Lawrence Colburn dies; helped end Vietnam's My Lai massacre

The helicopter gunner who helped end the slaughter of hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese villagers at My Lai during the Vietnam War has died.

In a Facebook post, Lisa Colburn confirmed the death Tuesday of her husband, Lawrence Manley Colburn, of Canton, Georgia. He was 67.

Lisa Colburn says her husband had been ill some time.

Colburn was the last surviving member of a U.S. Army crew that ended the My Lai massacre of March 16, 1968. Pilot Hugh Thompson landed the helicopter between unarmed villagers and American troops and ordered Colburn and crew chief Glenn Andreotta to cover him.

Thompson then persuaded members of Charlie Company to stop shooting. The company's soldiers had begun shooting that day even though they hadn't come under attack. It quickly escalated into an orgy of killing.