| [Hugh Thompson recounts: "I was unable at first to figure out how the civilians
had gotten into the ditch. I landed the helicopter, unstrapped my seatbelt, and climbed out.
The motor was still running and there was a blast of downwash from the rotors. A husky sergeant
walked over and I shouted to counter the noise from the engine. I asked if there was any
way they could help the people in the ditch. The sergeant replied the only way to help them
was to put them out of their misery. A young infantry officer [2nd Lt. William Laws Calley]
came up and I questioned him about what was happening on the ground. Calley said it was none
of my business because he was in charge of the ground troops."]
Several members of Calley's platoon observed Thompson's intervention. Calley had
gone to speak with [Thompson]. Stanley overheard Calley telling Sledge afterwards
that the pilot hadn't liked what was taking place: "He dont like the way I'm running the
show but I'm the boss here." Olsen, who wanted no part in the executions at the irrigation
ditch, had moved 150 meters out into the paddy field to set up a perimeter defence.
He saw the pilot angrily shaking his arms and gesticulating.
Frustrated, Thompson lifted off again and circled the area for a few minutes.
Almost as soon as he took off his worst fears were confirmed. Andreotta reported
the sergeant was now shooting people in the ditch. Thompson began thinking about
what the Nazi's had done in the last war - marching people to a ditch then blowing
them away. Furious with himself and everyone else he finally snapped. He flew towards the
North East corner of the village and spotted a group of about ten civilians, including
children, running towards a homemade bomb shelter. Pursuing them was a group of
soldiers returning from their murderous expedition to Binh Tay. Because of what he had seen
in the village that morning it was obvious to Thompson what would happen next to the fleeing
civilians. He landed his aircraft between the civilians and the advancing troops and
radioed the other gunships he needed help. Screeming to his crew that they had to get
the civilians out of the bunker, he issued an instruction which bewildered Colburn. If
the troops opened fire on the civilians, Colburn should turn his gun on the Americans and
blow them away. Colburn turned his gun towards the GI's although he was unsure if he would be
able to open fire on fellow Americans. Concerned for their own safety, Collburn wasn't
sure it was a good idea to land in the middle of a combat zone. The pilot confronted the
lieutenant in charge, [Calley]. He said he wanted to get the peasants out of the bunker.
[Calley] told him the only way to do this was with hand grenades. Thompson shouted that he
personally would get them out and told the lieutenant to stay put. With that he went over to the
bunker and gingerly coaxed the civilians to come out.
Crew members in the gunships overhead Thompson announce over the radio that
an old man was sitting in the path of the troops near the door of a small bomb
shelter. Thompson's voice was choking with emotion. He swore obscenities, cursed and
pleaded with the aircrew to come down and help rescue the civilians. One pilot
initially queried the request and Thompson threatened that if the infantry opened
fire on the civilians his machine gunner would turn his guns on the Americans.
Danny Millians, a warrant officer on the low gunship, realised the delicate nature
of the drama unfolding below and knowing that Thompson couldn't talk directly with
the ground troops, radioed the high gunship to tell the infantry to stop killing.
Millans and Brian Livingstone, another pilot, landed their ships and flew the Vietnamese -
two men, two women, and five or six children - four miles away to the safety of the road
which led to Quang Ngai city.
Catain Hugh C. Thomas Jr
United States Army (ret.)
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