Hanoi (VNA) - Lawrence Manley Colburn, the US army helicopter gunner who helped stopthe massacre of hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese villagers by US troops at My Laiin 1968, has died at the age of 67, reported the Associated Press.

“We are shocked and very sorry for the death of Lawrence Colburn, a person who has a special place inthe heart of locals in Son My. He is deeply respected for saving many localsfrom the My Lai massacre,” said Pham Thanh Cong, Director of the My Lai Museum.

Lisa Colburn told AP on December 15 evening that her husband of 31 years wasdiagnosed with cancer in late September and died on December 13.

"It was very quick," she told AP by phone from her home in Canton,Ga., near Atlanta. "He was a very peaceful man who had a great desire fora peaceful world."

She also called him "a compassionate person who was a hero in manypeople’s eyes".

Colburn was the last surviving member of a US Army crew that stopped fellowsoldiers from further shootings and killings of Vietnamese civilians at My Laiin the central province of Quang Ngai on March 16, 1968. According to accounts,pilot Hugh Thompson landed the helicopter between unarmed villagers andAmerican troops and ordered Colburn and crew chief Glenn Andreotta to coverhim.

Thompson then persuaded members of Charlie Company to stop shooting. TheAmerican army company’s soldiers had begun shooting villagers that day, eventhough they hadn’t come under attack, authorities later said. The shootingquickly escalated into an orgy of killing that claimed the lives of as many as504 civilians — most of whom were women, children or elderly.

In an initial Facebook post, Lisa Colburn confirmed her husband’s death andwrote: "As most of you know, Larry has been very ill for a while, but hissuffering ended today, 12/13/16." She added: "Your friendship meant alot to him."

Trent Angers, who wrote a biography of Thompson, The ForgottenHero of My Lai: The Hugh Thompson Story, said Colburn played an indispensable role instopping the massacre at My Lai.

"He stood up, shoulder to shoulder with Hugh and Glenn, to oppose andstand down against those who were committing crimes against humanity. Withouthis assistance, Hugh might not have done what he did," Angers said.
Colburnand Thompson were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in2001 for their actions and received the Soldier’s Medal, the highest USmilitary award for bravery not involving conflict with the adversary.

Thompson, who lived in Lafayette, La., died in 2006. Andreotta was killed incombat in Vietnam three weeks after My Lai.

AP reported that a memorial service for Colburn is planned on January 7, 2017.In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by three sisters./.