That's possibly the most black and white example you could have posted here. It should be obvious to even the dumbest among us that Hugh Thompson was a hero. I

That's possibly the most black and white example you could have posted here. It should be obvious to even the dumbest among us that Hugh Thompson was a hero. I understand that there were congressmen who wanted him to be tried as a traitor, but by making such statements, those congressman themselves should have faced imprisonment. Our elected officials should never condone war crimes. When they do, they should be removed from office and charged as the criminals they are. I'm a former Soldier. One of the most destructive things that ever existed in the military is the attitude that people should just shut-up and follow orders. In a true, disciplined environment, Soldiers don't question routine, normal things. They just get the job done. But when it comes to morally ambiguous (and your example is by no means morally ambiguous) situations, you have to use your judgment. Sometimes superiors give bad orders because they overlooked something, when this happens, they will often correct themselves when someone questions the wisdom of what they are doing. Sometimes, however, superiors give bad orders because they don't really care what the right thing to do is. Sometimes leaders think that the regulations and laws governing the military don't apply to them. In these situations, there really isn't a good option for Soldiers to take. In Hugh Thompson's case, he ultimately won his battle. Some Soldiers won't be as lucky.