

Douglas Brinkley, Tulane history professor. http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1136568553158920.xml&storylist=louisiana
Quotes of others about Thompson

War , Guy , Effort , Evil

“I'd received death threats over the phone. Dead animals on your porch, mutilated animals on your porch some mornings when you get up. So I was not a 'good guy.”

Hugh Thompson, Jr.

In a 2004 interview with 60 minutes. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/07/national/07thompson.html
Attributed

Death , Guy , Animals , Dead

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

Hugh Thompson, Jr.

In a 1998 interview with AP. http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1136568553158920.xml&storylist=louisiana
Attributed

People , Way , Help

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