Page 164 - Stand Down Vietnam

I wasn't Infantry and I was not Artillery, so I have to
say I don't know what training they received. I don't
recall anyone saying their training was inadequate. I
believe the United States government has a pretty good
handle on training our people to become soldiers.

I have situational thinking about the possible use of
disinformation about the Lieutenant Calley situation.

I don't think we will ever know the complete and true
story about everything. I believe his chain of command
did suggest, if not come right out and order, different
things to take place. Whether or not Calley took that
to a degree outside his empowerment, and took
inappropriate action, will remain an individual
decision.

I wasn't there, I don't know the situation. I listened
to the news reporting like most people. We hear
stories, read books of and by the people in the unit.
We need to ask ourselves, what really happened there.
I don't think we’re ever going to know.

Here are a couple of things on my mind:

At the time, soldiers did not have a way to challenge
an order; plain and simple, you did what you were told.
If Calley was ordered to go do what took place in My
Lai and all the enlisted men under him were told to do

what they did; where was the moral aspect?

I am not surprised, but I am sickened, it happened. I
do not believe it needed to happen. I believe Captain
Medina knew about it, and I think the senior chain of
command above him knew about it.