Aftermath of the My Lai Massacre
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My Lai Massacre Facts: Fast Fact Sheet
Fast, fun facts and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
about the My Lai Massacre.
When was the My Lai Massacre?
The My Lai Massacre took place on March 16,
1968 in the district of Son My, a heavily
mined, tunneled area of Viet Cong
entrenchment. How
many died at the My Lai Massacre?
The numbers of South Vietnamese who died at
the My Lai Massacre are unconfirmed, but it
believed that up to 500 unarmed civilians
were killed.
Why was the My Lai Massacre important?
It was a turning point in the public
perception of the Vietnam War. Who
was involved in the My Lai Massacre?
The soldiers of Charlie Company, a unit of
the Americal Division's 11th Infantry
Brigade and the villagers of My Lai.
Why did the
My Lai Massacre happen?
The My Lai massacre
took place shortly after the
Tet
Offensive, a fierce, surprise
attack by Communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong guerilla forces
leading to a severe setback for the Americans. US troops in Vietnam
were becoming angry, disillusioned and frustrated. A military
commission who later investigated the My Lai massacre, found
widespread failures of discipline, leadership and morale amongst the
US Army's soldiers. Unsuitable and inexperienced men, lacking in
leadership skills were appointed as leaders due to the inequities in
the draft policy. Large numbers of US troops in Charlie Company had
been maimed or killed in the My Lai area during the preceding weeks
and were eager to retaliate. Viet Cong troops were believed to be
hiding in the village and US troops, including soldiers of
Charlie Company, were sent on a
'search and destroy' mission to My Lai village. There was no sign of
the Viet Cong and the 'search and destroy' mission by Charlie
Company degenerated into the massacre
of the South Vietnamese villagers.
My Lai Massacre
Facts for kids
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My Lai Massacre
Facts for kids
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 1: History: The
Vietnam War (November 1,
1955 – April 30, 1975) was fought between the Communist
government of North Vietnam and Viet Cong guerrillas,
who were supported by the Chinese, and the armies of
South Vietnam, who were supported by the United States.
My Lai Massacre
Facts -
2: After the troops
of Charlie Company completed advanced training at
Schofield Barracks in Hawaii they headed to the Quang
Ngai province of south Vietnam on December 1, 1967.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 3: Their first duties of Charlie
Company consisted of setting up latrines, digging up bunkers and
practicing patrol and search and destroy missions. Charlie Company
consisted of around 110 men who were spread across three platoons
under the command of Captain Ernest L. Medina. One of the platoon
leaders was Lieutenant William Calley.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 4: The Tet Offensive launched by
the Vietcong and the North Vietnamese army began on January 31, 1968
and Charlie Company was assigned to Task Force Barker whose mission
was to destroy the Viet Cong 48th Force Battalion in Quang Ngai
province. Quang Ngai was a Viet Cong stronghold and the site of the
worst guerrilla tactics of the Vietnam war.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 5: February 1968 was devastating
for Charlie Company who suffered 28 casualties, including five dead.
There were no direct confrontations with the Viet Cong. The
casualties occured on patrols and were a result of sniper attacks,
lethal booby traps, camouflaged pits and trip wires that were
attached to grenades or mines.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 6: The sweat-drenched
troops were sent on patrols in the jungle, knowing that
a stepping a foot in the wrong place would lead to
terrible injuries. The inexperienced, traumatized men
were angry, scared and frustrated and wanted the chance
to retaliate.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 7: In March 1968,
Charlie Company, along with two other companies,
received orders to enter a number of villages in the
Quang Ngai province where recent Viet Cong activity had
been reported. Army intelligence had indicated that
local villages in the area were supplying and providing
safety to Viet Cong guerrillas.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 8: Company commanders
were ordered to engage with enemy and there were also
orders to destroy crops, livestock, wells and food
stores being used to supply the Viet Cong.
My Lai Massacre
Facts -
9: On March 16, 1968
about 80 soldiers from Charlie Company were flown to My
Lai village complex by helicopter. The My Lai village
was home to about 700 residents consisting of South
Vietnamese families who lived thatch-covered huts or a
few in red brick houses.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 10: The men from the
platoon led by Lieutenant William Calley began firing at
buildings that they believed might be sheltering Viet
Cong. There was no armed retaliation and no Viet Cong
guerrillas were found.
My Lai Massacre
Facts -
11: Fleeing Vietnamese
were shot or bayoneted. Hand grenades were thrown into
the houses and crops and livestock were destroyed. There
was a frenzy of indiscriminate killing and the
mission degenerated into
the carnage that would become known as the My Lai
massacre.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 12: Some of the US soldiers opted
out of the killing spree and refused to fire on a group of civilians
but many more joined in the scenes of carnage and mutilation. The
death toll totaled about 500.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 13: Only one American was injured
during the My Lai massacre of March 16, 1968 - a soldier who had
shot himself in the foot whilst clearing his pistol.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 14: Helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson
with gunner Lawrence Colburn and crew chief Glenn Andreotta landed
their helicopter between American troops rampaging through My Lai
village and the local people.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 15: Helicopter pilot
Hugh Thompson, gunner Lawrence Colburn and crew chief
Glenn Andreotta landed their helicopter between American
troops rampaging through the village and the terrified
people. They were later honored "for heroism above and
beyond the call of duty while saving the lives of at
least 10 Vietnamese civilians during the unlawful
massacre of non-combatants by American forces at My
Lai".
Continued...
My Lai Massacre
Facts for kids
Facts
about the My Lai Massacre for kids
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sheet continues with facts about My Lai Massacre.
My Lai Massacre
Facts for kids
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 16:
Efforts were made to cover up the atrocity, officials
initially claimed that less than 30 people had been
killed at the village. However rumors about the truth of
the massacre soon began to spread which made the cover
up impossible to contain.
My Lai Massacre
Facts -
17: A 22-year-old 11th Brigade helicopter
gunner serving in Quang Ngai Province named Ronald
Ridenhour heard rumors of the massacre. Ronald Ridenhour
left Vietnam and became an investigative journalist.
My Lai Massacre
Facts -
18: The My Lai
massacre was covered up for a year until Ronald
Ridenhour, wrote letters to 30 congressional and
military officials a year later detailing the events at
My Lai.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 19: General William
Westmoreland, who was in overall command of the
Vietnamese operation, received one of the letters.
General Westmoreland, not believing his troops would
have engaged in mass murder, and ordered an immediate
inquiry.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 20: As the inquiry
gathered evidence it became a criminal investigation and
Lieutenant William Calley was called back to the US as a
potential suspect. In September 1969, Calley was charged
with 109 murders.
My Lai Massacre
Facts - 21: Following a report
by the investigative journalist Seymour Hersh the news
of the My Lai massacre broke in America on November 12,
1969, to the horror of the nation. The newspaper
coverage prompted widespread condemnation and reduced
public support for the Vietnam War in the United States.
My Lai Massacre
Facts -
22: General William R.
Peers was ordered by General Westmoreland to make
further investigations into the My Lai Massacre. The
investigation became known as the Peers inquiry.
My Lai Massacre
Facts -
23: The Peers inquiry
took place behind closed doors in the basement of the
Pentagon from December 1969 to March 1970.
My Lai Massacre
Facts -
24: More than 400
witnesses were questioned under oath during the Peers
inquiry which ended on March 14, 1970, nearly two years
after the My Lai Massacre.
My Lai Massacre
Facts -
25: The Peers inquiry
report concluded that troops of Task Force Barker had
massacred a large number of south Vietnamese and that
knowledge of the event had been deliberately concealed.
My Lai Massacre
Facts -
26: The Peers inquiry
recommended that charges should be brought against 28
officers and 2 non-commissioned officers involved in the
concealment of the massacre.
My Lai Massacre
Facts -
27: The Peers inquiry
ended with a whitewash of the whole incident. Only one
man was brought to court regarding the cover-up, and he
was acquitted. Another investigation by the army's
Criminal Investigation Division (CID) said there was
evidence to charge 30 soldiers with major crimes but
charges against them were were dismissed.
My Lai Massacre
Facts -
28:
At the end of the investigations only Lieutenant William
Calley was convicted. Calley was sentenced to life in
jail but the majority of Americans believed that Calley
was simply following orders, and condemned the fact that
one soldier was serving as the army's scapegoat. William
Calley was released three years after his conviction due
to the intervention and pardon of President Richard
Nixon.
My Lai Massacre
Facts for kids
My Lai Massacre - President Lyndon Johnson Video
The article on the My Lai Massacre provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following
Lyndon Johnson video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 36th American President whose presidency spanned from November 22, 1963 to January 20, 1969.
My Lai Massacre
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Summary of the My Lai Massacre in US history
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The My Lai Massacre, a major
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Lyndon Johnson from November 22, 1963 to January 20, 1969
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