My Lai Six Years Later

Lt. William R. Calley again makes headlines as a result of a recent court ruling permitting him to be freed on bail pending an appeal of his previous convictions for "murdering at least 22 Vietnamese citizens at My Lai March 16, 1968." I would like to make it as clear as possible that no one could more deeply deplore than I the crimes of Lt. Calley. They really border on the insane. It is certainly conceivable, however, that an unstable character might have honestly believed that he or she was carrying out the orders of superiors, or even those of God, after the massive Pentagon propaganda deliberately designed to make a monster of the "opponents." No such extenuating circumstances can, however, be used to excuse those responsible for the criminal foreign policy acts of successive Washington administrations since WWII.

Lt. Calley, along with hundreds of thousands of other American military forces, was not sent to Korea and Indochina to repel aggression, or in support of freedom and independence, as officially proclaimed, but to rob the people living there of their national resources for the profit of the privileged few here in the USA. This was made splendidly clear, as far as Indochina is concerned at least, by President Eisenhower in a speech to the Governor's Conference in Seattle, Wash., Aug. 4, 1953 in which he mentioned the rich resources of the area and mentioned tin and tungsten among others. (The New York Times, Aug. 5, 1953).

When those being robbed resisted, it became necessary to kill, maim and wound them in order to accomplish the planned robbery. This has always been standard operating procedure (SOP) by the military everywhere, in cases of national aggression. This was and is, of course, the reason for sending troops in the first place. It is certainly conceivable, to me at least, that Calley was doing what he was sent to do, as were many thousands of others. Unfortunately for Calley, his crimes were reported, and it was therefore thought necessary for public relations purposes, to make a scapegoat of him. And this, in my opinion, they have done.

The U.S. Air Force and Navy pilots operating in Indochina, including Mr. Nixon's POW pets who were shot down, have murdered, maimed and wounded in indiscriminate bombing, a thousandfold more Indochinese than Calley and his group. This was also true of the acts of other U.S. ground forces. All of these crimes were, of course, in violation of international laws which the U.S. government agreed to obey. This is the primary reason, in my view, why so many concerned Americans consider the trial, conviction and sentencing of Lt. Calley to prison as absurd and literally obscene.

Sordid and indefensible as were the crimes of many U.S. forces in Indochina (and earlier in Korea), their crimes are minor when compared with those committed by the Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon administrations which sent them to Korea and Indochina on missions of naked and raw robbery. President Nixon should, of course, be impeached and convicted and driven from public office for high crimes and misdemeanors he has committed, as necessary for keeping the record clear.

Nixon has not ended the Indochinese war as claimed. Thousands of Americans have been hired by his administration to continue this incredibly stupid war. More than a million military mercenaries and police forces are still being paid with U.S. taxpayers' money. Many prisoners captured by U.S. forces and turned over to Ky and Thieu, the Saigon quisling-traitor-agents of Johnson and Nixon, plus many more are political prisoners still occupying cages built by U.S. companies. All of this is in violation of the "cease fire" which Nixon and Kissinger falsely call peace. None of these crimes could continue for a day even, without Nixon's approval and support.

What can now be done by the people of the U.S. to clear up this intolerable mess? First the massive campaign to impeach and convict Nixon of high crimes and misdemeanors must be increased until he is forced to resign or driven from public office. Second, a commission of outstanding citizens should be appointed by the Congress which is to be elected in November 1974, to thoroughly investigate and expose the crimes committed by Nixon's four immediate predecessors.

Unfortunately, it is too late now to apply the Nuremberg trial principals to President Nixon and his advisors. This is so because his four immediate predecessors and many of their top advisors are now beyond our reach. This makes it even more important that a commission be appointed to expose for the record their crimes so that future generations may know what happened. For this reason none of those indicted for crimes such as Calley committed, or for the Watergate break-in, should be sent to prison. Expose and condemn them, yes, but do not imprison them.

Finally, all those who have opposed the criminally insane wars of U.S. aggression in Korea, Indochina and elsewhere should be completely exonerated. They are the real heroes and the true patriots, not those who helped return Korea and Indochina to General LeMay's stone age. The latter must include, but not be limited to, those shot down over Indochina while murdering, maiming and wounding Indochinese who have never harmed or threatened to harm the American people in any way. And could not do so even if they wished, which they do not.

Hugh B. Hester retired from the U.S. Army with the rank of Brigadier General. He is a critic of the on-campus ROTC program as well as an opponent of American Indochina policy.