To the editor: The names of William Calley and My Lai have been forever etched as an indelible stain on American history and the American psyche. (“William Calley, U.S. soldier convicted of My Lai massacre in Vietnam, dies,” obituary, July 30)
Growing up in Vietnam, I never forgot the image of terrified old women and children, huddled against each other, sobbing and begging for their lives. This senseless slaughter would have been far worse had it not been for the heroic act of a helicopter captain who risked his own life by placing his plane between the villagers and the American soldiers, threatening to shoot them if they did not back off.
The subsequent cover-up of the My Lai massacre by American commanders and the cover-up of Calley's atrocious acts were shameful and horrendous. Thanks to conscientious and excellent journalism, we can see a hint of horror in the American war in Vietnam.
Son Trinh, Long Beach
