Shark4
2,500+ Posts
Our mailing list for the 174th AHC had an interesting exchange that provides a little background on My Lai that you won't get from PBS. My Lai happened about 6 mos. before I got in country but my unit, 174th Assault Helicopter Company, inserted Calley and his troops into My Lai. Shark gunships provided gun cover for the insertion.
The email below was written by our Webmaster who was two Shark 4s before me. He was flying gun cover that day:
> Hi Jim,
> Show tonight on PBS, The American Experience. Covers the My Lai
> incident start to finish, looks to be good viewing. Might want to pass
> the info on, others might like to see it. Plays at 9/8c.
> Ed
> ******@gmail.com
=========
Thanks Ed. Actually I saw an announcement about this show in the Army
Times (can you believe I still get the Army Times after being retired
for 20 years?). I was indeed planning to pass the info on to the
listserver, but time got away from me.
Flight, Ed says it is on tonight (Sunday), but the Army Times article
says it is on tomorrow night (on Monday). On my local Verizon cable, it
is indeed on tomorrow night at 9:00 on the PBS channel. I would suggest
you check your local listings as it's possible it is on at different
times and dates in different parts of the country.
I've scanned the Army Times article and will attach it.
It may be that some of you do not know that the 174th, along with some
slicks from other units in the 14th Avn. Battalion, inserted Lt. Wm.
Calley and his troops into My Lai that morning. The Sharks provided the
gunship cover. It was "prepped hot" by two light fire teams of Sharks,
but the LZ was cold. No enemy fire. Many of us on this listserver were
there that day, myself included. We did NOT fire into the village, only
the tree lines bordering the LZ, outside the village. I was flying a
Shark and was returning from an all-night gunship standby mission at LZ
Baldy, and we joined the CA for the insertion as the second light fire
team. After the troops were inserted, we stayed on station till the
primary team rearmed and refueled, and returned, then we went home and
went to bed. I think the Blue Ghost (B-model guns) joined the operation
after we left. We saw nothing out of the ordinary -- except I do recall
flying over an OH-23 that was at flight idle on the ground. It's
possible that was (and it probably was) when WO1 Hugh Thompson (123rd
Avn. Bn.) landed to confront Calley, but if so, we didn't see them on
the ground. We were "trolling" along the edges of the the area (the
ground unit was not in contact according to radio traffic) and our focus
was on the outer perimeter, looking for bad guys.
I can say I saw none of what Calley and his troops did, but I know some
of our members did see it. A number of 174th folks were called to
testify at the My Lai trial. I was called by General Peers' team (the
investigating officer) and interviewed about my participation. After
submitting a sworn statement, they determined I did not have enough to
contribute to be called to the trial.
Now you guys may also not know this, but our very own Major Glen Gibson
(who is on this listserver) was our commander at the time, and he
personally fought the Army brass long and hard to restore and maintain
the good name of the Sharks and Dolphins. The ground battalion
commander had claimed that the Sharks had killed all the civilians. It
was a lie, and Glen faced them down. It took years to get it all
settled (if it will ever be settled), and I for one am very proud of our
commander and friend. In fighting for the good name of our unit, Glen
essentially went toe-to-toe with the military establishment and
sacrificed his future promotions and, in the long run, his military
career. Glen deserves to NEVER have to buy another drink when he's with
a 174th veteran.
This is part of our history, guys. You might want to watch this and see
what kind of treatment they give to it. I'm personally a bit concerned
as to how they will cover this. Also, since Glen was a successful as he
was, I'll bet they don't even mention the 174th. That will probably be
good. Not a good legacy.
In my humble opinion, Hugh Thompson indeed deserves a lot of credit --
took balls to do what he did -- and he didn't initially get good press
from the Army. The Army eventually reversed their position and awarded
him and his crew the Soldiers medal. It took 30 years. It was awarded
by Shark 6 from 1971, Major General Mike Ackerman. That story is on the
174th web site atThe Link
Would be interested to hear (on the listserver) the personal stories of
others who were there that day.
Jim McD>
Webby
The email below was written by our Webmaster who was two Shark 4s before me. He was flying gun cover that day:
> Hi Jim,
> Show tonight on PBS, The American Experience. Covers the My Lai
> incident start to finish, looks to be good viewing. Might want to pass
> the info on, others might like to see it. Plays at 9/8c.
> Ed
> ******@gmail.com
=========
Thanks Ed. Actually I saw an announcement about this show in the Army
Times (can you believe I still get the Army Times after being retired
for 20 years?). I was indeed planning to pass the info on to the
listserver, but time got away from me.
Flight, Ed says it is on tonight (Sunday), but the Army Times article
says it is on tomorrow night (on Monday). On my local Verizon cable, it
is indeed on tomorrow night at 9:00 on the PBS channel. I would suggest
you check your local listings as it's possible it is on at different
times and dates in different parts of the country.
I've scanned the Army Times article and will attach it.
It may be that some of you do not know that the 174th, along with some
slicks from other units in the 14th Avn. Battalion, inserted Lt. Wm.
Calley and his troops into My Lai that morning. The Sharks provided the
gunship cover. It was "prepped hot" by two light fire teams of Sharks,
but the LZ was cold. No enemy fire. Many of us on this listserver were
there that day, myself included. We did NOT fire into the village, only
the tree lines bordering the LZ, outside the village. I was flying a
Shark and was returning from an all-night gunship standby mission at LZ
Baldy, and we joined the CA for the insertion as the second light fire
team. After the troops were inserted, we stayed on station till the
primary team rearmed and refueled, and returned, then we went home and
went to bed. I think the Blue Ghost (B-model guns) joined the operation
after we left. We saw nothing out of the ordinary -- except I do recall
flying over an OH-23 that was at flight idle on the ground. It's
possible that was (and it probably was) when WO1 Hugh Thompson (123rd
Avn. Bn.) landed to confront Calley, but if so, we didn't see them on
the ground. We were "trolling" along the edges of the the area (the
ground unit was not in contact according to radio traffic) and our focus
was on the outer perimeter, looking for bad guys.
I can say I saw none of what Calley and his troops did, but I know some
of our members did see it. A number of 174th folks were called to
testify at the My Lai trial. I was called by General Peers' team (the
investigating officer) and interviewed about my participation. After
submitting a sworn statement, they determined I did not have enough to
contribute to be called to the trial.
Now you guys may also not know this, but our very own Major Glen Gibson
(who is on this listserver) was our commander at the time, and he
personally fought the Army brass long and hard to restore and maintain
the good name of the Sharks and Dolphins. The ground battalion
commander had claimed that the Sharks had killed all the civilians. It
was a lie, and Glen faced them down. It took years to get it all
settled (if it will ever be settled), and I for one am very proud of our
commander and friend. In fighting for the good name of our unit, Glen
essentially went toe-to-toe with the military establishment and
sacrificed his future promotions and, in the long run, his military
career. Glen deserves to NEVER have to buy another drink when he's with
a 174th veteran.
This is part of our history, guys. You might want to watch this and see
what kind of treatment they give to it. I'm personally a bit concerned
as to how they will cover this. Also, since Glen was a successful as he
was, I'll bet they don't even mention the 174th. That will probably be
good. Not a good legacy.
In my humble opinion, Hugh Thompson indeed deserves a lot of credit --
took balls to do what he did -- and he didn't initially get good press
from the Army. The Army eventually reversed their position and awarded
him and his crew the Soldiers medal. It took 30 years. It was awarded
by Shark 6 from 1971, Major General Mike Ackerman. That story is on the
174th web site atThe Link
Would be interested to hear (on the listserver) the personal stories of
others who were there that day.
Jim McD>
Webby
