Iraq's My Lai

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Pekka
not accustomed to that? What is that, some racist **** you claim with a serious face or trolling?

Pekka, you are late for your appointment at the center of the nearest highway - please hurry.

[Imran Siddiqui]

If this stuff is right, I hope the unit (at least the commanders) goes away from a loooong time .

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by SlowwHand


Absolutely. They can pass by unidentifed people and be killed. They make mistakes almost daily in that regard.

Yeah, they should shoot anyone who doesn't identify themselves!

[chequita guevara]

Is it Vietnam yet?

[BlackCat]

It's even worse - it's bushys fault.

[Ned]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Is it Vietnam yet?

Depends on whether the Dems gain power and cut and run.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Before anyone spouts theories, it might be relevant to their case, and viewpoint, to have a frame of reference.

Easy to sit and swill beer in an air conditioned house somewhere, and shake your head.

Its easy to murder someone when you have an assault rifle, too.

[Odin]

Originally posted by Ned


Depends on whether the Dems gain power and cut and run.

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Geronimo


I cope much better with news of acts of depravity by individual soldiers. However this sure as hell sounds like an entire unit of rotten apples or at the very least a unit with multiple rotten apples and an entire lot of complacent bastards who couldn't bring themselves to turn in or at least anonymously tip off the authorities on the saddistic psycopaths in their unit.

You might remember that one of the Marines was killed the day before by a road side bomb in this area. None of us were there to see what happen.
Think about this for a second, these kids are walking and riding around these streets each day and someone is being killed or being wounded each day. Would you be able to keep your cool.

I was in the Navy and did not go to Nam.
But when we were in Korea, and I was on watch, my gun was loaded and I was told if anything move out by the water to shoot and they would sort it out later if I did the right thing. We also had a boat in the water and I had to go over to them every few minutes and may sure the 3 guys were my guys. They to were told to shoot at anything in the water.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Joseph
You might remember that one of the Marines was killed the day before by a road side bomb in this area. None of us were there to see what happen.
Think about this for a second, these kids are walking and riding around these streets each day and someone is being killed or being wounded each day. Would you be able to keep your cool.

I was in the Navy and did not go to Nam.
But when we were in Korea, and I was on watch, my gun was loaded and I was told if anything move out by the water to shoot and they would sort it out later if I did the right thing. We also had a boat in the water and I had to go over to them every few minutes and may sure the 3 guys were my guys. They to were told to shoot at anything in the water.

if by keep my cool you mean refrain from murdering unarmed women and children yeah I probably could. By all accounts the kids killed weren't even involved in typical provocations like pelting the soldiers with rocks and bottles.

This wasn't a case of split second decision gone bad either. There was nothing to indicate the presence of armed hostiles among the victims or even in the general vicinity at the time of the incident.


Let me ask you, do you think it's never possible to judge the conduct of soldiers in war? Would it be ok to judge the conduct of SS troops on the eastern front in ww2?

I have a lot of respect for our soldiers as a group. Each and every one of them volunteered to put themselves in harms way to serve our country. But by no means do I feel complelled to extend that respect to every last person who volunteers. Once soldiers abandon their discipline and begin to commit such crimes I can't see why those 'solidiers' are any more deserving of our respect than deserters. And yet traditionally nobody objects to branding deserters as scum.

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Geronimo


if by keep my cool you mean refrain from murdering unarmed women and children yeah I probably could. By all accounts the kids killed weren't even involved in typical provocations like pelting the soldiers with rocks and bottles.

This wasn't a case of split second decision gone bad either. There was nothing to indicate the presence of armed hostiles among the victims or even in the general vicinity at the time of the incident.


Let me ask you, do you think it's never possible to judge the conduct of soldiers in war? Would it be ok to judge the conduct of SS troops on the eastern front in ww2?

I have a lot of respect for our soldiers as a group. Each and every one of them volunteered to put themselves in harms way to serve our country. But by no means do I feel complelled to extend that respect to every last person who volunteers. Once soldiers abandon their discipline and begin to commit such crimes I can't see why those 'solidiers' are any more deserving of our respect than deserters. And yet traditionally nobody objects to branding deserters as scum.

Well if they are guilty, they will spend the rest of their lives in a Brig, guarded by Marines. I would not want to be one of them. The Marines guarding them, will not be their friends. After a few months, they will wish they were dead and not in the brig.

[Dinner]

If the basic facts are correct then those men are ****bags. Basically an IED went off killing one Marine so the rest went on a rampage and killed a bunch of villagers to get even. That is very typical of the us vs them mentality people complained the Marines had when I was over there.

That said I remember Hyditha being mentioned as a particularly hostile town full of cowardly insurgents who would attack from crowds. Crowds who would never admit to knowing who the triggermen were.

[Seeker]

"The Marines guarding them, will not be their friends. After a few months, they will wish they were dead and not in the brig."

Judging by Abu Ghraib, it seems more likely to us in the R.O.W. that they'll be spending their time signing autographs and indulging in 'frat boy pranks'.

[notyoueither]

You seem to be assuming that dishonour to the uniform plays well with American servicemen, Seeker.

I'll take bets that it does not.

[Gatekeeper]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Iraq's My Lai

Originally posted by Kidicious
I think you took what I said the wrong way. I'm not ashamed, because I don't consider myself one of those people.

"... one of those people."