Hi DBT2:
In the waning days of the Second World War, a US Army battalion closed in a Nazi concentration camp before the SS guards had a chance to evacuate, so they surrendered.
When our boys from Brooklyn, Chicago, LA, Boston, Atlanta, saw the emaciated and beaten prisoners, they were horrified and appalled.
Some of the prisoners that resembled walking skeletons began pointing out to the GIs the SS guards.
"This monster beat me with a rubber hose dozens of times."
"That sadist burned me with cigarettes on my arms and face."
Ad nauseum.
A handful of enraged GIs set up a machine gun, lined up the SS guards against the wall, and opened fire.
"RAT-A-TAT-A-TAT!"
"And that's that,' they remarked, like the assassins of the legendary Murder Incorporated.
The battalion commander-- an LTC-- heard the commotion from his CP and rushed to investigate.
By the time he got to the execution site, the deed was done.
For this XJK there was no judge or jury.
A subsequent US Army investigation found no one guilty of shooting unarmed prisoners, as horrible as they were.
This was at once, both an act of justice and vengeance, right?