Posthumous Medal of Honor

Re “The man who stopped the My Lai massacre,” Opinion, March 16

We can still do more to thank Hugh Thompson, the U.S. Army helicopter pilot who prevented even more murders of Vietnamese civilians by American soldiers in My Lai 50 years ago.

The thanks we as a nation should give him would include these words: “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.”

That’s right: These are the words used for every recipient of the Medal of Honor. Thompson deserves no less. Daniel Connell

Moorpark

I never heard the story before of how this courageous helicopter pilot brought his chopper down in front of hundreds of innocent women, men and children who were about to be slaughtered, demanding that the American soldiers stop the killing.

Thompson was a true American hero in a time of incredible national shame. Sam Platts

Sylmar

Please thank UC Irvine historian Jon Wiener for reminding us of the heroic and historic act of courage performed by Thompson during the Vietnam War.

I wish that Thompson was still alive so that we might fully honor him. However, we can take comfort in the fact that he lived his life knowing that he did a courageous thing.

Sometimes doing the right thing is its own reward. Brad Lund

Santa Barbara