"One soldier missed a baby lying on the ground twice with a .45 pistol as his comrades laughed at his marksmanship. He stood over the child and fired a third time. The soldiers beat women with rifle butts and raped some before shooting them. They shot the water buffaloes, the pigs, and the chickens. They threw the dead animals into the wells to poison the water." - Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie

An American soldier who battled his own countrymen to help wounded civilians in Vietnam is to receive the prestigious Soldier's Medal exactly 30 years later.

In the United States, Hugh Thompson has long been ignored. His heroism only intensifies the horror most Americans feel about the My Lai massacre.

A BBC documentary a decade ago started a campaign for him to be honoured.

Mr Thompson will be awarded with his medal on Friday for his actions to prevent the killing spree, which left around 500 Vietnamese civilians dead.

Enemy in the same uniform

On March 16, 1968, Mr Thompson was the pilot of a helicopter flying above the village of My Lai in South Vietnam.

From the air, he watched with his two-man crew as an American soldier on the ground shot dead an injured girl.

When he landed, Mr Thompson realised the Charlie Company troops around him had gone berserk. Bodies were piled in ditches. Instead of helping the injured, the soldiers were killing them.

When he saw a group of villagers sheltering in a hut, he decided he had to take action.

"These people were looking at me for help and there was no way I could turn my back on them," he said.

Instead, he ordered one of his crew to turn his gun on the American soldiers and told him to shoot them if they attempted to harm the Vietnamese.

He called in two nearby gun ships and between them they succeeded in airlifting a dozen villagers to safety.

One soldier convicted of murder

America was forced to confront its soldiers' actions in My Lai a year after the event, when the investigations of journalist Seymour Hersh were proved by the pictures of army photographer Ron Haeberle.

Charlie Company had been searching for the 48th Local Forces Battalion of the NVA but they were never found in the area.

In all, 25 men were charged with murder but only Lieutenant William Calley was convicted. He was put under house arrest after serving only three days of his sentence and paroled after three years.

Mr Thompson has his own opinion on why the US wants to honour him now - "Just to save face," he said.

Long wait for recognition

Since the BBC interviewed him for a documentary about the massacre, a number of Americans, including the former Secretary of State Dean Rusk, have lobbied for a formal recognition of his bravery.

Mr Rusk, who held the post during the Vietnam War, wrote: "I sincerely hope that some action will be taken by the Army to record the courage of Thompson."

A Pentagon spokesman, Dov Schwartz, said the US military was keen to mark Mr Thompson's actions.

"He's deserving of his medal and he's going to get his medal," Mr Schwartz said.

For Mr Thompson, 30 years later, this is still something to make him proud - even if it is not for the usual reasons.

"I do get a little satisfaction," he said. "The way the award is worded, they're admitting they made a mistake. And that's what we all thought the public should know."

His two crew, Lawrence Colburn, who aimed his M-60 at the GIs, and Glenn Andreotta, will also receive medals.

During the 30th anniversary of the tragedy, the three plan to return to My Lai.
 

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