To the editor: The names William Calley and My Lai are eternally etched as an indelible stain in historical past and the American psyche. (“William Calley, convicted U.S. soldier in My Lai bloodbath in Vietnam, dies,” obituary, July 30)
Rising up in Vietnam, I by no means forgot the picture of terrified aged ladies and kids, huddling collectively, sobbing and begging for his or her lives. This mindless carnage would have been a lot worse had been it not for the heroic act of a helicopter captain who risked his personal life by positioning his plane in between the villagers and the American troopers, threatening to shoot at them in the event that they didn’t again down.
The following cover-up of the My Lai bloodbath by the American commanders and the whitewashing of Calley’s heinous acts had been shameful and horrendous. Due to conscientious and glorious journalism, we’re in a position to see a sliver of horror within the American conflict in Vietnam.
Son Trinh, Lengthy Seaside
