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General Discussion / Re: mccain's death
« on: August 29, 2018, 02:08:42 PM »https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_Massacre#Helicopter_crew_interventionQuoteWarrant Officer (WO1) Hugh Thompson, Jr., a helicopter pilot from Company B (Aero-Scouts), 123rd Aviation Battalion, Americal Division, saw dead and wounded civilians as he was flying over the village of Sơn Mỹ, providing close-air support for ground forces.[47] The crew made several attempts to radio for help for the wounded. They landed their helicopter by a ditch, which they noted was full of bodies and in which there was movement.[47] Thompson asked a sergeant he encountered there (David Mitchell of the 1st Platoon) if he could help get the people out of the ditch, and the sergeant replied that he would "help them out of their misery". Thompson, shocked and confused, then spoke with Calley, who claimed to be "just following orders". As the helicopter took off, Thompson saw Mitchell firing into the ditch.[47]
Thompson and his crew witnessed an unarmed woman being kicked and shot at point-blank range by Captain Medina, who later claimed that he thought she had a hand grenade.[48] Thompson then saw a group of civilians (again consisting of children, women, and old men) at a bunker being approached by ground personnel. Thompson landed and told his crew that if the soldiers shot at the Vietnamese while he was trying to get them out of the bunker that they were to open fire on these soldiers.[47]
You cheapen real courage and sacrifice and decency like this when you say the perpetrators of this massacre are no worse than the people who stopped it.
But I don't think anyone is actually arguing that straw-man. At least I'm not.
It's true that I'm cautious with the term "war criminal" when it comes to soldiers, due to the massive amount of indoctrinating/propaganda done by the military and American society generally (dying for our "freedoms", communism is evil, etc). But I'm also not really a fan of the hero-worship culture which surrounds service members. While I don't know any more about this situation than what you just quoted here in this thread, based on what is there, I absolutely do recognize the incredible amount of bravery and integrity such heroism requires, and certainly feel that is a distinguishing differentiator from the more or less apathy I have towards your rank and file soldiers.