The My Lai massacre occurred on March 16, 1968 in the small village of My Lai, located in the Quang Ngai province. Quang Ngai was an often target of South Vietnamese and U.S. bomb attacks because it was believed to be a stronghold of the National Liberator Front during the Vietnam war. As a result, the Charlie Company was given word that Viet Cong guerrillas had taken control of a neighboring village of Son My and were sent out on a search-and-destroy mission. The Charlie Company came across the My Lai village and searched everywhere, yet they only discovered a few weapons. Despite lacking any trace of Viet Cong sympathizers, William Calley, the Lieutenant of the Charlie Company, ordered his soldiers to begin shooting the villagers. They killed unarmed men, women, children and set huts on fire, gunning anyone inside who tried to escape. The soldiers also slaughtered the livestock and raped an unknown number of women. Calley was reported to have dragged dozens of people into a ditch, including children and executing them with a machine gun. Not a single shot was ever fired against the soldiers during the massacre. It finally ended once Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson landed his helicopter between the soldiers and fleeing villagers, threatening to open fire upon the soldiers. In total, 504 people died and among the victims were 17 pregnant women, 173 children and 56 infants. Officers of the Charlie Company got word of the massacre and they tried to cover it up, although the U.S. Army ordered a special investigation and would later convict Lieutenant Colley. Back home in the U.S., the brutality of the My Lai massacre and the efforts of the cover up, increased hatred and bitterness towards the U.S. military presence in Vietnam.
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| Aftermath of the My Lai massacre on a road |
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Alex, I really appreciated learning more about the My Lai Massacre. I did my brief report on Pilot Hugh Thompson and had to do some minor research as to what happened during the massacre and your report has helped me understand more of what happened during this tragic event. The picture you chose to use is a very powerful one at that because it shows the bodies were just lying everywhere without care. This event was truly one of the most horrific acts committed by the United States.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I think you summarized the massacre well in your summary. It was truly one of the darkest events in US history and will remain so forever.
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