Hugh Thompspn Jr., Huey pilot at My Lai

[Bill Greenwood]

Memory and the years can play tricks on us, so I looked up the times lines. I know it was not in '75 since Gerald Ford was in office then.The U S withdrew combat troops from Nam after the Paris Peace Accord in Jan 73, U S planes flew to Hanoi to pick up first POWs in Feb and continued in March. the longest held was 9 years! Last combat troops left March 29, 1973
Nixon wasn't in office in '75, he resigned in Aug 14, 1974 facing impeachment. Gerald Ford became Pres. Fall of Saigon was April 19,'75
Glad you made it back safely.

Years ago I heard a talk with Air Force Academy by a Navy pilot, think F4s, who said he was the longest or one of the longest held POWs, dont recall his name, sort of a heavy set guy. He had a sense of humor, he said that he was the greatest fighter pilot ever when the war started and they were making ground attacks. Then the 3rd day he met the greatest anti aircraft gunner in the world, and then he had 7 1/2 years to think about the lack of wisdom to hit the same target from the same direction and speed and altitude 3 days in a row.
I was surprised how calm and even tempered the man was, not just angry as I think I would have been, about 1/4 of your life spent as a POW.