Who were Lawrence Colburn and Glenn Andreotta?

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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.

Lawrence Colburn and Glenn Andreotta were members of a U.S. Army helicopter crew who acted with moral courage during the My Lai Massacre.

Serving as the door gunner and crew chief, respectively, for Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson, they participated in a critical intervention to protect Vietnamese civilians. When they observed U.S. soldiers preparing to fire upon a group of women and children, Thompson landed their helicopter between the civilians and the soldiers. Colburn and Andreotta manned their weapons to ensure the safety of the civilians while Thompson coordinated with other aircraft to evacuate the survivors to safety.

Their actions represent a fundamental commitment to the ethical principle of protecting innocent life, even in the face of grave misconduct by their own forces. In 1998, Colburn, Thompson, and Andreotta—who received the honor posthumously—were awarded the Soldier’s Medal for their extraordinary bravery.1