A true hero is a person who takes their commands from a higher authority. Relying on a deeper sense of right and wrong, he doesn’t always follow orders. Hugh Thompson and Lawrence Colburn are examples of this.
They put their lives on the line – confronted their fellow soldier – and put an end to the bloody rampage known as the My Lai massacre.
Hugh and Lawrence lived by the creed of Five-Star General, Douglas MacArthur, who said: “The soldier, be he friend or foe, is charged with the protection of the weak and unarmed. It is the very essence and reason of his being. When he violates this sacred trust, he not only profanes his entire cult, but threatens the fabric of international society.”
They did right and now rest in eternal peace. Hugh and Lawrence represent the best of mankind.
A Vietnam Memorial of One 