Army helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson speaks with reporters at the Pentagon on Dec. 4, 1969
Hugh Clowers Thompson Junior was a member of the United States Army with the rank of Major. On the 16th of March in 1968, Hugh Thompson and the men of the Hiller OH-23 Raven sprung into action in the Sơn Tịnh District, South Vietnam to help save the civilians. At the time, Company C 1st battalion 20th Infantry Regiment was carrying out an attack on the locals in the village, but this attack was ill conceived and resulting in the death of hundreds of unarmed and innocent civilians. Hugh Thompson and his men stood up to the attackers by blocking their entry to the village and threatened to hurt the attackers if need be. Thompson went beyond the line of duty when he personally escorted women and children out of the village and assured they would be given a helicopter evacuation to their safety. During the attack, Thompson radioed for help and the stopping of the inhumane actions of the United States' troops, but his calls were not met with any support nor an ending of the massacre.
James Anderson Junior, a Private First Class in the Marines
Private First Class James Anderson Junior http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3214/anderson-james-jr.php
James Anderson Junior was a rifleman in F Company 2nd Battalion 3rd Division of the United States Marines. PFC Anderson was a part of the rescue mission for a reconnaissance team that was pinned down. On the trail through the dense forests of Vietnam, Anderson and the men in his regiment came under heavy fire on February 28, 1967. They quickly took cover and started to return fire. PFC Anderson found himself in a tight group of men, when suddenly an enemy grenade fell mere feet from James' head. Without hesitation, Anderson quickly grabbed the grenade and pulled it into his chest while curling into a ball. Unfortunately, PFC Anderson was killed by the grenade but he saved the lives of all the soldiers around him. He was posthumously awarded the medal of honor for his courageous actions and the award was accepted by his parents. Private First Class James Anderson Junior was the first African American Man to receive the medal of honor in the Marines.
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I think the first account with Pilot Thompson is an interesting one due to the fact that he was held as a hero and rightfully so but at the same time many were killed despite his efforts. This shows that receiving the medal of honor is not always rewarding as I believe Thompson wishes he could have done more and the outcome would have been different.
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