Hugh Thompson Jr - Against Orders

Just Passing Through Podcast

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Episode 166
Hugh Thompson Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1943. He grew up with a strong sense of right and wrong, nurtured by his upbringing in a small Southern town. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and then the Army, eventually becoming a helicopter pilot with the rank of Warrant Officer. By 1968, Thompson was stationed in Vietnam, flying reconnaissance missions and transporting wounded soldiers from the battlefield.

Now, let’s fast forward to March 16, 1968—the day of the My Lai Massacre. Thompson’s mission that day was to provide air support for a ground assault in the village of My Lai. As he circled above, Thompson began to notice disturbing scenes below: bodies of unarmed villagers lying in ditches, huts on fire, and soldiers firing indiscriminately into crowds of civilians. He quickly realized this wasn’t a battle against Viet Cong forces; it was a massacre.

Horrified by what he was witnessing, Thompson made the unprecedented decision to intervene, even if it meant going against his fellow soldiers. He ordered his helicopter crew to land between the American troops and the remaining villagers. In an extraordinary act of bravery, he then got out and confronted the platoon, which was led by Lieutenant William Calley, the officer directly responsible for the massacre. Thompson demanded they stop the killing immediately.

Risking his own life and career, Thompson instructed his crew to cover him with their weapons as he approached the villagers. He also radioed for backup to evacuate the surviving Vietnamese civilians. Thanks to his actions, around 11 villagers were saved from imminent death.

Following the massacre, Thompson was vocal about what he’d seen and reported it to his superiors. But instead of receiving commendation, he faced a harsh backlash. Military officials tried to downplay the massacre, and for years, Thompson’s reputation suffered. He was criticized, ostracized, and, at one point, even received death threats.

Despite the challenges, Thompson never backed down from telling the truth. Years later, after investigations brought the horrors of My Lai to public attention, the U.S. government recognized Thompson’s actions as heroic. In 1998, three decades after the massacre, he was awarded the Soldier’s Medal, the highest honor for bravery not involving direct enemy action.

Thompson’s story is one of incredible moral courage. He was a man willing to stand against his own comrades in defense of what was right, even in the face of immense pressure. By risking his life and career, Thompson saved others and bore witness to an atrocity the world needed to know about. He later said that what he did wasn’t brave—it was just the right thing to do.

Hugh Thompson Jr. reminds us that even in war, humanity and justice should never be abandoned. His life serves as a powerful example of moral integrity, proving that one person’s courage can make a difference, even in the bleakest of times. Thanks for joining us on this journey through history.
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