#5 No Gun Ri

Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2000 04:14:17 PST

To The Editor:
On 16 March, I will be in Viet Nam at the site of the My Lai massacre. It will be the 32nd Anniversary. That journey and the article "No Gun Ri Compensation Talks Sought", 7 March 2000, reporting that American attorneys have been hired to press damage claims of the survivors has made me wonder.
Could it be possible that the much maligned penchant for litigation on the part of US lawyers has a chance to succeed where diplomats, statesmen and governments have failed? If the ever burgeoning toll on civilians, be it 'collateral damage' or willfully inflicted harm, has to be compensated then we may finally have a face-saving way out of armed conflict.
Who would have the courage to match wits with our litigation specialists. Just a whimsical thought.
William J. Kelly Jr.
8A/G7b Thai Van Lung
TP. HCM; Viet Nam
011-84-8-824-3990

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