The Hero Calley

According to the Army's charges against him, Lieut. William Calley killed 102 Vietnamese civilians at My Lai three years ago. But in the long process of his trial at Fort Benning, Ga., Rusty Calley has become a celebrity, almost a hero to some. His secretary has collected 10,000 fan letters v. seven in a file marked "derogatory." Paul Harvey, the conservative commentator, has dispatched no fewer than 25 letters. In the first, Harvey said: "I have every confidence that you are a fine military officer that we can all be proud of." A Calley friend in Atlanta declares: "He's one of the few real men left in this country. He's being crucified by his government and keeping his cool because he loves his country."

When Calley travels, Delta Air Lines in Columbus, Ga., wires ahead to ensure him VIP treatment; recently Delta gave him a first-class seat though he held a coach ticket. When he stops at a bar, Calley invariably finds his drink tab (bourbon and Seven-Up) collected by an admirer. While in Washington, where he was undergoing psychiatric tests last week, he had $10 thrust at him by a stranger. In Columbus, Calley and his friends are always guests of the house at the Chickasaw Supper Club. A local wine shop gives him a discount. The president of the Fourth National Bank personally expedites Calley's transactions. One day Calley presented his check in a Gatlinburg, Tenn., bank and the teller said, "Gee, no kidding, you're Lieutenant Calley?" The check went through immediately.

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