The word hero has been applied so liberally in recent years, that it has largely lost its meaning.

There is no other word than heroic, however, to define the actions of Hugh Thompson in the Village of My Lai on March 16, 1968. Mr. Thompson had come across a massacre of Vietnamese civilians in progress at the hands of US forces.

Instead of turning away, or worse, taking part in the killing, Mr. Thompson and the men with him that day (Lawrence Colburn and Glenn Andreotta) forced the end of the massacre by turning their weapons on the US soldiers commiting the atrocity.

Over 500 men, women and children were killed that day and there would have been more if not for this brave act.

Mr. Thompson's good deed did not go unpunished. Ostracized by his peers for turning in his fellow soldiers, he suffered from depression... but from what I have read... never regret. It was not until 1998 that the US government grudgingly, after much lobbying, awarded him and his two collegues the "Soldier's Medal".

Mr. Thompson on that day recognized that the value of human life transcends borders, or language or culture. He risked his life and his career to do the right thing. For his actions in My Lai in 1968, many escaped certain death, and for this he was a true hero.

Hugh Thompson died from cancer today at the age of 62. May he rest in a well-deserved peace.