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It's the morning of March 16, 1968.

A small American scout helicopter races over the dense forest and countless

rice paddies of South Vietnam. On board, 24-year-old pilot Chief Warred Officer Hugh Thompson

peers out through the canopy at the countryside streaking below.

Grammed into the helicopter beside Hugh are two other men,

his crew chief Glenn and his gunner Larry. Today, their job is to act as bait,

to draw the fire of Viet Cong hiding in the jungle so as to reveal their position to other American

forces. There's no sign of the Viet Cong this morning,

but ahead, Hugh can see thick smoke rising above the forest where a village appears to be on fire.

Dipping his chopper's nose, Hugh accelerates toward the smoke. He knows that his fellow American

soldiers from Charlie Company are conducting operations in the region. Clearly, it looks like

things took a violent turn. Hovering over the burning village, you can see dead bodies on the ground.

Dozens of Vietnamese civilians scattered between the houses and surrounding fields.

There's a crackle in Hugh's headset. Hugh turns and sees Larry pointing to a field just south

of the village. There, a Vietnamese woman is lying on the ground, clearly wounded but still alive.

Hugh wishes he could help her, but his helicopter is too small to airlift her to safety.

So instead, he hovers low of the field as Larry opens a smoke canister and drops to the ground.

A plume of green vapor bursts out, a signal to American troops nearby that there's a civilian in

need of medical assistance. Hugh then radios their position to the men on the ground.

...