what caused the my lai massacre

What happened in the my Lai Massacre?

Operating under stress and with questionable intelligence and unclear orders, the soldiers entered the small hamlet of My Lai and began firing indiscriminately on people and buildings. When these American soldiers left at dusk, hundreds of Vietnamese peasants lay dead, the vast majority of them women, children and the elderly.

What was the cause of my Lai?

CAUSE: Some say that the causes of My Lai were due to the frustration from the men in the units. The men were tired of losing their men, so they turned to killing the people of Vietnam to get their revenge. Others say that it was because of poor command and control, and lack of clear orders.

Why did some US soldiers at Mai Lai hate the Vietnamese?

The U.S soldiers lost many many men, but not from the usual war fighting and shooting, this angered the U.S soldiers, causing them to really hate all the Vietnamese, soldiers or supporters. One soldier who was at Mai Lai on the day of the massacre said that "Everyone who went into the village that day went to kill.

Why did the Hanoi massacre happen?

The men were tired of losing their men, so they turned to killing the people of Vietnam to get their revenge. Others say that it was because of poor command and control, and lack of clear orders. It is possible had the units had clear orders, and better command and control that the massacre overall could have been avoided.

Who was responsible for the massacre at My Lai?

On 16 March 1968—fifty years ago—First Lieutenant William L. “Rusty” Calley, Jr., and his platoon murdered at least 300 Vietnamese civilians (and perhaps as many as 500) at a small South Vietnamese sub-hamlet called My Lai.

What was the My Lai massacre and why was it important?

The My Lai massacre was one of the most horrific incidents of violence committed during the Vietnam War. A company of American soldiers brutally killed most of the people—women, children and old men—in the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968.

Was the My Lai massacre a turning point?

The shooting of hundreds of people in the Vietnamese village of My Lai in 1968 marked a pivotal turning point in America's feelings about the the Vietnam War.

What happened to the soldiers involved in the My Lai massacre?

Out of the roughly 200 soldiers who were dropped into the village that day, 24 were later charged with criminal offenses, and only one was convicted, Calley. He was set free after serving less than four years. Since that time, Calley has almost entirely avoided the press.

What happened at the My Lai Massacre quizlet?

What was the My Lai Massacre and when was it? It was when the Americans approached a village called My Lai on the 16th of March 1968. Reports said the village was in a area controlled by the Vietcong. However they found no VC and killed anyone in their way, 500 died.

Where did the My Lai Massacre happen?

On March 16, 1968, a platoon of American soldiers brutally kills as many as 500 unarmed civilians at My Lai, one of a cluster of small villages located near the northern coast of South Vietnam. The crime, which was kept secret for nearly two years, later became known as the My Lai Massacre.

When did the My Lai Massacre happen?

March 16, 1968Mỹ Lai massacre / Start date

What was the significance of the events in the village of Mai Lai in 1968 quizlet?

What was the significance of the events in the village of Mai Lai in 1968? U.S. soldiers committed terrible atrocities against Vietnamese citizens, which ignited a public out cry and debate upon their exposure to Americans at home.

What was the cause of the My Lai massacre?

The Tet Offensive, which occurred during the first two months of 1968, was a large military invasion of South Vietnam by North Vietnam. After two months of constant warfare, the United States and South Vietnamese had repelled a significant amount of the enemy from South Vietnam.

Why was the My Lai Massacre important?

The movement had struggled to remain united during 1968, but the My Lai Massacre served as a rallying point for antiwar opposition.

Why My Lai?

One of the more disheartening events of the Vietnam War occurred on March 16, 1968, when American soldiers from the Americal Division, officially known as United States Army C Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division, marched into the hamlet of My Lai, located in the village of Son My, and brutally executed hundreds of alleged members and supporters of the 48th Battalion of the National Liberation Front, or NLF, which was the insurgent arm of North Vietnam. Regrettably, many of the deaths, in what became known as the My Lai Massacre, were not that of enemy soldiers but of nonaligned Vietnamese citizens.

How many Vietnamese were killed in the My Lai Massacre?

Regrettably, the enemy was not present at the hamlet, and over 300 Vietnamese civilians were murdered in what became known as the My Lai Massacre. An initial report hailed the achievement of the Americal Division; however, a national report released in 1969 from journalist Seymour Hersh exposed the truth regarding the event.

How many civilians died in My Lai?

It should be noted that there were several soldiers who defied orders and tried to stop the killings. Regardless, many Vietnamese were gathered and executed in ditches, homes were burned and crops destroyed. By mid-afternoon, over 300 civilians had perished, according to the preliminary body count by the Army (the Vietnamese reported that over 500 had died). Scant evidence was ever found that would have linked the Vietnamese civilians in My Lai to the NLF.

Why did the American-led execution occur at My Lai?

The general answer was that many soldiers within this specific platoon had been aggravated by the psychological toll the war had created. These men had survived booby traps, ambushes and guerrilla conflict orchestrated by the 48th NLF Battalion since arriving in Vietnam in 1967. When the unit had the opportunity to retaliate for the months of frustration, it did so with fierce yet senseless vengeance.

When was Calley released from the army?

Calley was expected to serve a life term in prison; however, he was released in 1974 and was dishonorably discharged from the Army. Lesson Summary. On March 16, 1968, American soldiers from the Americal Division of the United States Army C Company marched into the hamlet of My Lai and violently executed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians.

What happened at My Lai?

Massacre at My Lai. Shortly before 7:30 am on March 16, 1968, Son My village was shelled by U.S. artillery. The preparatory barrage was intended to clear a landing area for Charlie Company’s helicopters, but its actual effect was to force those civilians who had begun leaving the area back to My Lai in search of cover.

Who was the officer who landed the helicopter at My Lai?

As the massacre was taking place, Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson was flying a scout helicopter at low altitude above My Lai. Observing wounded civilians, he marked their locations with smoke grenades and radioed for troops on the ground to proceed to those positions to administer medical aid. After refueling, Thompson returned to My Lai only to see that the wounded civilians subsequently had been killed. Spotting a squad of U.S. soldiers converging on more than a dozen women and children, Thompson landed his helicopter between the two groups. Thompson’s door gunner, Lawrence Colburn, and his crew chief, Glenn Andreotta, manned their weapons as Thompson hailed other helicopters to join him in ferrying the civilians to safety. In 1998 Thompson, Colburn, and Andreotta (posthumously) were awarded the Soldier’s Medal for acts of extraordinary bravery not involving contact with the enemy.

Where did the 48th Batallion take refuge?

Intelligence suggested that the 48th Batallion had taken refuge in the My Lai area (though in reality, that unit was in the western Quang Ngai highlands, more than 40 miles [65 km] away). In a briefing on March 15, Charlie Company’s commander, Capt. Ernest Medina, told his men that they would finally be given the opportunity to fight the enemy that had eluded them for over a month. Believing that civilians had already left the area for Quang Ngai city, he directed that anyone found in My Lai should be treated as a Viet Cong fighter or sympathizer. Under these rules of engagement, soldiers were free to fire at anyone or anything. Moreover, the troops of Charlie Company were ordered to destroy crops and buildings and to kill livestock.

What was the Viet Cong's strategy after the Tet Offensive?

After the debacle of the broad Tet Offensive, the Viet Cong had returned to guerrilla tactics and tended to avoid direct encounters with U.S. forces. A map of North and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War showing major air bases and the communists' supply routes, including the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

What happened in Son My Village?

Shortly before 7:30 am on March 16, 1968, Son My village was shelled by U.S. artillery. The preparatory barrage was intended to clear a landing area for Charlie Company’s helicopters, but its actual effect was to force those civilians who had begun leaving the area back to My Lai in search of cover. Minutes later, Charlie Company’s 1st Platoon, led by Lieut. William Calley, was inserted a short distance to the west of a sub-hamlet known locally as Xom Lang but marked as My Lai (4) on U.S. military maps.

When was the Pinkville Massacre?

My Lai Massacre, also called Pinkville Massacre, mass killing of as many as 500 unarmed villagers by U.S. soldiers in the hamlet of My Lai on March 16, 1968, during the Vietnam War.

What happened to the 2nd Platoon in the Charlie Company?

Charlie Company’s 2nd Platoon moved north from the landing zone, killing dozens, while 3rd Platoon followed behind, destroying the hamlet’s remaining buildings and shooting survivors. At 9:00 am Calley ordered the execution of as many as 150 Vietnamese civilians who had been herded into an irrigation ditch.

Why did the TET attack Charlie Company?

CAUSE: Viet Cong and North Vietnam sent the TET offensive to attack South Vietnam, this affected Charlie Company because they were assigned to that location and watched the fighting in Quang, TET was high alerted and this lead to the massacre as it attacked 8200 provincial capitals.

Why did soldiers go to war?

The soldiers had no job and did not attend school which made them poorly educated. This was the key reason why many soldiers had been drafted to go to war.

What Was the My Lai Massacre?

What Was the My Lai Massacre? The My Lai Massacre occurred during the Vietnam War when a group of American soldiers tortured, raped, and/or killed more than five hundred civilians in the village of My Lai in the South Vietnamese province of Quang Ngai. Although the United States was at war with North Vietnam, American troops regularly encountered enemy soldiers in the South Vietnamese provinces. The My Lai Massacre occurred on March 16, 1968. The U.S. military then attempted to cover up the massacre. As a result, the American public did not learn of the incident until more than a year after it occurred. When the events at My Lai finally came to light, the American public was outraged by the atrocities committed by American troops.

Who was responsible for the My Lai massacre?

Lt. William Calley and the soldiers of Charlie Company were directly responsible for the My Lai Massacre. Army commanders were indirectly responsible because they often ordered search and destroy missions like the mission to My Lai as part of their efforts to boost the "kill rate" that would be reported to Washington.

What was the purpose of the Charlie Company's Tet Offensive?

William Calley, had suffered heavy losses in the Tet Offensive, when the North Vietnamese carried out carefully planned attacks on many South Vietnamese locations during the Vietnamese New Year Festival; the Tet Offensive was designed to weaken the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and encourage rebellion in the South Vietnamese citizens, as well as encourage the United States to scale back its involvement in Vietnam. As a result of the deaths in their unit during Tet, the members of Charlie Company were likely seeking revenge for the deaths of their fallen comrades when they received the order to engage the enemy at Quang Ngai.

What did Charlie Company do in My Lai?

Upon issuing the order to enter the area around Son My, military command instructed troops to consider everyone in the area an enemy combatant or sympathizer. When Charlie Company entered My Lai on the morning of March 16, 1968, however, the soldiers found that the village was populated by women, children, and elderly men, all assembled in common areas cooking their breakfast. After searching the villagers' homes, a few weapons were discovered but no men of fighting age were found in the village. Nonetheless, Calley ordered his soldiers to shoot the assembled citizens. Calley also participated in the slaughter of the civilians.

What happened to the village of My Lai?

The living and the dead were piled up in trenches, as the soldiers of Charlie Company continued to obliterate the village. Women who were not shot down protecting their children were raped, livestock were killed, and the village was burned. Some soldiers even carved a C for Charlie Company into their victims' bodies, while others cut their victims' throats and chopped off their hands. For several hours, Charlie Company executed, raped, and mutilated the civilians at My Lai.

Who was the journalist who claimed that the dead were actually enemy soldiers?

Seymour Hersh, an investigative journalist, heard that Lt. William Calley was to be court-martialed for killing unarmed civilians at My Lai. When Hersh interviewed him, Calley claimed that the dead were actually enemy soldiers and that he had not killed civilians. Hersh interviewed others who were present at My Lai as well, however, and discovered that Calley's version of the story was false. Hersh's article was published in November 1969, and when army photographer Ronald Haeberle's photographs were published in another newspaper soon after, the public was outraged to learn of the slaughter of civilians by American soldiers.

Who was the officer that killed the villagers in My Lai?

William Calley entered the village and killed, raped, and tortured the civilians found there. The murderous rampage ended when Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson arrived at My Lai in a helicopter and threatened to shoot the members of Charlie Company if they continued to slaughter the villagers. When the killing stopped,

What was the significance of the My Lai massacre?

The My Lai massacre caused horror and outrage in the United States and around the world. It raised questions about the methods being used in Vietnam and whether American soldiers were doing more harm than good.

What happened to the villager in My Lai?

Villagers in My Lai during the 1968 operation and massacre. The Vietnam War produced many indiscriminate killings, civilian casualties and war crimes. The best known of these was the killing of Vietnamese villagers by American soldiers in the coastal province of Quang Ngai. This incident is known to history as the My Lai massacre.

What did Medina tell his men?

Medina also allegedly told his men that by early morning villagers not aligned with the Viet Cong would be at a market. Those remaining in the village, he claimed, were likely to be communist sympathisers.

What happened in 1968?

Summary. In March 1968, soldiers from ‘Charlie’ Company were sent into areas believed to house Viet Cong soldiers and sympathisers. Operating under stress and with questionable intelligence and unclear orders, the soldiers entered the small hamlet of My Lai and began firing indiscriminately on people and buildings.

How long did William Calley serve in Vietnam?

William Calley served less than four years for what was arguably the worst war crime of the Vietnam War. Few historians believe he was solely or even mostly responsible for the events at My Lai, though he undoubtedly contributed to them.

What orders did the Charlie Company commanders give to the soldiers?

Company commanders were ordered to engage with the enemy and destroy wells, livestock and food stores being used to supply the Viet Cong. When Medina relayed these orders to the men of Charlie Company, he did so ambiguously, causing considerable confusion about the mission’s exact objectives. According to one report, when soldiers asked who the enemy actually was, Medina stated: “Anybody running from us”.

How many people died in the Charlie Company?

Reports of the death toll in the My Lai vary. American reports suggest that 347 people were killed; Vietnamese government reports put the dead at 504, 56 of them less than one year old.

Why was Mai Lai a problem?

Others say that the cause of Mai Lai was because of the lack of communication and mixed messages, poor command and control from the U.S commanding officers. Some think that it is possible that if the soldiers were under better control and being told clear orders, that the massacre overall could of been avoided.

What was the cause of the 1968 Massacre?

A cause leading up to the massacre was the TET offensive. This was one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. On New Years day in 1968, the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army against the forces of South Vietnam, the United States and their allies let off a campaign of surprising attacks against civilian and military commands ...

Overview

Aftermath

Operation

Participants

Media coverage

War crimes investigation

Cultural representations

See also