http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkFa2lSNAGc

The My Lai Massacre took place on March 16, 1968, when members of the U.S. Army killed between 347 and 504 unarmed civilians in the South Vietnam hamlets of My Lai and My Khe. Hugh Thompson Jr. was a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. On the day of the massacre, Thompson and his crew were flying over My Lai when they saw a U.S. soldier shoot a woman. Thompson landed his helicopter between villagers and soldiers, and he and his crew dismounted and threatened to shoot the U.S. soldiers if they did not stop. Thompson then went on to report the massacre to his superiors. In this video, Thompson Jr. recalls the day of the massacre. When asked how he can explain soldiers doing what they did in My Lai, he responds: “When the leadership that allows them to do it. Negative peer pressure. Prejudice. Fear. Not everybody on the ground that day took part in it. We put I think somewhere around 190 people on the ground. Only somewhere between thirteen and eighteen I’ve been told actually took part in what was going on. The others didn’t do anything to stop it, just kind of turned the other way. You know, they knew what was going on.”

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Hugh Thompson Jr. On Witnessing The My Lai Massacre appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBM2hiXRZA0

Pat Tillman, born November 6, 1976, was a professional American football player and soldier in the United States Army. Tillman gave up a lucrative NFL career in order to enlist in the United States Army in June, 2002, following the September 11 attacks. Tillman was killed while serving in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. While the Army first reported that Tillman had been killed by enemy fire, it was later revealed that was the victim of friendly fire. In this video, fellow soldier Specialist Bryan O’Neal testifies about the day that Tillman was killed. O’Neal recalls: “Before he was able to finish telling me what our plan was, we had started to receive fire from a GMV. AT first, it was short, sporadic. We didn’t really – I didn’t really understand what was happening. I looked and saw that it was friendly fire coming towards us. Pat asked me basically what was going on, and I let him know. It didn’t take long before those in the GMF who were stopped at the time, to dismount and open up on us with the 50-calibur machine gun and the 240-bravo machine gun.”

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Friends and Family Remember Pat Tillman appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qb6CzBlORQ

Ethel LaSalle served in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) during World War II from 1944 to 1945. The Women’s Army Corps became a full status branch of the Army in 1943, with around 150,000 women serving in it during World War II. Women who served in the WAC were the first to perform jobs other than serving as nurses. After leaving the Army, LaSalle, “Never gave it a thought that I was a veteran, because the women–we weren’t acknowledged, let’s face it.”

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WWII Veteran Describes Serving in the Women’s Army Corps appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqcTLQrmoZg

In this Legacy Project interview from 2006 with Raymond Aubrac, a leader of the French Resistance, he describes his efforts to oppose Nazi Germany’s occupation of France during World War II. He says of his brave peers in the Resistance: “That’s very amazing to consider–all these people were volunteers. Nobody had been forced into that kind of action. Even when it became dangerous…they stayed.” Aubrac discusses that he was stationed in Straberg near the Rhine River as a soldier in the French army. In June of 1940, Aubrac reveals how he was nearly handed over to the German army as a prisoner of war, yet he was thankfully able to return to France with the help of his friends. Aubrac mentions that he then joined a movement against the German influence in France and he was able to produce and distribute underground newspapers. Aubrac says he had wished to move to the United States during the 1940s yet abandoning the resistance efforts would have betrayed his belief in solidarity.

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Leader of the French Resistance on Solidarity appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RO0m7HMYlA

U.S. veteran Gerald M. Boe, the guard for Hermann Göring during the Nuremberg Trials, shares his memories of that time. Göring was one of the surviving leaders of the Third Reich and the highest-ranking Nazi to be tried at the Nuremberg Trials where he was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death. Boe would have to frequently tell Göring to sit-down because he was “ranting and raving about the sentence that he got.” The night before Göring’s sentencing to death by hanging was to be carried out, Boe recalls how Göring took the cyanide pill that was smuggled into his cell–committing suicide. The Nuremberg trials in Nuremberg, Germany began on November 20, 1945 and ended on October 1, 1946 held by Allied forces after World War II for the prosecution of members within the Nazi leadership.

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Hermann Göring’s Guard on His Suicide at Nuremberg Trials appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv-Jh8XkltA

Bill Boving, who served in the U.S. infantry during World War II, recalls his time as a guard during the Nuremberg Trials. Boving sat in on some of the days and mentions how it dragged on for a long time–noting that some people after a few months felt it was just a “job” to be there and less “the greatest trial in history,” as it was described by Norman Birkett, a British judge presiding over the military tribunals. The Nuremberg trials in Nuremberg, Germany began on November 20, 1945 and ended on October 1, 1946 held by Allied forces after World War II for the prosecution of members within the Nazi leadership.

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Guard Duty During the Nuremberg Trials appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-YMYvn47pk

Writer Nancy Stout talks about Celia Sánchez and her impact on the Cuban Revolution. Sánchez played a large role behind the scenes during the revolution and Stout claims that is why not many people outside of Cuba even know who she is. Sánchez was a close friend of Fidel Castro and not only did she make sure his uniform was clean and perform other trivial tasks, but she also played a more important role in the revolution. She was one of the first women to lead a combat squad and was responsible for organizing reinforcements for her squad. She also helped to supply other leaders of the revolution, like Che Guevara, with weapons, food and medical supplies. During the 1960s, Castro named Sánchez the Secretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, a position she held until her death in 1980.

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Celia Sánchez: One of the Most Important Women Behind the Cuban Revolution appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLiWN8Hpnoo

In this footage, Fidel Castro gives a speech to the Cuban people just days after his forces overthrew the government of Fulgencio Batista. He calls the overthrow “the most beautiful victory of our people” and tells the people of Cuba to remember their fallen heroes. Soon after ousting Batista’s regime, Castro made Cuba into a socialist state, which by 1965 became full blown communism. This change of government to communism strained Cuba’s relations with the United States resulting in an embargo against Cuba which still exists to this day.

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Fidel Castro Gives Speech Days After Cuban Revolution Ends appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F068mOrMD0

Soldiers who fought in the Cuban Revolution are interviewed about what happened during the revolution. They talk about witnessing the many deaths of their fellow soldiers and one soldier recalls the kind of food they were given. He describes sharing one tin can of condensed milk with his whole squad–taking turns with his fellow soldiers on dipping their fingers into the can and licking the milk off their fingers. The Cuban Revolution began in July of 1953, but it took Fidel Castro and his army almost six years to overthrow the Cuban government of Fulgencio Batista. Castro recruited thousands of unhappy working class people from Havana to join “the movement” to overthrow Batista. When Castro finally took power, he turned Cuba into a socialist state, and by 1965, Cuba became completely communist as it remains today.

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Soldiers Remember Their Life During the Cuban Revolution appeared first on Witnify.

“First of all, I want you to know that I’m really cheerful and looking forward to getting home and learning to live a kind of new and different life. Instead of being blue and discouraged…Now I’ll tell you what happened to me. So kind of brace yourself…”

After sustaining severe injuries during combat in World War II, lieutenant Robert Hart maintains a positive outlook for his future. In this letter for his father while in recovery, Hart demonstrates remarkable courage and determination. Omitting the details of the trauma that would leave him permanently disabled for the rest of his life, Hart reassures his father that he still has “a lot to live for”:

“Dear Pop:

Here we are again. Things are coming along fine. It’s slow work, but I’m improving daily. Just had a long talk yesterday with my nurse, and she convinced me that I should tell you what I’m going to. You will have to know it eventually, but I was going to put it off as long as possible.

First of all, I want you to know that I’m really cheerful and looking forward to getting home and learning to live a kind of new and different life. Instead of being blue and discouraged, I am very happy and have plenty of faith in a happy future. Now I’ll tell you what happened to me. So kind of brace yourself.

My legs were pretty badly wounded, but in time will be as good as new. However, I lost my right arm just below the elbow. Right now I can’t see, but with the facilities in the hospitals at home, the eye doctor here tells me there is a slight chance that they can make me see. However, I’m not really counting too much on that because I feel that I will remain this way.

Well dad, that is the story. I hated to tell you, but I know you would have wanted to know. For “gosh sakes” please don’t feel sorry for me. If you could see me here in the hospital, and all the fun I’m having – kidding the nurses and the talking with all the swell visitors we have, you would say, “there is nothing wrong with that guy, send him back to duty.” I’ve still got a lot to live for and that plus my faith will probably make me the happiest fellow in town.

By the way, a British major visited us the other night and we chatted for two interesting hours. Next day we got a box from him with a quart of milk, a bunch of apples, and two bottles of beer. Wasn’t that swell of him?

Say, I’m running overtime. You are getting more than you deserve. In closing, besides sending my love to all, I beg you to believe me when I say I am happy and contented and have great faith and hope in the future.

Lovingly,

Bob”

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[Text] Wounded WWII Soldier Exemplifies ‘Soldiering On’ appeared first on Witnify.