My Lai was an event that was at the forefront of the atrocities that occurred in Vietnam. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident, just the worst one. The book "Kill anything that moves" by Nick Turse highlights the lesser known atrocities that occurred as well as the My Lai incident. Thank you Jocko for educating the many people who weren't aware of My Lai. I heard that the military uses this incident to teach soldiers the rules of engagement.
Tiger Force: A True Story of Men and War by Michael Sallah. Its a tough read and occurs over a 7 month period across the Central Highlands a year before Mai Lai. It reads a lot like what Oliver Stone would put on film as the movie Platoon. All through it I kept thinking of that movie but this book was more brutal and, sadly, true.
quando a Siri pode tirar voltado contra mim Pode me condenar que você já me condenar já me matar já mas a casa já fiz de tudo que é ruim na minha vida já fizeram tudo que é ruim na minha vida tão injusta colabora também Ju estão colaborando mas pode ter certeza que vai ter surpresa para todos esses que estão me condenando tô me condenando no provaram nada vai ter surpresa para tudo pode ter certeza pode ter certeza que eles vão pagar pelos erro deles todos eles vão pagar pelos erros dele que estão me condenando o juiz ele me defender me condenaram mais ainda eu fui vítima dos outros estou sendo vítima de juízo porque não faz nada então todos ele vai pagar pelos próprios erros deles eles estão conscientes que tá errando só eles eles estão conscientes que os erros são deles então infelizmente todos vão pagar pelos erros dele
É o que eles querem é o que eles sempre querem matar eu sem prova é o que eles querem me matar hein Sem prova mas eu quero botar a cabeça junto comigo que eu da minha cabeça eu vou pegar a deles eles são tão covarde eles são tão covarde que eu dou eu dou minha cabeça para eles provar o que eles têm contra mim a troca da cabeça deles eles são tão covarde que eles querem matar eu sem prova eles querem me matar hein Sem prova por isso que eles são covardes por isso que eles são covardes eles são sempre covarde para as nações não sou macho eles não são macho não sou poderoso não são rico poderoso apresenta as provas para matar eu apresenta as provas que eu dou minha cabeça agora se não tiver as provas eu quero é deles agora que ele me mataram na covardia são tão covarde que eles querem matar a covardia Sem prova se acha no direito de matar as pessoas sem prova
Se ele provar que eu sou feio dormir a cabeça sim e apresentar as provas que eu sou fêmea eu dou minha cabeça agora eu quero é nele eu quero a dele eu dou Aninha mas eu quero nele para ele provar Então minha cabeça para qualquer um eu quero a deles nasci homem e sou macho quero ver qual é o c**** a p*** que vai mudar meu certo
Two years too late but without a doubt the hardest thumbs up I've ever given on YT. I hated watching every second up to the Q&A but to Jocko and Echo, I say thank you for covering this. I know Echo was silent throughout the whole thing but sitting there with Jocko while he's telling this must've been challenging at the very least. Making it through this episode is the bare minimum I could do for the people who died during this....I'm not sure what to call it to be honest, words can not do justice here. Without a doubt one of the darkest times in human history even if the death toll does not 'measure up' to other events that have happened during our time here. The senseless insanity displayed chills me to the bone, I can only pray that none of us 'good' men ever become that numb again. The scary thing being that it takes intelligence to flip that switch, it's not instinct. We are the only species on this planet capable of this kind of carnage and we owe it all to that big ole brain of ours, coming up with ever better ways to destroy life. I watched the Unit 731 episode and the one about the Chechen war before this one but I'd say those three will be close as possible to a wake-up call to why discipline and ownership are so important. This is one episode I'll never forget
It's reported that events like the My Lai massacre happened every month, specially during operation Speedy Express. The only reason we know about My Lai is because of the failed cover up. Sickening. What the CIA did during the Vietnam War is also just horrific to read about.
on March 10, 1998, Senator Max Cleland (D-Ga.) entered a tribute to Thompson, Colburn and Andreotta (helicopter gunners) into the record of the U.S. Senate. Cleland said the three men were "true examples of American patriotism at its finest. that's a true american soldier, against all enemies, foreign and domestic you always do the right thing. out of a few hundred soldiers, only 3 had the guts to do anything. that shows you how many should be soldiers in the first place to me.
@@isaakellson654 but coming from the people who tout themselves as being the good guys and leaders of the free world, something which not many African groups presume to be
1:47:30 actions of Heroic Pilot Hugh Thompson Jr. that helped to stop the massacre. Moral of the story.... one good man doing something is enough to stop evil!
Yes. There are videos of him on You Tube. What is clear that Mr Thompson possessed a moral clarity and strength of character that enabled him to behave the way he did.
Absolutely. I'm ashamed to say I don't know the cause of either the Vietnam war or WWI, which is why I'm watching this podcast and others like it now. I want to learn what I wasn't taught in school!
@@georgemacdonell2341 in my high school we didn’t talk that much about the Vietnam war we basically just watched “We were Soldiers” I had to do my own research on my own time
naw forreal, our country needs to do a better job of HIGHLIGHTING the atrocities and mistakes we've caused early in HS as a way teach our students that hey "America AINT always that great, we're constantly growing, and to grow we need to reflect and talk about our mistakes"
Jocko and Echo, Id like to thank you for covering this subject. I had never heard of it before. It was difficult to listen to at times but Im glad I did. Take ownership. I watched the documentary on youtube and that was not easy to watch either.
My dad was in Vietnam, while growing up I would always ask him about it as a curious kid playing army all the time. But he refused to talk about it and would get really mad at us for asking, so we never asked again. This was hard to listen to never heard of this before now I can only imagine my dad not wanting to talk about what happened there. Sounds like hell on earth, terrible event.
I am Lt. Colonel Frank A Barker's son and have spoken with Micheal Bilton and have recieved an autographed copy of this book. My father was killed in action in 1968 and did whatever he could to stop this atrocity when he arrived on scene. Until his death,my mother told me that this massacre haunted him and could not believe this could have happened.
Well, I watched the whole video, while sometimes pausing to get news about the situation in Turkey. Thanks Jocko for reading parts of this book to us, it's sort of depressing to hear just what happened there in vietnam. But I'm happy to have listened till the end, it made it clear to me, how important a good command(er) is.
This story made me feel sick in the gut and the face. I’m glad you’re willing to cover the darkness, we have to know it I’m encouraged by seeing all the views knowing there are at least that many ppl out there integrating this knowledge into their understanding of the world.
"In 1970, Thompson testified against those responsible for the Mỹ Lai Massacre. Twenty-six officers and enlisted soldiers, including William Calley and Ernest Medina, were charged with criminal offenses, but all were either acquitted or pardoned. Thompson was condemned and ostracized by many individuals in the United States military and government, as well as the public, for his role in the investigations and trials concerning the Mỹ Lai massacre." Unfathomable...the hero was ostracized by his fellow brothers in arms and members of the public...but not Medina not Calley. No, they got off with a slap on the wrist...for ordering the annihilation of hundreds of women, children and elderly men.
Michael Brown try the hoto tutsi one that was bad. I think the Korean one where they end up in the ship was the worst (that’s the one where jack oconnel plays the runner directed by angelina jolie - ) I was nearly sick listening to it
When Pilot & Vietnam Veteran Hugh Thompson Meets His Maker - He Will Be Rewarded For Bravely Standing Up To The Pure Evil He Saw Playing Out That Was Being Perpetrated By His Fellow Servicemen, His Fellow Countrymen, His Fellow Human Beings! Thompson, With His Crew, Stood Up For The Lives Of The Innocent Civilians @ My Lai - For What Is Humane & Decent In All Men - When They Have Forgotten & Lost Their Way😢😭 God Forgive Them...🙏
@@johnnynapalm2887 that one was really really bad - the Japanese one is worth a listen, I found it harder to deal with cos it involved so much torture.
just discovered that you did this a few years ago...Absolutely essential to discuss this and kudos to Jocko for doing it. Michael Bilton is an old friend whose work on this was eye opening when he made his film, FOUR HOURS AT MY LAI. Several days of discussion on his film when he did it and got the deserved Emmy award for it stick sharply in my mind decaes later. People should look at the Peers Commission which is posted at the Library of Congress...a full look at what happened
Echo really shines in this early 'cast by speaking little after the beginning but being there. Jocko is absolutely amazing but having Echo as a sounding board giving perspective to what many might be thinking gives additional depth that is hard quantify. I know I liked the added dialogue the Echo offers. No man stands alone for long. Jocko, thanks for shining a light on 'Jerry Springer Raid' intel and how to handle it. As usual you wove that info into real life relevance by advising people to unravel that thread and avoid a repeat. It took a lot of brass to examine this subject matter. I am incredibly grateful that I grew up after this era of bad leadership and a terribly base perspective among the general US populace. Of the 22 veteran deaths per day statistic, the overwhelming majority (18+) are Vietnam-era if I read good info. What a terrible time to develop in! There were people of conscience in action, but to do so went against the common narrative, going 'against the grain'. How sad.
When people casually bandy about threats of violence or war. I think of events in history like this. This is within the scope of what "war" might entail. How could anybody keep this in mind and casually advocate for unnecessary conflict? I'm not naive or stupid enough to say war is always wrong but the possible extent of the nightmare needs to be soberly considered before you "okay" that action.
Just listened to entire podcast. I think I'll need a few hours to focus my thoughts. Right now, I'm kinda stunned. And I've known about My Lai, just not at this level of detail and hearing Jocko's message.
All this does is just make me want to try to put a tight leash on myself. I never done anything evil but after reading about my lai I never trust any government in the world and never trust myself either
A lot of people people are not old enough to remember. And it’s not a subject that is talked about. It’s a dark and shameful episode in what was a dark and shameful conflict. Perhaps the most shameful in American history. No surprise people would go about their lives and try to forget it ever happened. Given that I’m from Miami,fl. Lt. Calley’s hometown, we knew about it more than most. Such a terrible atrocity that one hopes no members of the US military ever repeat
I never fought in war but I’m scared deeply of myself that I would do somthing evil. I pray to god that I never become a monster. It’s my biggest fear in life to become a monster. I haven’t done anything bad but I never want to do what happened in my lai
@Josh White We aren't talking about Trump, he wasn't President then. Don't try to divert attention away from this atrocity with your political bias and hatred. You sound stupid.
@@ClaversOdhiamboArt . Birth is a miracle and a privilege. Some are born to die. You were born to live. Make sure you hold your end of the bargain. Inshallah
Damn Jocko, I got so much luv for you man! That summation at the end made me want to stop my truck, stand up, & give you applause. The 🇺🇲 needs a good, honorable, caring, & strong leader like yourself right now. On another note, I'm ashamed to say that at 53 years old I never knew the extent of how bad the "baby killing" statements of the Vietnam war really were. This account of what went on was truly horrific. As you said... that's why we must be on guard and alert to bad leadership that could possible lead us down a dark path.
Great Podcast! This is definitely one of my favorites so far. I'm working my way up from the first. Since I heard you Rogan's podcast a month or so ago. The narrations and interpretations of books are great. Many of the books you read, I would never have the time to read. So it's great to get the stories like this. Appreciate the time and effort from both you and Echo!
Hearing of this echos the darkness we cast in South America. I grew up thinking why don’t these people make a society like we have and then finding out about the fruit company and the coups etc. we are a great and positive nation but damn we have had some dark moments. We need to keep going but never forget what we could be up if we ignore. That way we can be our best
“Thompson was condemned and ostracized by many individuals in the United States military and government, as well as the public, for his role in the investigations and trials concerning the Mỹ Lai massacre. As a direct result of what he experienced, Thompson experienced posttraumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, divorce, and severe nightmare disorder. Despite the adversity he faced, he remained in the United States Army until November 1, 1983, then continued to make a living as a helicopter pilot in the Southeastern United States. In 1998, 30 years after the massacre, Thompson and the two other members of his crew, Andreotta and Colburn, were awarded the Soldier's Medal (Andreotta posthumously), the United States Army's highest award for bravery not involving direct contact with the enemy. Thompson and Colburn returned to Sơn Mỹ to meet with survivors of the massacre at the Sơn Mỹ Memorial in 1998. In 1999, Thompson and Colburn received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award.” -Wikipedia
No military background. But most of my family have served . Father was a ranger. Thank you for that book reading. Most people try to ignore the realities of the real world. Educate!!!👍🤙
thanks for sharing jocko and echo, had never heard of this until now. goes back to saying of learning your history or be destined to repeat it. hopefully we can prevent such a tragedy as this from occurring again.
You’re an amazing narrator!!!! I actually felt your frustration, hurt, pain and disgust in your voice as you were narrating- I felt it in your tone. Which made me cry even more so. I could not stop crying thru this book. I listened with my earbuds the entire way- no breaks, pauses, etc. I could not stop listening even tho it was extremely difficult to continue. My eyes were so puffy when it was over. I just could not stop crying 😢 Idk if I should’ve even listened because it has affected me- it’s just too hurtful and evil! And I want to thank YOU for your genuine, heart-felt service to all of us citizens in our country! People like you are the perfect example of wtf a REAL leader should be!! YOU!!! You’re just a f’ing bad ass MF!! 🙌🏼💯
Until today I had never heard of the My Lai Massacre and it's extremely disturbing to hear about the events that took place however I'm glad to have the knowledge of what happened. Events like this we need to remember so we don't repeat them.
Trying to catch up on your podcast I thought how much history is not told or is forgotten because we think it is too much evil or needs to be erased. If we erase our history we will will not learn from our mistakes or past. I thank you for being a voice out there in this world and thank you for your service! Echo...your input is enjoyed as well.
Jocko would make an awesome audio-book narrator, thank you for making this video! Currently in a leadership class, the pitfalls and failures in leadership and leading to this massacre are very clear. Thank you to Hugh Thompson for stopping it and doing what is right.
@@user-hm1kn9ux3u At least he has real leader skills, unlike the pansy-ass politicians who ONLY worry about getting re-elected while quietly taking money to screw over the citizen.
The lack of accountability for the My Lai Massacre is indeed a deeply troubling aspect of this tragedy. Despite the scale of the atrocity, only a few individuals were held accountable, and the consequences they faced were minimal compared to the gravity of their actions. Captain Ernest Medina, who was accused of involvement, was acquitted. Lieutenant William Calley, who led the platoon responsible for the massacre, was convicted of murder in 1971 and sentenced to life in prison. However, his sentence was later reduced, and he served only a few years under house arrest. Most other soldiers involved were either not charged or acquitted. The failure to adequately punish those responsible not only adds to the injustice experienced by the victims but also undermines the principles of accountability and justice. It raises critical questions about the mechanisms of military justice and the importance of holding individuals accountable for war crimes to prevent future atrocities. This lack of accountability can have long-lasting effects on public trust in institutions and contribute to a sense of impunity among those who commit such acts. It reminds us of the importance of vigilance, ethical leadership, and robust legal frameworks to ensure that such violations are met with appropriate consequences.
Fawk this is so heavy thank you Jocko I never heard of this. As a vet it is heavy also being a child from the Vietnam War. As you were reading it I close my eyes and I can see everything you read as a movie playing in my head.
Mai Lai was committed by a single poorly led company of soldiers. People forget it was an Army pilot and his crew who stopped it and preserved life. Going so far as to put his aircraft between innocent civilians, and charlie co soldiers. Later, it was a single US soldier that uncovered it. Every Vietnam veteran has been stained w/ Mai Lai, and that's wrong.
We would all like to believe that "I could never do that" but you don't know until you're actually there. I'm NOT defending anyone.....but "there but for the grace of God go I". When you consider that in a "war zone" you can be shot for disobeying an order then things get real. You also have to consider what these soldiers have been subjected to. Their friends being maimed or killed by booby traps on a weekly or daily basis, and as Jocko's teacher said, "but the locals moved in the same places and nothing happened to them"......that could and obviously did create an "us vs. them" attitude.
TideFan Yankee it is horrifying to put yourself in their shoes and think what you are capable of. Some of the acts described in this video seem impossible for me to carry out tho. Even if I hated someone with all my heart I couldn’t blow the head of their infant apart or rape them. These people had evil in them and this was just an opportunity for it to come out. It’s scary that these people are around us all the time and we can never know until everything goes to hell.
Robert Cameron. People, aren't as "civilized" as we like to think. There are veils of varying thicknesses with each person. There are different things (situations/circumstances) with each of us that can cause that veil to be drawn back. With many people it would be someone doing harm to your family or trying to harm your family. Think about it.....what wouldn't you do to protect someone you love and care about??? In the military, the guys in your unit become very much like family. I saw guys in my unit that would argue and fight like cats and dogs, but no one else (someone from outside the unit) was allowed to so much as touch them. It's like that with brothers. Again, I'm not defending nor excusing what Jocko read about, it was horrific, it was inhuman. But the only way I can wrap my mind around it, is to try to put it in the perspective of those young guys who for months had watched their best friends.....their "family" be maimed or killed by an enemy that didn't wear a uniform and was "among" them. Young troops, many conscripted, tens of thousands of miles from home depending on each other so they could get home at some point, and then not knowing who they could trust.....knowing that many times in those villages their were people who would do them harm or help those who would.
Sadly, nowadays people don't wanna hear about the bad history. They wanna erase the bad stuff and pretend that the world is all sunshine and joy so they're not offended.
What I remember most about Platoon was when Charlie Sheen's character states that if they could have stopped their infighting, they might have had more success as a Platoon
How are the people involved in this not being held accountable even years later like the Nazis still are. Disgusting to see our countries lack of justice following this horrid act. Im disgusted.
Yes, what is even more sick is that there are fellow americans that will say "they were all just following orders!", I shit you not, there are people that will make excuses for william and the rest.
ROUGH podcast!! I did not know the story of My Lai. I have a brother-in-law, who's EX-father in-law (from his 1st marriage), served in Vietnam. He flew a helicopter. I've heard how he used to brag about mowing down the "Vietcong" while they worked in their fields. He would just open fire as he flew over, didn't matter to him if they where innocent civilians or not. My brother-in-law (who is in the military) would walk out of the room, he couldn't stand listening to him. Listening to the history of this time, through this book and how #'s where a good thing...I see how poor leadership would open the door for some men to kill like this. Horrible situation!
40:28 "As long as cold beer, hot food, rock and roll and all the other amenities remain the expected norm, our conduct of the war will gain only impotence"- Apocalypse Now
The worse part still…My Lai was almost certainly not an isolated incident. There’s that common trope of those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it, but I agree with Dr Robert Sapolsky on this one-looking at the massacre itself is crucial but it’s only half of the lesson, and the second part is the heroic and noble actions of Hugh Thompson (to which Sapolsky remarks that those who are ignorant of these high points of humanity are doomed to pass those moments by whenever they arise)
I've known about the Mai Lai massacre for a long time now but listening this now ... At 36yrs old with 3 young sons (5, 3 , 2) made me sick to my stomach for these Vietnamese people. Also makes my heart hurt for the troops that will live with this the rest of their life. Their souls have to be extremely wounded.
How about the current war in Afghanistan, and the SOCOM cover-up regarding a raid which killed an American-trained Afghan police officer and his family by accident? Or, the cover-up regarding Pat Tillman's friendly-fire death? How about the drones on wedding parties in Yemen, literally as we speak?
Your views and the thematics you choose should get more attention. This podcast should get more attention. And watching Echo changing throughout the podcasts is fascinating to me as well. Thank you for doing this.
I'm mentally exhausted from listening to this and I'm only an hour in. Maybe I should take this in blocks especially before bed as I feel like I'm there and I'm not looking forward to my nightmares
I had never heard of this. I'm in the middle of The Forgotten Highlander and With the Old Breed, but I want to look into this book after I'm done with those two. I am not happy with the outcome of that court martial. Sickening
During my time in service I always noticed the people who had never been to Afghanistan talking about how they were all the enemy and their beliefs had no place in this world, while the guys who had been there telling them to shut the f**k up and that they didn't know what they were talking about. Good to see attitudes do a 180 in a way.
It's absolutely horrifying looking at the pictures of the massacred people and noticing that not a single female or child has pants or underwear on as they lay dead. Every man has clothes on but women and children had their clothes torn off. Heartbreaking.
Thanks for the heads up. I had heard of the story, but never the details. Just for kicks, I came looking for the video because I heard you mention it while talking with Glenn Beck. Not a big Beck fan, but I figured Beck and Jocko talking was worth a listen.
I had never heard of this massacre till now. As a American, I hate hearing about atrocities we’ve committed. But I need to learn about this as every American should so we don’t repeat this. R.I.P to all the innocent men, women and children’s lives we’ve brutally robbed from their family and friends.
These soldiers were cowards. They couldn’t face the VCs & NVAs In The field; therefore, they killed the weak & innocent old men, women, pregnant women & babies. These were South Vietnamese whom they were supposed to defend against the communists. As a soldier, there’s no glorification in killing unarmed civilians. It was the most humiliated event of the Vietnam War. This only invigorated the NVAs to fight more ferociously to free the South from the evil American military and eventually won the war. After this incident, the NVA knew that American military couldn’t stay the course to last. The NVA’s war of attrition won the American military at the end of the day even with more superior number of soldiers and firing power from the Allies.
"the training came to me and I just started killing". What training? May God convict our souls to never allow anything like this to happen again. I was fortunate in my early Marine career in the mid 80's we were tasked with doing a study of My Lai. I saw the faces of hard charging Marines quiver with tears in their eyes wondering if they made the right decision to serve... to be told that THEY are the defenders of the helpless, defenseless, innocents and to ensure event's like this never happen during out time and to train the next generation to do the same... Thank you for the reminder of who we can become IF allowed. Semper Fi
Jocko, I don't know if you check these. I hope you. I have a question about My Lao and power of leadership. If you are willing to help me out, it'll be greatly appreciated.
A lot of people criticize the My Lai massacre from the perspective that they would stopped it. They separate themselves morally from the humans that did not. The fact is that most of the young me present participated willingly. My Lai was not an isolated event in the Vietnam War, either. In Vietnam, the US Military and government became a mass murdering machine. The body count emphasis, basic training, loose rules of engagement, free fire zones, intense communist propaganda, high American casualty rate, deceptive Viet Cong tactics, cynical GI outlook, and seek and destroy mission structure - combined to dehumanize the Vietnamese. The immediate effect being their total destruction - hamlets, livestock, women, babies, men, and all. This same hatred and dehumanization was tuned against the Muslim world post 9/11. "Terrorism" replaced "Communism." The same atrocities that prevailed in Vietnam recurred, and continue to occur now as the USA aids and abets genocide in Gaza. Had Muslim resistance groups in Iraq been better armed and financed by a major proxy like Russia who supported the Viet Cong, then the Iraq war would have escalated the same way that Vietnam did. And, Jocko himself, may have been faced with the overwhelming desire to kill "anything that moves." Would all of you critics really act differently, if you were thrust into the same circumstances? Are you all really so very good? You won't know until that day arrives. Ultimately, the lesson here is that America has learned nothing through all these wars and hatred. We should have been protecting South Vietnam, instead we destroyed it. We did the same thing to Iraq. The Taliban took back Afghanistan over a weekend, after 20 years of US military effort.
I knew of this before but never all the details, this was great stuff. The gore was not pleasant but it was essential, people should know about how bad war can be, it's not just like a video game. I can't imagine being Thompson or the chopper crew in that situation, risking their lives and threatening the infantry, I dont know if I could have intervened like that. What an awful incident, it should not have come to that, its amazing how seemingly normal people can end up doing that
I know this is 5 years old but a couple months ago we did call in an air strike on an innocent village while pulling out of Afghanistan which was only caused by our terrible decisions
Just watched this entire episode without any sleep and Jesus Christ; I was already exhausted before but now I feel like perishing away. I already knew a lot about My Lai as well, but hearing it described in such detail? One of the worst things ever.
My Lai was an event that was at the forefront of the atrocities that occurred in Vietnam. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident, just the worst one. The book "Kill anything that moves" by Nick Turse highlights the lesser known atrocities that occurred as well as the My Lai incident. Thank you Jocko for educating the many people who weren't aware of My Lai. I heard that the military uses this incident to teach soldiers the rules of engagement.
Its Horrifying What Men Can Come To In The Evil Of War...
Tiger Force: A True Story of Men and War by Michael Sallah. Its a tough read and occurs over a 7 month period across the Central Highlands a year before Mai Lai. It reads a lot like what Oliver Stone would put on film as the movie Platoon. All through it I kept thinking of that movie but this book was more brutal and, sadly, true.
Not to mention the lengths that the government tried to silence and cover it up.
@@maureendrozda9033 that evil lives in all of us, we are those men, and we are those innocent villagers.
Thanks I'll read that 👍
Dude, I am not going to lie, Jocko is a stellar narrator.
I'd listen to him narrate blood meridian
If they made a movie, Jocko could play The Judge...
quando a Siri pode tirar voltado contra mim Pode me condenar que você já me condenar já me matar já mas a casa já fiz de tudo que é ruim na minha vida já fizeram tudo que é ruim na minha vida tão injusta colabora também Ju estão colaborando mas pode ter certeza que vai ter surpresa para todos esses que estão me condenando tô me condenando no provaram nada vai ter surpresa para tudo pode ter certeza pode ter certeza que eles vão pagar pelos erro deles todos eles vão pagar pelos erros dele que estão me condenando o juiz ele me defender me condenaram mais ainda eu fui vítima dos outros estou sendo vítima de juízo porque não faz nada então todos ele vai pagar pelos próprios erros deles eles estão conscientes que tá errando só eles eles estão conscientes que os erros são deles então infelizmente todos vão pagar pelos erros dele
É o que eles querem é o que eles sempre querem matar eu sem prova é o que eles querem me matar hein Sem prova mas eu quero botar a cabeça junto comigo que eu da minha cabeça eu vou pegar a deles eles são tão covarde eles são tão covarde que eu dou eu dou minha cabeça para eles provar o que eles têm contra mim a troca da cabeça deles eles são tão covarde que eles querem matar eu sem prova eles querem me matar hein Sem prova por isso que eles são covardes por isso que eles são covardes eles são sempre covarde para as nações não sou macho eles não são macho não sou poderoso não são rico poderoso apresenta as provas para matar eu apresenta as provas que eu dou minha cabeça agora se não tiver as provas eu quero é deles agora que ele me mataram na covardia são tão covarde que eles querem matar a covardia Sem prova se acha no direito de matar as pessoas sem prova
Se ele provar que eu sou feio dormir a cabeça sim e apresentar as provas que eu sou fêmea eu dou minha cabeça agora eu quero é nele eu quero a dele eu dou Aninha mas eu quero nele para ele provar Então minha cabeça para qualquer um eu quero a deles nasci homem e sou macho quero ver qual é o c**** a p*** que vai mudar meu certo
Two years too late but without a doubt the hardest thumbs up I've ever given on YT. I hated watching every second up to the Q&A but to Jocko and Echo, I say thank you for covering this. I know Echo was silent throughout the whole thing but sitting there with Jocko while he's telling this must've been challenging at the very least. Making it through this episode is the bare minimum I could do for the people who died during this....I'm not sure what to call it to be honest, words can not do justice here. Without a doubt one of the darkest times in human history even if the death toll does not 'measure up' to other events that have happened during our time here. The senseless insanity displayed chills me to the bone, I can only pray that none of us 'good' men ever become that numb again. The scary thing being that it takes intelligence to flip that switch, it's not instinct. We are the only species on this planet capable of this kind of carnage and we owe it all to that big ole brain of ours, coming up with ever better ways to destroy life. I watched the Unit 731 episode and the one about the Chechen war before this one but I'd say those three will be close as possible to a wake-up call to why discipline and ownership are so important. This is one episode I'll never forget
It's reported that events like the My Lai massacre happened every month, specially during operation Speedy Express. The only reason we know about My Lai is because of the failed cover up. Sickening. What the CIA did during the Vietnam War is also just horrific to read about.
on March 10, 1998, Senator Max Cleland (D-Ga.) entered a tribute to Thompson, Colburn and Andreotta (helicopter gunners) into the record of the U.S. Senate. Cleland said the three men were "true examples of American patriotism at its finest. that's a true american soldier, against all enemies, foreign and domestic you always do the right thing. out of a few hundred soldiers, only 3 had the guts to do anything. that shows you how many should be soldiers in the first place to me.
this one was brutal. Brutal but necessary to know
Not as brutal as some wars in africa
@@isaakellson654 but coming from the people who tout themselves as being the good guys and leaders of the free world, something which not many African groups presume to be
@@isaakellson654 I'm sure it's right up there with then buddy
Internet Gas America is not the land of the free and this guy is really naive to think how his country started out
Know your history,
So your not doomed to repeat them
1:47:30 actions of Heroic Pilot Hugh Thompson Jr. that helped to stop the massacre. Moral of the story.... one good man doing something is enough to stop evil!
Yes. There are videos of him on You Tube. What is clear that Mr Thompson possessed a moral clarity and strength of character that enabled him to behave the way he did.
He saved generations to come
@@ledfarmer100 "Save one person and you save the whole World".
The devil did his job before being stopped. That's really not the moral of the story.
Unless you're outnumbered by Karens 🤣
It'd be cool if in standard history classes they'd teach you about stuff like this that actually matters instead of having you memorize dates.
Absolutely. I'm ashamed to say I don't know the cause of either the Vietnam war or WWI, which is why I'm watching this podcast and others like it now. I want to learn what I wasn't taught in school!
I can’t even describe how I felt in my gut, my skin, and in my mind listening to this story. I definitely didn’t need coffee this morning. I am awake.
Surprised I never heard of the incident. I feel like this should be shown in all high school history classes. Very heavy stuff.
Did you discuss the war at all in school? Me thinks not, at least not in any depth. I also wish more history was taught.
@@georgemacdonell2341 in my high school we didn’t talk that much about the Vietnam war we basically just watched “We were Soldiers” I had to do my own research on my own time
naw forreal, our country needs to do a better job of HIGHLIGHTING the atrocities and mistakes we've caused early in HS as a way teach our students that hey "America AINT always that great, we're constantly growing, and to grow we need to reflect and talk about our mistakes"
Wtf how do they not teach about this in HS it's the worst massacre involving us soldiers in modern history
Brutal episode, almost didn't make it through. Glad I did. Moral compass is calibrated sir!
Jocko and Echo, Id like to thank you for covering this subject. I had never heard of it before. It was difficult to listen to at times but Im glad I did. Take ownership.
I watched the documentary on youtube and that was not easy to watch either.
My dad was in Vietnam, while growing up I would always ask him about it as a curious kid playing army all the time. But he refused to talk about it and would get really mad at us for asking, so we never asked again. This was hard to listen to never heard of this before now I can only imagine my dad not wanting to talk about what happened there. Sounds like hell on earth, terrible event.
I am Lt. Colonel Frank A Barker's son and have spoken with Micheal Bilton and have recieved an autographed copy of this book. My father was killed in action in 1968 and did whatever he could to stop this atrocity when he arrived on scene. Until his death,my mother told me that this massacre haunted him and could not believe this could have happened.
Well, I watched the whole video, while sometimes pausing to get news about the situation in Turkey. Thanks Jocko for reading parts of this book to us, it's sort of depressing to hear just what happened there in vietnam. But I'm happy to have listened till the end, it made it clear to me, how important a good command(er) is.
This story made me feel sick in the gut and the face. I’m glad you’re willing to cover the darkness, we have to know it I’m encouraged by seeing all the views knowing there are at least that many ppl out there integrating this knowledge into their understanding of the world.
"In 1970, Thompson testified against those responsible for the Mỹ Lai Massacre. Twenty-six officers and enlisted soldiers, including William Calley and Ernest Medina, were charged with criminal offenses, but all were either acquitted or pardoned. Thompson was condemned and ostracized by many individuals in the United States military and government, as well as the public, for his role in the investigations and trials concerning the Mỹ Lai massacre."
Unfathomable...the hero was ostracized by his fellow brothers in arms and members of the public...but not Medina not Calley. No, they got off with a slap on the wrist...for ordering the annihilation of hundreds of women, children and elderly men.
If only those platoons on the ground had just ONE Jocko..
The most intense Jocko podcast I've ever heard. God bless Hugh Thompson
Michael Brown try the hoto tutsi one that was bad. I think the Korean one where they end up in the ship was the worst (that’s the one where jack oconnel plays the runner directed by angelina jolie - ) I was nearly sick listening to it
When Pilot & Vietnam Veteran Hugh Thompson Meets His Maker - He Will Be Rewarded For Bravely Standing Up To The Pure Evil He Saw Playing Out That Was Being Perpetrated By His Fellow Servicemen, His Fellow Countrymen, His Fellow Human Beings! Thompson, With His Crew, Stood Up For The Lives Of The Innocent Civilians @ My Lai - For What Is Humane & Decent In All Men - When They Have Forgotten & Lost Their Way😢😭 God Forgive Them...🙏
@@JamieBordbar it's called machete season and that's what i was going to suggest
@@johnnynapalm2887 that one was really really bad - the Japanese one is worth a listen, I found it harder to deal with cos it involved so much torture.
Yes and he suffered years of harassment wasn't even honored till 1998
just discovered that you did this a few years ago...Absolutely essential to discuss this and kudos to Jocko for doing it. Michael Bilton is an old friend whose work on this was eye opening when he made his film, FOUR HOURS AT MY LAI. Several days of discussion on his film when he did it and got the deserved Emmy award for it stick sharply in my mind decaes later. People should look at the Peers Commission which is posted at the Library of Congress...a full look at what happened
Echo really shines in this early 'cast by speaking little after the beginning but being there. Jocko is absolutely amazing but having Echo as a sounding board giving perspective to what many might be thinking gives additional depth that is hard quantify. I know I liked the added dialogue the Echo offers. No man stands alone for long. Jocko, thanks for shining a light on 'Jerry Springer Raid' intel and how to handle it. As usual you wove that info into real life relevance by advising people to unravel that thread and avoid a repeat. It took a lot of brass to examine this subject matter. I am incredibly grateful that I grew up after this era of bad leadership and a terribly base perspective among the general US populace. Of the 22 veteran deaths per day statistic, the overwhelming majority (18+) are Vietnam-era if I read good info. What a terrible time to develop in! There were people of conscience in action, but to do so went against the common narrative, going 'against the grain'. How sad.
When people casually bandy about threats of violence or war. I think of events in history like this. This is within the scope of what "war" might entail.
How could anybody keep this in mind and casually advocate for unnecessary conflict?
I'm not naive or stupid enough to say war is always wrong but the possible extent of the nightmare needs to be soberly considered before you "okay" that action.
that kind of darkness is hard to imagine.........
Stacy Little because its americans doing it?
Joseph Siko Because it's people doing it. Human beings like you & I. The Holocaust, Nanjing, every historical massacre, it's difficult to imagine.
@@josephsiko6731 Yes, partly. You don't want the police of the world to act like this
@@josephsiko6731 but it's because he's not a f****** sociopath
Calley-' I was ordered that day to go and destroy the enemy, that was my mission".
Your enemy should not be women and children. Your enemy was the VC.
Just listened to entire podcast. I think I'll need a few hours to focus my thoughts. Right now, I'm kinda stunned. And I've known about My Lai, just not at this level of detail and hearing Jocko's message.
Yeah it was far more gruesome than what I was told.
This was an absolute carnage. Something you'd expect the Viet Cong forces to do.
All this does is just make me want to try to put a tight leash on myself. I never done anything evil but after reading about my lai I never trust any government in the world and never trust myself either
Surprised how many people have never heard of the My Lai massacre. Thought it was common knowledge.
I only found out when I was 36, and went to Vietnam on a holiday.
People have heard but don't want to remember, same behaviour as Einsatzgruppen!
We glossed over it like it was nothing when I took AP US history 8 years ago.
Definitely never heard of it before Jocko
A lot of people people are not old enough to remember. And it’s not a subject that is talked about. It’s a dark and shameful episode in what was a dark and shameful conflict. Perhaps the most shameful in American history. No surprise people would go about their lives and try to forget it ever happened. Given that I’m from Miami,fl. Lt. Calley’s hometown, we knew about it more than most. Such a terrible atrocity that one hopes no members of the US military ever repeat
Like Jordan Peterson said about the Nazi guards... Evil lives inside us all.
@OZMX Hugh Thompson Jr also wasnt part of Charlie Company, didnt see his buddies blown up horrifically, wasnt in the same place as they were.
Man I hope he gets out of Rehab soon, looking forward to his exodus series
Hard to admit, but I believe you are right.
Speak for yourself. I've only killed a few times.
I never fought in war but I’m scared deeply of myself that I would do somthing evil. I pray to god that I never become a monster. It’s my biggest fear in life to become a monster. I haven’t done anything bad but I never want to do what happened in my lai
Of course a president like Richard Nixon would pardon Calley of crimes after only 3 years of house arrest...
Seems like everyone got pardoned after that mistake of a war: The draft dodgers, the POW collaborators, etc.
Yup, there's no way that a president like Trump would pardon a convicted war criminal like Eddie Gallagher.
@@joshwhite9280 When you consider the Fact that Eddie was and is Innocent, why wouldn’t he be Pardoned?
@Josh White We aren't talking about Trump, he wasn't President then. Don't try to divert attention away from this atrocity with your political bias and hatred. You sound stupid.
I hope Thompson found a little nice fishing spot in heaven 🏝 🐠
If there was a heaven (hence, a benevolent God) such atrocities wouldn't have happened in the first place.
@@ClaversOdhiamboArt . Birth is a miracle and a privilege. Some are born to die. You were born to live. Make sure you hold your end of the bargain. Inshallah
@@ClaversOdhiamboArt If you do not believe in heaven or God That's Fine Don't knock those who do
Damn Jocko, I got so much luv for you man! That summation at the end made me want to stop my truck, stand up, & give you applause. The 🇺🇲 needs a good, honorable, caring, & strong leader like yourself right now.
On another note, I'm ashamed to say that at 53 years old I never knew the extent of how bad the "baby killing" statements of the Vietnam war really were. This account of what went on was truly horrific. As you said... that's why we must be on guard and alert to bad leadership that could possible lead us down a dark path.
Finished Extreme Ownership, this podcast is a great extension of those lessons learned.
Great Podcast! This is definitely one of my favorites so far. I'm working my way up from the first. Since I heard you Rogan's podcast a month or so ago. The narrations and interpretations of books are great. Many of the books you read, I would never have the time to read. So it's great to get the stories like this. Appreciate the time and effort from both you and Echo!
Hearing of this echos the darkness we cast in South America. I grew up thinking why don’t these people make a society like we have and then finding out about the fruit company and the coups etc.
we are a great and positive nation but damn we have had some dark moments. We need to keep going but never forget what we could be up if we ignore. That way we can be our best
Appreciate Jocko going through these books and shining a light into the darkest corners. Only at podcast #31.. already so much important material.
“Thompson was condemned and ostracized by many individuals in the United States military and government, as well as the public, for his role in the investigations and trials concerning the Mỹ Lai massacre. As a direct result of what he experienced, Thompson experienced posttraumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, divorce, and severe nightmare disorder. Despite the adversity he faced, he remained in the United States Army until November 1, 1983, then continued to make a living as a helicopter pilot in the Southeastern United States.
In 1998, 30 years after the massacre, Thompson and the two other members of his crew, Andreotta and Colburn, were awarded the Soldier's Medal (Andreotta posthumously), the United States Army's highest award for bravery not involving direct contact with the enemy. Thompson and Colburn returned to Sơn Mỹ to meet with survivors of the massacre at the Sơn Mỹ Memorial in 1998. In 1999, Thompson and Colburn received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award.” -Wikipedia
A good question to ask yourself is: "Am I a Calley or a Thompson".
The answer is both for almost all people.
@David Duffy you aint wrong
No military background. But most of my family have served . Father was a ranger. Thank you for that book reading. Most people try to ignore the realities of the real world. Educate!!!👍🤙
I sat and thought for a long time about what to comment. I truly do not have words.
thanks for sharing jocko and echo, had never heard of this until now. goes back to saying of learning your history or be destined to repeat it. hopefully we can prevent such a tragedy as this from occurring again.
You’re an amazing narrator!!!! I actually felt your frustration, hurt, pain and disgust in your voice as you were narrating- I felt it in your tone. Which made me cry even more so. I could not stop crying thru this book. I listened with my earbuds the entire way- no breaks, pauses, etc. I could not stop listening even tho it was extremely difficult to continue. My eyes were so puffy when it was over. I just could not stop crying 😢 Idk if I should’ve even listened because it has affected me- it’s just too hurtful and evil! And I want to thank YOU for your genuine, heart-felt service to all of us citizens in our country! People like you are the perfect example of wtf a REAL leader should be!! YOU!!! You’re just a f’ing bad ass MF!! 🙌🏼💯
Until today I had never heard of the My Lai Massacre and it's extremely disturbing to hear about the events that took place however I'm glad to have the knowledge of what happened. Events like this we need to remember so we don't repeat them.
This Is Extremely Important History To Be Taught & Remembered - So As Not To Be Repeated!
Imagine thinking that humans never repeat history.
Repeating is human nature
Good stuff, Jocko, I'm really digging your war book podcasts. Your insight and perspective is great. Keep up the good work!
Another great podcast! You should get Marcus Luttrell on here soon
Trying to catch up on your podcast I thought how much history is not told or is forgotten because we think it is too much evil or needs to be erased. If we erase our history we will will not learn from our mistakes or past.
I thank you for being a voice out there in this world and thank you for your service! Echo...your input is enjoyed as well.
Jocko would make an awesome audio-book narrator, thank you for making this video! Currently in a leadership class, the pitfalls and failures in leadership and leading to this massacre are very clear. Thank you to Hugh Thompson for stopping it and doing what is right.
Jocko gotta be president
Who's the black belt now Putin
+Guitarkid2212 Putin is a real full blooded gangster.
Heck yea
"I like this guy, they aren't necessarily qualified, but they should be president"
Typical
@@user-hm1kn9ux3u At least he has real leader skills, unlike the pansy-ass politicians who ONLY worry about getting re-elected while quietly taking money to screw over the citizen.
The lack of accountability for the My Lai Massacre is indeed a deeply troubling aspect of this tragedy. Despite the scale of the atrocity, only a few individuals were held accountable, and the consequences they faced were minimal compared to the gravity of their actions.
Captain Ernest Medina, who was accused of involvement, was acquitted. Lieutenant William Calley, who led the platoon responsible for the massacre, was convicted of murder in 1971 and sentenced to life in prison. However, his sentence was later reduced, and he served only a few years under house arrest. Most other soldiers involved were either not charged or acquitted.
The failure to adequately punish those responsible not only adds to the injustice experienced by the victims but also undermines the principles of accountability and justice. It raises critical questions about the mechanisms of military justice and the importance of holding individuals accountable for war crimes to prevent future atrocities.
This lack of accountability can have long-lasting effects on public trust in institutions and contribute to a sense of impunity among those who commit such acts. It reminds us of the importance of vigilance, ethical leadership, and robust legal frameworks to ensure that such violations are met with appropriate consequences.
Fawk this is so heavy thank you Jocko I never heard of this. As a vet it is heavy also being a child from the Vietnam War. As you were reading it I close my eyes and I can see everything you read as a movie playing in my head.
Had to listen. Your presentation was brilliant. Absolutely horrific what happened...
Mai Lai was committed by a single poorly led company of soldiers. People forget it was an Army pilot and his crew who stopped it and preserved life. Going so far as to put his aircraft between innocent civilians, and charlie co soldiers. Later, it was a single US soldier that uncovered it. Every Vietnam veteran has been stained w/ Mai Lai, and that's wrong.
frankdrebin and all those soldiers that went along with it. Mind boggling.
all of them are guilty ! That's nazi excuses that they followed orders !
We would all like to believe that "I could never do that" but you don't know until you're actually there. I'm NOT defending anyone.....but "there but for the grace of God go I".
When you consider that in a "war zone" you can be shot for disobeying an order then things get real. You also have to consider what these soldiers have been subjected to. Their friends being maimed or killed by booby traps on a weekly or daily basis, and as Jocko's teacher said, "but the locals moved in the same places and nothing happened to them"......that could and obviously did create an "us vs. them" attitude.
TideFan Yankee it is horrifying to put yourself in their shoes and think what you are capable of. Some of the acts described in this video seem impossible for me to carry out tho. Even if I hated someone with all my heart I couldn’t blow the head of their infant apart or rape them. These people had evil in them and this was just an opportunity for it to come out. It’s scary that these people are around us all the time and we can never know until everything goes to hell.
Robert Cameron. People, aren't as "civilized" as we like to think. There are veils of varying thicknesses with each person. There are different things (situations/circumstances) with each of us that can cause that veil to be drawn back. With many people it would be someone doing harm to your family or trying to harm your family. Think about it.....what wouldn't you do to protect someone you love and care about??? In the military, the guys in your unit become very much like family. I saw guys in my unit that would argue and fight like cats and dogs, but no one else (someone from outside the unit) was allowed to so much as touch them. It's like that with brothers. Again, I'm not defending nor excusing what Jocko read about, it was horrific, it was inhuman. But the only way I can wrap my mind around it, is to try to put it in the perspective of those young guys who for months had watched their best friends.....their "family" be maimed or killed by an enemy that didn't wear a uniform and was "among" them. Young troops, many conscripted, tens of thousands of miles from home depending on each other so they could get home at some point, and then not knowing who they could trust.....knowing that many times in those villages their were people who would do them harm or help those who would.
This podcast gave me chills for two hours. I'm grateful that Jocko was able to introduce me to Four Hours in My Lai.
I love going to my friends and telling them of story’s like this. Know you history or be doomed to repeat it
Sadly, nowadays people don't wanna hear about the bad history. They wanna erase the bad stuff and pretend that the world is all sunshine and joy so they're not offended.
What I remember most about Platoon was when Charlie Sheen's character states that if they could have stopped their infighting, they might have had more success as a Platoon
How are the people involved in this not being held accountable even years later like the Nazis still are. Disgusting to see our countries lack of justice following this horrid act. Im disgusted.
Yes, what is even more sick is that there are fellow americans that will say "they were all just following orders!", I shit you not, there are people that will make excuses for william and the rest.
The chapter about the massacre shook my to my core. Never in my life have I read something so horrible. Nightmare fuel.
ROUGH podcast!! I did not know the story of My Lai. I have a brother-in-law, who's EX-father in-law (from his 1st marriage), served in Vietnam. He flew a helicopter. I've heard how he used to brag about mowing down the "Vietcong" while they worked in their fields. He would just open fire as he flew over, didn't matter to him if they where innocent civilians or not. My brother-in-law (who is in the military) would walk out of the room, he couldn't stand listening to him. Listening to the history of this time, through this book and how #'s where a good thing...I see how poor leadership would open the door for some men to kill like this. Horrible situation!
40:28
"As long as cold beer, hot food, rock and roll and all the other amenities remain the expected norm, our conduct of the war will gain only impotence"- Apocalypse Now
This was a very heavy but honourable decision to make Mr Jocko.
I'm affected by this! I cried!!!!
My Friday just got better.
Yuup
I miss lapping my bike around the track dang it!
Bruh My Head Is Like Spinning From This Intro
It's crazy. Me too.
Well done Jocko, adressed a difficult and heavy topic very well. Plus the commentary hads perspective
The worse part still…My Lai was almost certainly not an isolated incident.
There’s that common trope of those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it, but I agree with Dr Robert Sapolsky on this one-looking at the massacre itself is crucial but it’s only half of the lesson, and the second part is the heroic and noble actions of Hugh Thompson (to which Sapolsky remarks that those who are ignorant of these high points of humanity are doomed to pass those moments by whenever they arise)
This is one I won't be coming back to, one of the toughest listens
I actually had somebody trying to spin civillian casualties as "its not about shooting people..its about protecting the guy next to you"
I've known about the Mai Lai massacre for a long time now but listening this now ... At 36yrs old with 3 young sons (5, 3 , 2) made me sick to my stomach for these Vietnamese people. Also makes my heart hurt for the troops that will live with this the rest of their life. Their souls have to be extremely wounded.
halfway through this one. It's riveting. Damn!
How about the current war in Afghanistan, and the SOCOM cover-up regarding a raid which killed an American-trained Afghan police officer and his family by accident?
Or, the cover-up regarding Pat Tillman's friendly-fire death?
How about the drones on wedding parties in Yemen, literally as we speak?
Your views and the thematics you choose should get more attention. This podcast should get more attention. And watching Echo changing throughout the podcasts is fascinating to me as well. Thank you for doing this.
Shows u how important leadership is. Crazy
I'm mentally exhausted from listening to this and I'm only an hour in. Maybe I should take this in blocks especially before bed as I feel like I'm there and I'm not looking forward to my nightmares
I had never heard of this. I'm in the middle of The Forgotten Highlander and With the Old Breed, but I want to look into this book after I'm done with those two. I am not happy with the outcome of that court martial. Sickening
A reminder that people need to be kept in check, from the bottom to the top of the chain.
During my time in service I always noticed the people who had never been to Afghanistan talking about how they were all the enemy and their beliefs had no place in this world, while the guys who had been there telling them to shut the f**k up and that they didn't know what they were talking about. Good to see attitudes do a 180 in a way.
It's absolutely horrifying looking at the pictures of the massacred people and noticing that not a single female or child has pants or underwear on as they lay dead. Every man has clothes on but women and children had their clothes torn off. Heartbreaking.
Keep talking sir! USMC A Co. 1/7
Thanks for the heads up.
I had heard of the story, but never the details.
Just for kicks, I came looking for the video because I heard you mention it while talking with Glenn Beck.
Not a big Beck fan, but I figured Beck and Jocko talking was worth a listen.
The only thing evil needs to prevail is for good men to stand by and do nothing.
Shows how intelligent our system is.
I had never heard of this massacre till now. As a American, I hate hearing about atrocities we’ve committed. But I need to learn about this as every American should so we don’t repeat this. R.I.P to all the innocent men, women and children’s lives we’ve brutally robbed from their family and friends.
Why do you believe history never repeats itself?
It's like Cormac McCarthy wrote this. But it's real. It's like a companion book to Blood Meridian.
The most important story I never knew. Wow...
These soldiers were cowards. They couldn’t face the VCs & NVAs In The field; therefore, they killed the weak & innocent old men, women, pregnant women & babies. These were South Vietnamese whom they were supposed to defend against the communists. As a soldier, there’s no glorification in killing unarmed civilians. It was the most humiliated event of the Vietnam War. This only invigorated the NVAs to fight more ferociously to free the South from the evil American military and eventually won the war. After this incident, the NVA knew that American military couldn’t stay the course to last. The NVA’s war of attrition won the American military at the end of the day even with more superior number of soldiers and firing power from the Allies.
Hugh Thompson and his helicopter crew have all passed away, but Calley is still sucking air.
It's hard to comprehend how this can happen,it's easy to understand how it did.
we gotta educate our service members more on being a "conscious objector".
"the training came to me and I just started killing". What training? May God convict our souls to never allow anything like this to happen again. I was fortunate in my early Marine career in the mid 80's we were tasked with doing a study of My Lai. I saw the faces of hard charging Marines quiver with tears in their eyes wondering if they made the right decision to serve... to be told that THEY are the defenders of the helpless, defenseless, innocents and to ensure event's like this never happen during out time and to train the next generation to do the same... Thank you for the reminder of who we can become IF allowed. Semper Fi
if you don't know the darkness, you can NEVER appreciate the goodness
this was a harrowing account narrated by Jocko brilliantly.
Jocko, I don't know if you check these. I hope you. I have a question about My Lao and power of leadership. If you are willing to help me out, it'll be greatly appreciated.
" we had to obey orders" sounds mighty familiar to what the Nazis said after their work in concentration camps
Great podcast.
A lot of people criticize the My Lai massacre from the perspective that they would stopped it. They separate themselves morally from the humans that did not. The fact is that most of the young me present participated willingly. My Lai was not an isolated event in the Vietnam War, either.
In Vietnam, the US Military and government became a mass murdering machine. The body count emphasis, basic training, loose rules of engagement, free fire zones, intense communist propaganda, high American casualty rate, deceptive Viet Cong tactics, cynical GI outlook, and seek and destroy mission structure - combined to dehumanize the Vietnamese. The immediate effect being their total destruction - hamlets, livestock, women, babies, men, and all.
This same hatred and dehumanization was tuned against the Muslim world post 9/11. "Terrorism" replaced "Communism." The same atrocities that prevailed in Vietnam recurred, and continue to occur now as the USA aids and abets genocide in Gaza.
Had Muslim resistance groups in Iraq been better armed and financed by a major proxy like Russia who supported the Viet Cong, then the Iraq war would have escalated the same way that Vietnam did. And, Jocko himself, may have been faced with the overwhelming desire to kill "anything that moves."
Would all of you critics really act differently, if you were thrust into the same circumstances? Are you all really so very good? You won't know until that day arrives.
Ultimately, the lesson here is that America has learned nothing through all these wars and hatred. We should have been protecting South Vietnam, instead we destroyed it. We did the same thing to Iraq. The Taliban took back Afghanistan over a weekend, after 20 years of US military effort.
I knew of this before but never all the details, this was great stuff. The gore was not pleasant but it was essential, people should know about how bad war can be, it's not just like a video game. I can't imagine being Thompson or the chopper crew in that situation, risking their lives and threatening the infantry, I dont know if I could have intervened like that. What an awful incident, it should not have come to that, its amazing how seemingly normal people can end up doing that
Imagine him reading Charlotte's 🕸..to his kids..it would sound like a Bourne book
I know this is 5 years old but a couple months ago we did call in an air strike on an innocent village while pulling out of Afghanistan which was only caused by our terrible decisions
I listened and I learned, Thank you guys.
I used to believe Hell does not exist but it would have to, to accommodate Medina and his men.
This was really well done. Man Jocko you're intense, but in a good way.
Just watched this entire episode without any sleep and Jesus Christ; I was already exhausted before but now I feel like perishing away.
I already knew a lot about My Lai as well, but hearing it described in such detail? One of the worst things ever.