48 yrs ago - destroy everything in the village that was "walking, crawling or growing

[billy.pilgrim]

One more episode to go. Burns did get a lot of it right. Personally, I would like to have seen a lot more finger pointing and correlation to neverending war, but he did put a face to a lot of it.
1969 and 70 brought back a lot of memories.

I remember being cussed, having things thrown at me and nearly run over in Spartanburg, but I had forgotten that 58% of my fellow citizens thought the shooting of students at Kent State was justified.

Some things never change.

Here are those same republican scum in NYC in 1939

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-night ... ce=Weekend

[Vrede too]

Thanks, the parallels to today are spooky.

[billy.pilgrim]

Thanks, the parallels to today are spooky.

60,000+ Nazis types marched in Poland this past weekend and polish leaders were so proud of them


https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/eu ... story.html


"Poland's Foreign Ministry said Monday that it strongly condemns racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic ideas, but insisted that a large weekend march by nationalists in Warsaw was largely an expression of patriotic feeling."


Above all else nazis are known to be the most patriotic of all and many many are good people.

[billy.pilgrim]

My Lai turns 50


We were outraged for a few minutes then
I don't think we would be now.

[Vrede too]

My Lai turns 50

We were outraged for a few minutes then
I don't think we would be now.

The military's genocidal imperialism never changed, but its PR has gotten better.

[billy.pilgrim]

Haven't noticed anything on the news shows this morning. This article is the first mention I've heard today.


https://www.truthdig.com/articles/have- ... om-my-lai/

[Vrede too]

Haven't noticed anything on the news shows this morning. This article is the first mention I've heard today.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/have- ... om-my-lai/

I haven't stumbled on it, but googling shows that any number of outlets including mainstream ones are marking the 50th anniversary of the My Lai massacre.

[O Really]

Calley is still alive and only about 74. In a speech he said, " If you are asking why I did not stand up to them when I was given the orders, I will have to say that I was a 2nd Lieutenant getting orders from my commander and I followed them—foolishly, I guess."

Sounds like an excellent and likely candidate for a Trump Cabinet position.

[billy.pilgrim]

Haven't noticed anything on the news shows this morning. This article is the first mention I've heard today.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/have- ... om-my-lai/

I haven't stumbled on it, but googling shows that any number of outlets including mainstream ones are marking the 50th anniversary of the My Lai massacre.

I see an AP and several Fox stories - reckon I should have watched fox. I did have the tv on during an hour of msnbc and another hour of the Today show. Seems like it should have been mentioned.

[billy.pilgrim]

Calley is still alive and only about 74. In a speech he said, " If you are asking why I did not stand up to them when I was given the orders, I will have to say that I was a 2nd Lieutenant getting orders from my commander and I followed them—foolishly, I guess."

Sounds like an excellent and likely candidate for a Trump Cabinet position.

Medina would have calley beat, he could include the Commendation he received for the massacre of children and babies in his resume.

[Vrede too]

The Unlearned Lesson of My Lai
A half-century after a brutal massacre in Vietnam, the United States still struggles to hold itself accountable for atrocities.

[billy.pilgrim]

Wonder if ol mr Eastwood could make us a film honoring Hugh Thompson Jr, Glenn Andreotta and Lawrence Colburn.

Whole lotta bravery there that few have recognized.

[Vrede too]

Wonder if ol mr Eastwood could make us a film honoring Hugh Thompson Jr, Glenn Andreotta and Lawrence Colburn.

Whole lotta bravery there that few have recognized.

Hugh Thompson Jr.
Lawrence Colburn
Glenn Andreotta

Thirty years after the fact all three men were decorated with the Soldier's Medal for their heroic actions at My Lai.

Soldier's Medal

... The criteria for the medal are: "The Soldier's Medal is awarded to any person of the Armed Forces of the United States or of a friendly foreign nation who, while serving in any capacity with the Army of the United States, including Reserve Component soldiers not serving in a duty status at the time of the heroic act, distinguished himself or herself by heroism not involving conflict with an enemy."

...

The distinguishing criterion for awarding the Soldier's Medal, per Army Regulation 600-8-22, para 3-14, is "The performance must have involved personal hazard or danger and the voluntary risk of life under conditions not involving conflict with an armed enemy. Awards will not be made solely on the basis of having saved a life." It is the highest honor a soldier can receive for an act of valor in a non-combat situation, held to be equal to or greater than the level which would have justified an award of the Distinguished Flying Cross had the act occurred in combat. Any enlisted American servicemember who is eligible for retirement pay will receive an increase of 10 percent in retirement pay, if the level of valor was equal to that which would earn the Distinguished Service Cross....

Welcome home, soldiers.

[neoplacebo]

On April 30 it will be 44 years since the US humbly left Vietnam and left thousands of Vietnamese who had worked for us behind. Mostly this was due to poor or non existent evacuation planning on the part of Ambassador Graham Martin (a native of Mars Hill). A few of the CIA and USAID guys got awards for the number of evacuees they managed to get out. Just read a book about all this: "Decent Interval" by Frank Snepp, a former CIA guy (also a NC native) who left the agency in protest over his inability to tell the true story about the end of our Vietnam fiasco.

[billy.pilgrim]

On April 30 it will be 44 years since the US humbly left Vietnam and left thousands of Vietnamese who had worked for us behind. Mostly this was due to poor or non existent evacuation planning on the part of Ambassador Graham Martin (a native of Mars Hill). A few of the CIA and USAID guys got awards for the number of evacuees they managed to get out. Just read a book about all this: "Decent Interval" by Frank Snepp, a former CIA guy (also a NC native) who left the agency in protest over his inability to tell the true story about the end of our Vietnam fiasco.

Saturday will be 51 years since My Lai.

[Vrede too]

... Just read a book about all this: "Decent Interval" by Frank Snepp, a former CIA guy (also a NC native) who left the agency in protest over his inability to tell the true story about the end of our Vietnam fiasco.

Saturday will be 51 years since My Lai.

There have been some television, film and video treatments of My Lai featuring, I assume, the heroic deeds of Hugh Thompson Jr., Lawrence Colburn and Glenn Andreotta. They're almost all documentaries, Clint.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_Ma ... _and_video

[neoplacebo]

There were dozens of equal or worse atrocities like those at My Lai in the two decades that US forces were on the ground there. The vast majority of them remain unknown and unpunished.

[billy.pilgrim]

There were dozens of equal or worse atrocities like those at My Lai in the two decades that US forces were on the ground there. The vast majority of them remain unknown and unpunished.

https://billmoyers.com/2013/02/08/excer ... hat-moves/

Occasionally we find out

[neoplacebo]

There were dozens of equal or worse atrocities like those at My Lai in the two decades that US forces were on the ground there. The vast majority of them remain unknown and unpunished.

https://billmoyers.com/2013/02/08/excer ... hat-moves/

Occasionally we find out

yeah, it sure as hell wasn't "peace with honor" or anything approaching it. I misspoke above; the US did not have troops in Vietnam for two decades; only one, but it was one too many. And that Americal division had a bad reputation before the My Lai episode. From what I've read, they were like the Hells Angels of the Army.

[Leo Lyons]

Occasionally we find out

Hey billy.pilgrim; I'm just being curious. I've been following the comments on this very interesting thread since you started it, and I'm just curious as to your interest in the My Lai events and Lt. Calley, and why you keep the subject of it alive. Did you have relatives involved? Were you directly or indirectly involved?