So, PB at sharingspouses@hotmail.com(I don't wanna ask), thinks I am some major asshole for calling Major Harry Schmidt a murderer for disobeying a direct order and bombing Canadian troops. While I seem to recall a friend who knew a guy in the army who the few details from this person would make sense, but that beside the point, I don't give a shit what you think PB. If you don't like my blog, don't like my views, then don't read. I think he broke the law and at least committed a horrible crime by dropping those bombs without care as to whom he was dropping them on.
I have no doubt, based on your rant, that you are a military man. Good for you. Let's hope that you can think with your brain not your bombs. Are you going to try to tell me there was no way he could have left the area, or gone beyond the range of the small weapons fire that was on the ground, and then spent time trying to figure out who and what the weapons fire was? What would be said if those had been American troops that he killed in a horrendous way? I'll tell you, they'd be outraged and calling for his head.
My view is this, and yes, it is the view of an inexperienced Canadian who has never, and will never be a soldier. My view is this. He disobeyed a direct order, dropped a bomb and killed 4 Canadians. That is murder. Maybe he didn't aim for them knowing they were Canadians, but just like the possibility that an American fighter dropping a bomb on a wedding party, it is wrong to drop a bomb without knowing exactly who is down there and why and where they are firing.
What if that had been American and Al Queda troops fighting it out? Would the pilot have known which side were American? I doubt it. But yet he would have still dropped the bombs and killed anyone. This is why bombs, no matter how smart they are titled, are a wrong and badly implemented use of technology. Would you give a Major in the US military the right to drop a Nuke at any whim? I would hope not, and thus I would say that the US army and Air Force should train their people to use that mindset. If you wouldn't drop a nuclear warhead on that area, don't drop anything without being damned sure. Obviously, he was not damned sure, but only kinda, sorta, maybe was somewhat sure.
I am not a military man. Like yourself I would never join the military. I also do not think of you as an asshole, just a little void of the ability to view things from a different perspective.
I agree with you that Major Schmidt could have and should have done things differently. We can all agree on that. Even Major Schmidt would agree with that. HE MADE A MISTAKE. One that was likely motivated by fear, fear of dying. Lets not make him out to be a murdered who planned out his every move to ensure that 4 Canadians were killed. You're making an extreme judgement, and you're too far away from the situation to do that with any credibility.
I don't understand how you can hire, pay and command a person to kill people all the while risking his own life, and then turn around and charge him with murder the minute he makes a mistake doing that job. Mistakes happen and its not only Canadians who have felt the pain. The US has killed many of its own in friendly fire incidents. I don't think that the fact that it wasn't Americans on the ground made any difference. They could have been Americans just as easily as they were Canadians. They could have been anybody.
If we start charging our military men with murder when they make mistakes, I suspect there would be few people willing to defend us. Why would they want to? I wouldn't risk my life for people like you who can't see the big picture.
I'm not interested in you agreeing with me, because that will clearly not happen. I would just like to share a different perspective since Major Schmidt won't likely get the chance to do so himself on your website.
I am simply making my own opinion known. I am not claiming credibility, knowledge or experience. If Major Schmidt wants to express himself on this site, he is welcome to, though it is not likely he will find this site. My view is this. Yes, he made a mistake. But not some ordinary mistake of dropping the bomb in the wrong spot, or having the bomb drop a second too early, or a second too late.
He dropped a bomb on small arms fire that was coming no were near his plane, not even being shot in the air, and dropped a bomb, once again against a direct order. That, at least, he should be tried and convicted for. That is a crime in the US and every modern military. He went far and above a simply mistake and should pay for it. I do believe an additional charge should be something like misconduct(or negligence) causing death times 4.