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From: Amy Klucharits
T1: amynbry@sprintmail.com
Date: 10/30/97
Time: 7:52:52 PM
Remote Name: 206.133.36.20
I agree that this is an issue that must be taken seriously. However it is too easy for us to judge-- We were NOT THERE. One must understand that these soldiers, when killing young men(military age) they felt as if they were doing what they were supposed to be doing. This is what they were trained for. Vietnam was a different kind of war—it was not easy to determine who your enemy was. When they went into villages and began to kill women and children, they (at least in the My Lai articles) seemed to feel as if they were killing VC families and sympathizers. I am not saying this was right— but one must understand that the soldiers were only doing their job, following orders. Instead of judging the soldiers, I feel that we must judge and question the institution that they are working for, the United States Government and their policies. I also feel that a soldier, when given an immoral order should question it, however this may be easier said then done. There was an instance it one of the My Lai articles that said one soldier questioned Calley and in response, Calley held a gun to his head and told him to kill the people. This may not have been an isolated instance. In all, I feel that it is hard to place blame on the individual soldiers.