OBIT: Samuel Koster, General Charged in My Lai Killings

[MountainLaurel]

Samuel W. Koster Sr., 86, the general who was the highest-ranking officer charged in the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War, died of renal failure Jan. 23 at his Annapolis home.

Gen. Koster was in command of the Army's largest and northernmost division, Americal, on March 16, 1968, when troops led by Capt. Ernest Medina and Lt. William Calley killed hundreds of civilians in a South Vietnamese village also known as Pinkville.

snip

Gen. Koster was not on the ground at My Lai, but he flew over the village while the soldiers moved in and afterward. He later testified that he believed only about 20 civilians had died, although he also said he was told about "wild shooting" and a confrontation between ground troops and a helicopter pilot, later identified as Hugh Thompson, who tried to stop the shooting of civilians.

snip

The general's announcement of his resignation from West Point was met with a standing ovation for the general from the 3,700 cadets and a march in homage to him. Cadets credited him with ending some of the worst excesses of hazing there.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/09/AR2006020902097.html

[lapfog_1]

1. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi.... NOT!!! n/t

[MountainLaurel]

2. Translation please!

:hi:

[lapfog_1]

3. not lost in translation

(SIK TRAN-sit GLAWR-ee-uh MOON-dee) Latin for “Thus passes away the glory of the world”

[MountainLaurel]

5. Thanks!

And a great comment.

[Jara sang]

4. Burn in hell.

The world is a better place without him.

[MountainLaurel]

6. Most definitely

He's smoking turds in hell right now, if you believe in that sort of thing.