You note in your “about” page that McCain finished very low in his Navy Academy class. Calley finished last in his OCS class. I live in the greater Columbus, Georgia area as does “Rusty” and he may be a nice guy most days but his guilt at My Lai is pretty well confirmed.
If so many college boys at not dodged the draft or run to Canada, Calley would never have been an officer and he should not have been one.
James Webb, former Navy Secretary, made the same point. I think he wrote that Calley was passed over 3 times, but due to all the draft dodgers, the Army eventually took him.
Your comments are a virtual paraphrase of those I heard General William Westmoreland speak to the Army officers attending the USAF War College in 1971.
Have to agree. Calley was convicted of personally shooting Vietnamese civilians, not just of losing control of his platoon which ran amok.