my lai

• What was the My Lai Massacre?

  Mass murder of unarmed citizens in South Vietnam by American troops
• when?


  16th march 1968

  not long after Tet offensive
• Where did the My Lai Massacre happen?

  village called my Lai
• who was involved in My lai massacre?

  -Charlies company

  -unit of 80 US soldiers
• why did my lai happen?

  -Charlies company lost soldiers in tet offensive and were angry and frustrated

  -War had taken a psychological toll on soldiers

  -Was meant to be a search and destroy mission
• what happened early march 1968?


  -US army had heard reports of Vietcong base in area that had 200 Vietcong soldiers

  -Charlies company ordered to go on search and destroy mission there
• what happened on the 16th of march 1968?

  -US troops landed and started firing at people in fields and building they fought might have fighters in

  -Any villager who tried to run was shot or stabbed

  -reports of Charlies company torturing and raping civilians

  -no Vietcong soldiers were found
• what did Charlies company report when they returned to base?

  -22 civilians killed by accident and that rest dead were Vietcong

  -they were praised for actions
• how was the my lai massacre covered up?

  -Gov announced that troops had killed 128 Vietcong and destroyed their base

  -Some soldiers and locals reported what really happened

  -Army tried to cover up

  -Ronald Ridenhour soldier wrote eye witness account public

  -General received one of his letters and ordered a enquiry
• what did the investigation by the gov conclude about massacre?

  -that Charlie company had killed 347 civilians

  -all involved in torture rape murder and cover up should be punished
• what did army investigation into massacre conclude?

  -significant failure in leadership and discipline of soldiers

  -psychological trauma experienced by Charlies company led to desire for revenge

  -soldiers not experienced enough to carry out the roles assigned
• who was prosecuted because of my lai?

  only Lieutenant calley

  -many Americans believed he was following orders
• who was lieutenant calley?

  -one of soldiers in charge of Charlies company

  -Murdered 109 civilians at my lai
• impacts of My lai

  -many US citizens felt shocked and confused about aims of war

  -people began to mistrust army and gov

  -anti war movement grew and many protested against war

  -investigations exposed low morale of US troops

  -1/3 of US troops addicted to drugs