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How did Hugh Thompson try to get medical help for wounded civilians at My Lai?

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A group of frightened Vietnamese women and children stand close together outdoors during the My Lai Massacre in the Vietnam War. — My Lai Massacre Vietnamese citizens photographed during the My Lai Massacre, March 16, 1968.

While flying a scout helicopter over My Lai during the massacre, Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson observed wounded civilians and attempted to secure medical assistance for them by marking their locations with smoke grenades and radioing ground troops to proceed to those positions to provide aid.1

Upon returning to the area after refueling, Thompson discovered that the wounded civilians he had marked had been killed. In response to seeing U.S. soldiers preparing to fire on another group of women and children, he landed his helicopter between the civilians and the soldiers. He then directed his crew to cover the civilians while he hailed other helicopters to assist in ferrying the survivors to safety. For these actions, which demonstrated a clear commitment to the ethical principle of protecting noncombatants, Thompson was later awarded the Soldier’s Medal.1