Tom Daniel

“I had guard duty in the Red Zone and my orders were to kill anything that came in. It was at the start of Tet and we were extra diligent.

“Around 6:30, I saw a woman running and screaming and headed for us. I knew my orders, but she looked pregnant and I wasn’t going to shoot a pregnant woman. I was not going to be responsible for that. I knew I might be court martialed and might go to jail, but I wasn’t going to kill a pregnant woman.

“I was court martialed and at my trial the lieutenant wanted to know why I didn’t shoot. I said she was pregnant. He wanted to know how I knew she was pregnant, maybe it was trick or something. I said she was pregnant. And he wanted to know how I could be certain.

“That went on for a while and I finally asked was she pregnant or not? Did I make the right call or not? I told them what they could do with their court martial and with their trial, but I wanted to know if she was pregnant or not. She was pregnant.

“Case dismissed.

“And I was immediately promoted to Sergeant.”