Edward, the difference between Mai Lai and "obliging" enemy soldiers is that Mai Lai were women, children and elderly... Not soldiers at all, whether wounded or not.

Ron, that may be what you were told, but I have a hard time believing that, especially from a full bird colonel IMO. And under the same pretext, do the SS soldiers of the TV suffer from PTSD if they gassed or shot hundreds of thousands, or not because they viewed them as not human? Evil as it may be, that's what I would call politically reliable. Same goes for the Soviet NKVD side.

I got to know him very well over the years. I saw the emotion on his face, and heard it in his voice when he told me the story. He was in therapy for PTSD the entire time I knew him. I served two tours in Vietnam, and have no doubt whatsoever that he was telling me the truth.

Comparing him to Brainwashed Psychotic fanatics such as the SS is hardly a rational comparison, and in my view very insulting.

I wasn't going to post on this thread, but one thing I am certain, no US military personnel has to obey an unlawful order. That's a longstanding policy and was in affect during my tour, and I don't think that has changed.

RH Burns - rvn '64