Who was Hugh Thompson?
Thompson & Colburn at the My Lai Memorial Mar, 1998
Except from Wikipedia: Hugh C. Thompson, Jr. (April 15, 1943 - January 6, 2006) was a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. He is chiefly known for his role in stopping the My Lai Massacre, during which he was flying a reconnaissance mission.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Thompson joined the US Navy in 1961 -- then US Army in 1966 and trained as a helicopter pilot. He volunteered for theAerial Scout Unit and assigned to Task Force Barker to fly over Vietnamese forests and try to draw enemy fire, to pinpoint the location of troops. Serving as one door-gunner, his Crew Chief was Sp4 Glenn Andreotta and his other door-gunner was Sp4 Lawrence Colburn, both of whom would later receive recognition for heroism for their role at My Lai, though Andreotta died three weeks after the event.
