PITTSBURGH - Robert W. T'Souvas died a bum, a homeless 39-year-old man shot in the head by a female friend after arguing with her over a bottle of vodka under a downtown bridge.
Relatives say life had mostly been downhill for T'Souvas in the nearly two decades since he was charged with killing two Vietnamese children in the My Lai massacre.
"He had problems with Vietnam over and over. He didn't talk about it much. But he had problems with the body counts, things like that," said his father, William T'Souvas, of San Jose, Calif.
"He lasted 20 years, but he was walking a tight line," the elder T'Souvas said.
Army Spec. 4 T'Souvas, then 19 and a high school dropout from San Jose, Calif., was a member of one of three platoons that entered the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968, looking for Viet Cong troops but finding civilians instead.
The platoon moved into My Lai, firing on fleeing Vietnamese, tossing grenades into houses and slaughtering animals. When the soldiers left, at least 175 men, women and children were dead, according to a 1970 Army report, although later investigations put the toll as high as 500.
The Army charged T'Souvas with premeditated murder of two unidentified Vietnamese with a machine gun. He was one of nine enlisted men charged.
George T. Davis, the attorney who represented T'Souvas in the 1970 Army hearing, gave this account Monday:
"On the way out (of the village), T'Souvas saw two small children lying in the road with their intestines hanging out. In an emotional reaction, he took his M-16 and killed both to put them out of their misery."
Lt. William Calley Jr. was convicted of killing at least 22 civilians at My Lai. Of the enlisted men, two soldiers were acquitted, and the charges against T'Souvas and the six others were dropped. All were given honorable discharges.
Calley was ordered to spend life in prison, but President Richard Nixon later reduced his sentence to 20 years. He served three years under house arrest at Fort Benning, Ga. He was released when his conviction was overturned by a federal district judge, and he was not returned to house arrest when an appeals court reinstated the conviction.
Relatives of T'Souvas said that while he awaited his court-martial at Fort McPherson, Ga., he lived in an Atlanta commune, where he met and married a woman named Rebecca. Both later spent time in jail on marijuana charges before they moved to California, they said.
They raised two children and T'Souvas worked in a bakery and at various other jobs before their marriage broke up, said Lynn T'Souvas, an aunt.
About four years ago, he met a carnival worker, Kathleen T'Souvas, now 36, the woman Pittsburgh police have charged with shooting him.
Even though T'Souvas never divorced, family members said Kathleen assumed his last name.
"She was more like a buddy than a wife, a drinking buddy," his father said.
"She did nothing but drag him down," his aunt said. "Everybody tried to warn him. She drank nothing but straight vodka, and she didn't care if she had a roof over her head or shoes on her feet as long as she had her vodka. I saw her fight him over a drink several times."
Police said the couple left California in August 1987, criss-crossing the country in a van for several months before arriving in Pittsburgh, where T'Souvas hoped to get a job.
Police said Kathleen's diary showed they lived in the van, often parking it near Three Rivers Stadium, as they fished in the rivers, sold their blood for money and worked part time in a food kitchen for the homeless.
On Sept. 3, police said, the couple and a homeless man, David Bozic, 42, spent the day drinking, fishing and using Bozic's .22-caliber pistol to shoot rats and cans under a bridge.
While Bozic was gone to get food, police said, the couple argued over a bottle of vodka T'Souvas had. Police said the woman took Bozic's gun and shot T'Souvas once in the head.
The above was from the Houston Chronicle, Sep 1988.
September 14, 1988
PITTSBURGH — NIGHTMARE ENDS. Almost two decades ago Robert T'Souvas was charged with killing two Vietnamese children in the My Lai massacre. A few days ago T'Souvas died a bum. The homeless 39-year-old man was shot in the head while arguing with his common-law wife over a bottle of vodka. ''He had problems with Vietnam over and over,'' said his father, William, of San Jose, Calif. T'Souvas was in one of three platoons that entered the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968, looking for Viet Cong. The Army charged T'Souvas with premeditated murder of two Vietnamese. He was one of nine enlisted men charged. Lt. William Calley Jr. was convicted of killing at least 22 civilians. Two soldiers were acquitted and the charges against T'Souvas and the six others were dropped. William T'Souvas spoke to his son shortly before his death. ''I just tried to tell him to put it together and come home,'' he said. ''I sent him some money but he never came.''
The above was from Orlando Sentinel
Source:
From http://www.1-20infantry.org/6may68.htm
Charlie Company
May 6, 1968
Charlie Company continued to use their Search and Clear operations in their Area of Operations. At 1320hrs Charlie Company saw a man at BT006382 and detained him. At 1616hrs Charlie Company located 3 VC with weapons and engaged with results, 2 VC KIA age 23-30 with no ID. At 1910hrs Charlie Company at AT995365 reports mortar rounds with negative casualties. Charlie Company reports 1 WHA (M) mortars have stopped. At 1730hrs Charlie Company at AT999374 engaged 3 VC results 2 VC KIA, 40-45 years, no ID with 1 with a lighter with 403rd on it. At 2005hrs Charlie Company at AT995365 received 6 rounds of Mortar Fire in Night Defense Position with results 9 WIA (M). At 2015hrs received 8 60mm mortar and small arms fire and engaged with their Mortars. SP4 Mark S. Pate, PFC Rickey G Meria, PFC Daniel Simone, and PFC Robert W. T'souvas awarded Purple Hearts.
Other notes:
Service Dates: 1 May 1967 - 3 Feb 1971
The attorney who represented Robert T'Souvas was George Davis who died in Hawaii 4 Feb 2006. Davis was able to get charges against Robert T'Souvas dismissed.
A jury convicted T'Souva's common law wife of voluntary manslaughter on 21 Apr 1989. She was sentenced on 4 Aug 1989 to 5 to 10 years in prison.
Relatives say life had mostly been downhill for T'Souvas in the nearly two decades since he was charged with killing two Vietnamese children in the My Lai massacre.
"He had problems with Vietnam over and over. He didn't talk about it much. But he had problems with the body counts, things like that," said his father, William T'Souvas, of San Jose, Calif.
"He lasted 20 years, but he was walking a tight line," the elder T'Souvas said.
Army Spec. 4 T'Souvas, then 19 and a high school dropout from San Jose, Calif., was a member of one of three platoons that entered the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968, looking for Viet Cong troops but finding civilians instead.
The platoon moved into My Lai, firing on fleeing Vietnamese, tossing grenades into houses and slaughtering animals. When the soldiers left, at least 175 men, women and children were dead, according to a 1970 Army report, although later investigations put the toll as high as 500.
The Army charged T'Souvas with premeditated murder of two unidentified Vietnamese with a machine gun. He was one of nine enlisted men charged.
George T. Davis, the attorney who represented T'Souvas in the 1970 Army hearing, gave this account Monday:
"On the way out (of the village), T'Souvas saw two small children lying in the road with their intestines hanging out. In an emotional reaction, he took his M-16 and killed both to put them out of their misery."
Lt. William Calley Jr. was convicted of killing at least 22 civilians at My Lai. Of the enlisted men, two soldiers were acquitted, and the charges against T'Souvas and the six others were dropped. All were given honorable discharges.
Calley was ordered to spend life in prison, but President Richard Nixon later reduced his sentence to 20 years. He served three years under house arrest at Fort Benning, Ga. He was released when his conviction was overturned by a federal district judge, and he was not returned to house arrest when an appeals court reinstated the conviction.
Relatives of T'Souvas said that while he awaited his court-martial at Fort McPherson, Ga., he lived in an Atlanta commune, where he met and married a woman named Rebecca. Both later spent time in jail on marijuana charges before they moved to California, they said.
They raised two children and T'Souvas worked in a bakery and at various other jobs before their marriage broke up, said Lynn T'Souvas, an aunt.
About four years ago, he met a carnival worker, Kathleen T'Souvas, now 36, the woman Pittsburgh police have charged with shooting him.
Even though T'Souvas never divorced, family members said Kathleen assumed his last name.
"She was more like a buddy than a wife, a drinking buddy," his father said.
"She did nothing but drag him down," his aunt said. "Everybody tried to warn him. She drank nothing but straight vodka, and she didn't care if she had a roof over her head or shoes on her feet as long as she had her vodka. I saw her fight him over a drink several times."
Police said the couple left California in August 1987, criss-crossing the country in a van for several months before arriving in Pittsburgh, where T'Souvas hoped to get a job.
Police said Kathleen's diary showed they lived in the van, often parking it near Three Rivers Stadium, as they fished in the rivers, sold their blood for money and worked part time in a food kitchen for the homeless.
On Sept. 3, police said, the couple and a homeless man, David Bozic, 42, spent the day drinking, fishing and using Bozic's .22-caliber pistol to shoot rats and cans under a bridge.
While Bozic was gone to get food, police said, the couple argued over a bottle of vodka T'Souvas had. Police said the woman took Bozic's gun and shot T'Souvas once in the head.
The above was from the Houston Chronicle, Sep 1988.
September 14, 1988
PITTSBURGH — NIGHTMARE ENDS. Almost two decades ago Robert T'Souvas was charged with killing two Vietnamese children in the My Lai massacre. A few days ago T'Souvas died a bum. The homeless 39-year-old man was shot in the head while arguing with his common-law wife over a bottle of vodka. ''He had problems with Vietnam over and over,'' said his father, William, of San Jose, Calif. T'Souvas was in one of three platoons that entered the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968, looking for Viet Cong. The Army charged T'Souvas with premeditated murder of two Vietnamese. He was one of nine enlisted men charged. Lt. William Calley Jr. was convicted of killing at least 22 civilians. Two soldiers were acquitted and the charges against T'Souvas and the six others were dropped. William T'Souvas spoke to his son shortly before his death. ''I just tried to tell him to put it together and come home,'' he said. ''I sent him some money but he never came.''
The above was from Orlando Sentinel
Source:
From http://www.1-20infantry.org/6may68.htm
Charlie Company
May 6, 1968
Charlie Company continued to use their Search and Clear operations in their Area of Operations. At 1320hrs Charlie Company saw a man at BT006382 and detained him. At 1616hrs Charlie Company located 3 VC with weapons and engaged with results, 2 VC KIA age 23-30 with no ID. At 1910hrs Charlie Company at AT995365 reports mortar rounds with negative casualties. Charlie Company reports 1 WHA (M) mortars have stopped. At 1730hrs Charlie Company at AT999374 engaged 3 VC results 2 VC KIA, 40-45 years, no ID with 1 with a lighter with 403rd on it. At 2005hrs Charlie Company at AT995365 received 6 rounds of Mortar Fire in Night Defense Position with results 9 WIA (M). At 2015hrs received 8 60mm mortar and small arms fire and engaged with their Mortars. SP4 Mark S. Pate, PFC Rickey G Meria, PFC Daniel Simone, and PFC Robert W. T'souvas awarded Purple Hearts.
Other notes:
Service Dates: 1 May 1967 - 3 Feb 1971
The attorney who represented Robert T'Souvas was George Davis who died in Hawaii 4 Feb 2006. Davis was able to get charges against Robert T'Souvas dismissed.
A jury convicted T'Souva's common law wife of voluntary manslaughter on 21 Apr 1989. She was sentenced on 4 Aug 1989 to 5 to 10 years in prison.
PITTSBURGH - Robert W. T'Souvas died a bum, a homeless 39-year-old man shot in the head by a female friend after arguing with her over a bottle of vodka under a downtown bridge.
Relatives say life had mostly been downhill for T'Souvas in the nearly two decades since he was charged with killing two Vietnamese children in the My Lai massacre.
"He had problems with Vietnam over and over. He didn't talk about it much. But he had problems with the body counts, things like that," said his father, William T'Souvas, of San Jose, Calif.
"He lasted 20 years, but he was walking a tight line," the elder T'Souvas said.
Army Spec. 4 T'Souvas, then 19 and a high school dropout from San Jose, Calif., was a member of one of three platoons that entered the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968, looking for Viet Cong troops but finding civilians instead.
The platoon moved into My Lai, firing on fleeing Vietnamese, tossing grenades into houses and slaughtering animals. When the soldiers left, at least 175 men, women and children were dead, according to a 1970 Army report, although later investigations put the toll as high as 500.
The Army charged T'Souvas with premeditated murder of two unidentified Vietnamese with a machine gun. He was one of nine enlisted men charged.
George T. Davis, the attorney who represented T'Souvas in the 1970 Army hearing, gave this account Monday:
"On the way out (of the village), T'Souvas saw two small children lying in the road with their intestines hanging out. In an emotional reaction, he took his M-16 and killed both to put them out of their misery."
Lt. William Calley Jr. was convicted of killing at least 22 civilians at My Lai. Of the enlisted men, two soldiers were acquitted, and the charges against T'Souvas and the six others were dropped. All were given honorable discharges.
Calley was ordered to spend life in prison, but President Richard Nixon later reduced his sentence to 20 years. He served three years under house arrest at Fort Benning, Ga. He was released when his conviction was overturned by a federal district judge, and he was not returned to house arrest when an appeals court reinstated the conviction.
Relatives of T'Souvas said that while he awaited his court-martial at Fort McPherson, Ga., he lived in an Atlanta commune, where he met and married a woman named Rebecca. Both later spent time in jail on marijuana charges before they moved to California, they said.
They raised two children and T'Souvas worked in a bakery and at various other jobs before their marriage broke up, said Lynn T'Souvas, an aunt.
About four years ago, he met a carnival worker, Kathleen T'Souvas, now 36, the woman Pittsburgh police have charged with shooting him.
Even though T'Souvas never divorced, family members said Kathleen assumed his last name.
"She was more like a buddy than a wife, a drinking buddy," his father said.
"She did nothing but drag him down," his aunt said. "Everybody tried to warn him. She drank nothing but straight vodka, and she didn't care if she had a roof over her head or shoes on her feet as long as she had her vodka. I saw her fight him over a drink several times."
Police said the couple left California in August 1987, criss-crossing the country in a van for several months before arriving in Pittsburgh, where T'Souvas hoped to get a job.
Police said Kathleen's diary showed they lived in the van, often parking it near Three Rivers Stadium, as they fished in the rivers, sold their blood for money and worked part time in a food kitchen for the homeless.
On Sept. 3, police said, the couple and a homeless man, David Bozic, 42, spent the day drinking, fishing and using Bozic's .22-caliber pistol to shoot rats and cans under a bridge.
While Bozic was gone to get food, police said, the couple argued over a bottle of vodka T'Souvas had. Police said the woman took Bozic's gun and shot T'Souvas once in the head.
The above was from the Houston Chronicle, Sep 1988.
September 14, 1988
PITTSBURGH — NIGHTMARE ENDS. Almost two decades ago Robert T'Souvas was charged with killing two Vietnamese children in the My Lai massacre. A few days ago T'Souvas died a bum. The homeless 39-year-old man was shot in the head while arguing with his common-law wife over a bottle of vodka. ''He had problems with Vietnam over and over,'' said his father, William, of San Jose, Calif. T'Souvas was in one of three platoons that entered the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968, looking for Viet Cong. The Army charged T'Souvas with premeditated murder of two Vietnamese. He was one of nine enlisted men charged. Lt. William Calley Jr. was convicted of killing at least 22 civilians. Two soldiers were acquitted and the charges against T'Souvas and the six others were dropped. William T'Souvas spoke to his son shortly before his death. ''I just tried to tell him to put it together and come home,'' he said. ''I sent him some money but he never came.''
The above was from Orlando Sentinel
Source:
From http://www.1-20infantry.org/6may68.htm
Charlie Company
May 6, 1968
Charlie Company continued to use their Search and Clear operations in their Area of Operations. At 1320hrs Charlie Company saw a man at BT006382 and detained him. At 1616hrs Charlie Company located 3 VC with weapons and engaged with results, 2 VC KIA age 23-30 with no ID. At 1910hrs Charlie Company at AT995365 reports mortar rounds with negative casualties. Charlie Company reports 1 WHA (M) mortars have stopped. At 1730hrs Charlie Company at AT999374 engaged 3 VC results 2 VC KIA, 40-45 years, no ID with 1 with a lighter with 403rd on it. At 2005hrs Charlie Company at AT995365 received 6 rounds of Mortar Fire in Night Defense Position with results 9 WIA (M). At 2015hrs received 8 60mm mortar and small arms fire and engaged with their Mortars. SP4 Mark S. Pate, PFC Rickey G Meria, PFC Daniel Simone, and PFC Robert W. T'souvas awarded Purple Hearts.
Other notes:
Service Dates: 1 May 1967 - 3 Feb 1971
The attorney who represented Robert T'Souvas was George Davis who died in Hawaii 4 Feb 2006. Davis was able to get charges against Robert T'Souvas dismissed.
A jury convicted T'Souva's common law wife of voluntary manslaughter on 21 Apr 1989. She was sentenced on 4 Aug 1989 to 5 to 10 years in prison.
Relatives say life had mostly been downhill for T'Souvas in the nearly two decades since he was charged with killing two Vietnamese children in the My Lai massacre.
"He had problems with Vietnam over and over. He didn't talk about it much. But he had problems with the body counts, things like that," said his father, William T'Souvas, of San Jose, Calif.
"He lasted 20 years, but he was walking a tight line," the elder T'Souvas said.
Army Spec. 4 T'Souvas, then 19 and a high school dropout from San Jose, Calif., was a member of one of three platoons that entered the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968, looking for Viet Cong troops but finding civilians instead.
The platoon moved into My Lai, firing on fleeing Vietnamese, tossing grenades into houses and slaughtering animals. When the soldiers left, at least 175 men, women and children were dead, according to a 1970 Army report, although later investigations put the toll as high as 500.
The Army charged T'Souvas with premeditated murder of two unidentified Vietnamese with a machine gun. He was one of nine enlisted men charged.
George T. Davis, the attorney who represented T'Souvas in the 1970 Army hearing, gave this account Monday:
"On the way out (of the village), T'Souvas saw two small children lying in the road with their intestines hanging out. In an emotional reaction, he took his M-16 and killed both to put them out of their misery."
Lt. William Calley Jr. was convicted of killing at least 22 civilians at My Lai. Of the enlisted men, two soldiers were acquitted, and the charges against T'Souvas and the six others were dropped. All were given honorable discharges.
Calley was ordered to spend life in prison, but President Richard Nixon later reduced his sentence to 20 years. He served three years under house arrest at Fort Benning, Ga. He was released when his conviction was overturned by a federal district judge, and he was not returned to house arrest when an appeals court reinstated the conviction.
Relatives of T'Souvas said that while he awaited his court-martial at Fort McPherson, Ga., he lived in an Atlanta commune, where he met and married a woman named Rebecca. Both later spent time in jail on marijuana charges before they moved to California, they said.
They raised two children and T'Souvas worked in a bakery and at various other jobs before their marriage broke up, said Lynn T'Souvas, an aunt.
About four years ago, he met a carnival worker, Kathleen T'Souvas, now 36, the woman Pittsburgh police have charged with shooting him.
Even though T'Souvas never divorced, family members said Kathleen assumed his last name.
"She was more like a buddy than a wife, a drinking buddy," his father said.
"She did nothing but drag him down," his aunt said. "Everybody tried to warn him. She drank nothing but straight vodka, and she didn't care if she had a roof over her head or shoes on her feet as long as she had her vodka. I saw her fight him over a drink several times."
Police said the couple left California in August 1987, criss-crossing the country in a van for several months before arriving in Pittsburgh, where T'Souvas hoped to get a job.
Police said Kathleen's diary showed they lived in the van, often parking it near Three Rivers Stadium, as they fished in the rivers, sold their blood for money and worked part time in a food kitchen for the homeless.
On Sept. 3, police said, the couple and a homeless man, David Bozic, 42, spent the day drinking, fishing and using Bozic's .22-caliber pistol to shoot rats and cans under a bridge.
While Bozic was gone to get food, police said, the couple argued over a bottle of vodka T'Souvas had. Police said the woman took Bozic's gun and shot T'Souvas once in the head.
The above was from the Houston Chronicle, Sep 1988.
September 14, 1988
PITTSBURGH — NIGHTMARE ENDS. Almost two decades ago Robert T'Souvas was charged with killing two Vietnamese children in the My Lai massacre. A few days ago T'Souvas died a bum. The homeless 39-year-old man was shot in the head while arguing with his common-law wife over a bottle of vodka. ''He had problems with Vietnam over and over,'' said his father, William, of San Jose, Calif. T'Souvas was in one of three platoons that entered the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968, looking for Viet Cong. The Army charged T'Souvas with premeditated murder of two Vietnamese. He was one of nine enlisted men charged. Lt. William Calley Jr. was convicted of killing at least 22 civilians. Two soldiers were acquitted and the charges against T'Souvas and the six others were dropped. William T'Souvas spoke to his son shortly before his death. ''I just tried to tell him to put it together and come home,'' he said. ''I sent him some money but he never came.''
The above was from Orlando Sentinel
Source:
From http://www.1-20infantry.org/6may68.htm
Charlie Company
May 6, 1968
Charlie Company continued to use their Search and Clear operations in their Area of Operations. At 1320hrs Charlie Company saw a man at BT006382 and detained him. At 1616hrs Charlie Company located 3 VC with weapons and engaged with results, 2 VC KIA age 23-30 with no ID. At 1910hrs Charlie Company at AT995365 reports mortar rounds with negative casualties. Charlie Company reports 1 WHA (M) mortars have stopped. At 1730hrs Charlie Company at AT999374 engaged 3 VC results 2 VC KIA, 40-45 years, no ID with 1 with a lighter with 403rd on it. At 2005hrs Charlie Company at AT995365 received 6 rounds of Mortar Fire in Night Defense Position with results 9 WIA (M). At 2015hrs received 8 60mm mortar and small arms fire and engaged with their Mortars. SP4 Mark S. Pate, PFC Rickey G Meria, PFC Daniel Simone, and PFC Robert W. T'souvas awarded Purple Hearts.
Other notes:
Service Dates: 1 May 1967 - 3 Feb 1971
The attorney who represented Robert T'Souvas was George Davis who died in Hawaii 4 Feb 2006. Davis was able to get charges against Robert T'Souvas dismissed.
A jury convicted T'Souva's common law wife of voluntary manslaughter on 21 Apr 1989. She was sentenced on 4 Aug 1989 to 5 to 10 years in prison.
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