Son Thang: An American War Crime

Professor Gary Solis' "Son Thang: An American War Crime" is an excellent account of the courts-martial of four Marines for the murder of 16 Vietnamese civilians during the Vietnam War. Drawing from the transcripts from the courts-martial, the appellate record, the historical record, and interviews with many of the participants, Solis - a Vietnam veteran who served as both a military prosecutor and military judge in the Marines and who now teaches military law at West Point - gives a complete picture of the story as only a true insider can. Although this book is history, it reads like a novel. Solis brings the tension of the battlefield and the drama of the courtroom alive in this book. And he also brings alive the legal maneuvering before each court-martial as the prosecutors, defense counsel, and - in some cases - civilian defense counsel, all "prepared the battlefield" before each court-martial. As a former practitioner of military justice, Solis understands the nuances and intricacies of military justice, staff work on a division staff, and the actual role of commanders in the process. He methodically explains how military justice works in a deployed environment (the rules are the same, but there are many "real-world" problems such as witness production and transportation that can threaten an otherwise sound case). Finally, Solis also gives glimpses of the bigger picture of the Vietnam War in 1970: the USMC manpower problems with Project 100,000, law of war training issues, the moral problems dealt with by Marines facing women and children fighters, etc. And, after telling the full post-trial stories of the convicted Marines (that went on for over 10 years), Solis wraps up with some conclusions about what went wrong, what went right, and suggestions for improving the military justice system (which are especially relevant now that we are again trying important courts-martial in deployed environments). "Son Thang" is an outstanding book and a very easy read. Anyone interested in the Vietnam War, military justice, or in trial work in general should read it.

The reviews of Gary Solis's SON THANG are entirely accurate: the book is a masterpiece of historical research and sharp, incisive, nuanced writing. A gripping and depressing read, the book examines not only the singular horror of the Son Thang massacre (and in that it is a refreshing alternative to the incident as presented in Oliver North's white-washed memoirs, and Randy Herrod's self-serving BLUE'S BASTARDS), but also the decline in morale and professional standards during the waning days of the Vietnam War. That this decay almost overwhelmed the draftee-filled U.S. Army is an accepted fact. That an institution as proud as the Marine Corps (an institution which had upheld its highest traditions at places like Con Thien, Hue, Khe Sanh, and Dai Do from 1965-68) was also dry-rotting during the 1969-70 period is not as well known. Though a proud Marine veteran himself, the author is willing to look such ugly truths square in the eye, and SONG THANG is all the better for it. The Foreword by BrigGen E.H. Simmons, USMC (Ret), is also fascinating.

"Son Thang" is both an important work of legal scholarship and a compelling, well-written story. Col. Solis documents, step by step, exactly how the Marine Corps treated its own suspected of war crimes in Vietnam-they were quickly tried, and if convicted, imprisoned. There were no coverups and no excuses. Marines accused of killing non-combatants were swiftly brought to book and the chips allowed to fall where they may. Here, it appears that several of the Marine Corps prosecutors were out-lawyered by civilian attorneys. That doesn't matter; a trial is, after all, a contest. What matters is that the Marine Corps had-and has always had and will always have-the will to try those accused of atrocities.

Smaller wars, bigger war crimes seems an apt description of the New World Order. Brutal atrocities by members of armed forces of questionable pedigree and dubious professionalism have been the stuff of numerous front page stories since the deconstruction of the Soviet empire. The apparent intransigence or inability of particular governments to punish genocidal rapes and murders, reprisals, and pillaging have prompted collective reaction in the call for establishment of an international court for the trial of war crimes. To the consternation of our friends and the comfort of our enemies, the military establishment of the United States has opposed such a tribunal, asserting ,on the one hand, that our domestic military law affords sufficient deterrence for U.S. forces, while, insisting on the other that an international court offers too great a risk of railroading innocent Ameican soldiers, sailors, and aviators. For the contemporary study of these issues, Gary Solis offers an excellent historical lesson in Son Thang: An American War Crime. He recounts the story of the killing of several women and children during one night operation by a small band of U.S. Marines in Viet Nam, not long after the more notorious massacre of non-combatants by Americans at My Lai. Within earshot of their commanders, the Marines pulled women and children from their homes, gunned them down, and then tried to cover it up. From the story of the atrocity, he unfolds the story of its exposure by other, relentless Marines, and then the story of its legal accounting, in a series of courts martial right there in the field. When Solis has finished his report, he leaves readers to judge the effectiveness of the American process of military criminal justice for the prosecution of war crimes. For a former Marine with combat experience himself, Solis the story-teller excels in making the context intelligible for the rest of us. He seems to know just what needs explaining, from the art of night patrolling to the atmosphere of the ramshackle huts in which court was held so close to the continued fighting. He tells a gripping and tragic story clearly. Having heard it, we are the better to judge whether even as distinguished and professional a fighting force as the U.S. Marines can be left to police its own. Son Thang: An American War Crime is not only a fine read, it is an excellent lesson.

An exceptonally well written and researched account of a shameful chapter of the Vietnam war. It is a fast-paced and gripping read, even when covering points of military and international law that are obscure to the layman. Gary Solis does a masterful job, perhaps as only a combat veteran can, of setting forth the moral choices that sometimes face men during war, and the conflicting ethical forces effecting those who had to deal with this horrible tragedy. Ultimately, I came away depressed because so many involved in the Son Thang incident and its aftermath made morally wrong decisions and choices when the correct courses of action appeared clear from the outset.