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My Lai massacre

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15°10′42″N 108°52′10″E / 15.17833°N 108.86944°E / 15.17833; 108.86944

My Lai massacre
LocationSong My village, Sơn Tịnh district of South Vietnam
DateMarch 16, 1968
TargetMy Lai 4 hamlet
Attack type
Massacre
Deaths347 to 504
PerpetratorsUnited States Army (company of the Americal Division)
Lt. William Calley (convicted)

The My Lai Massacre (pronunciationⓘ, approximately [mi.˧˩˥'lɐːj˧˧]) (Vietnamese: thảm sát Mỹ Lai) was the mass murder of 347 to 504 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, mostly women and children, conducted by U.S. Army forces on March 16, 1968, in the hamlet of My Lai, during the Vietnam War. Before being killed some of the victims were raped, gang-raped, sodomized, beaten, clubbed, tortured, maimed, or stabbed. Some of the dead bodies were also mutilated.[1]

The incident prompted widespread outrage around the world and reduced American support at home for the war in Vietnam. The massacre is also known as the Son My Massacre (Vietnamese: thảm sát Sơn Mỹ) or sometimes as the Song My Massacre.[2]

The incident

He fired at it [the baby] with a .45. He missed. We all laughed. He got up three or four feet closer and missed again. We laughed. Then he got up right on top and plugged him.[3][4]

Background

Women and children in My Lai, Vietnam, shortly before U.S. soldiers killed them March 16, 1968.[5] Photo by Ronald L. Haeberle, Charlie Company photographer and one of the My Lai whistleblowers

Charlie Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade, Americal Division, arrived in Vietnam in December 1967. Their first month in Vietnam passed without any direct enemy contact. Nevertheless, by mid-March the company suffered 28 casualties, including five dead, many from the mines and booby-traps laid by the unseen enemy.

During the Tet Offensive of January 1968, attacks were carried out in Quang Ngai by the 48th Battalion of the NLF (National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, commonly referred to as the Viet Cong). U.S. military intelligence formed the view that the 48th Battalion, having retreated, was taking refuge in the village of Song My, in Quang Ngai Province. A number of specific hamlets within that village — designated My Lai 1, 2, 3, and 4 — were suspected of harboring the 48th.

U.S. forces planned a major offensive against those hamlets. Colonel Oran K. Henderson urged his officers to "go in there aggressively, close with the enemy and wipe them out for good."[3] On the eve of the attack, at the Charlie Company briefing, Captain Ernest Medina was asked whether the order included the killing of women and children; those present at the briefing later gave different accounts of Medina's response. Some of the company soldiers, including platoon leaders, later testified that the orders as they understood them were to kill all guerilla and North Vietnamese combatants and "suspects", including women and children, as well as all animals, and burn the village.[4]

The massacre

Dead man and child. Photo by Ronald L. Haeberle, Charlie Company photographer
More victims of My Lai. Photo by Ronald L. Haeberle, Charlie Company photographer

Some of the people were trying to get up and run. They couldn't and fell down. This one woman, I remember, she stood up and tried to make it — tried to run — with a small child in her arms. But she didn't make it.

— Charlie Company photographer Ronald Haeberle[6]

The soldiers found no fighters in the village on the morning of March 16. Many suspected there were Viet Cong in the village, hiding underground in the homes of their elderly parents or their wives. The American soldiers, one platoon of which was led by 2Lt William Calley, went in shooting at "suspected enemy position". After the first civilians were killed and wounded by the indiscriminate fire, the soldiers soon began attacking anything that moved, humans and animals alike, with firearms, grenades and bayonets.

The scale of the massacre only spiraled as it progressed, brutality of each killing increasing the next. BBC News described the scene:

Soldiers went berserk, gunning down unarmed men, women, children and babies. Families which huddled together for safety in huts or bunkers were shown no mercy. Those who emerged with hands held high were murdered. ... Elsewhere in the village, other atrocities were in progress. Women were gang raped; Vietnamese who had bowed to greet the Americans were beaten with fists and tortured, clubbed with rifle butts and stabbed with bayonets. Some victims were mutilated with the signature "C Company" carved into the chest. By late morning word had got back to higher authorities and a cease-fire was ordered. My Lai was in a state of carnage. Bodies were strewn through the village.[1]

Dozens of people were herded into a ditch and executed with automatic weapons[7] -- a large group of about 60 to 80 villagers, rounded-up by the 1st Platoon in the center of the village, was executed personally by the platoon leader Calley, and by the soldiers he ordered to shoot. Calley also machinegunned three other large groups of civilians with a weapon taken from a soldier who refused to kill anymore.

After the initial "sweeps" by the 1st and the 2nd Platoon, the 3rd Platoon was sent in to deal with any "remaining resistance." They immediately began killing every still-living human and animal they could find, including shooting the Vietnamese who emerged from their hiding places, and finishing-off the wounded found moaning in the heaps of bodies.

Only one American soldier was injured in My Lai, he shot himself in the foot. The first reports claimed "128 Vietcong" and 22 civilians were killed in the village during a "fierce fire fight." General William Westmoreland, MACV commander, congratulated the unit on the "outstanding job."

Helicopter rescue

It looks like a bloodbath down there! What the hell is going on?

— Unidentified helicopter pilot over My Lai[5]

Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson, Jr., a 24-year-old helicopter pilot from an aero-scout team, witnessed a large number of dead and dying civilians as they began flying over the village - all of them infants, children, women and old men, with no signs of draft-age men or weapons anywhere. He and his crew witnessed an unarmed passive woman kicked and shot at point-blank range by Captain Medina (Medina later claimed that he thought she had a grenade[6]). The crew made several attempts to radio for help for the wounded. They landed their helicopter by a ditch, which they noted was full of bodies and in which there was movement. Thompson asked a Sergeant he encountered there if the Sergeant could help get the people out of the ditch, and the Sergeant replied that he would "help them out of their misery." Thompson was shocked and confused but took it as some kind of a joke at the time. The helicopter took off then one of the crew said "My God, he's firing into the ditch."

Thompson then saw a group of civilians (again consisting of children, women and old men) at a bunker being approached by ground personnel. He landed and told his crew that if the U.S. soldiers shot at the Vietnamese while he was trying to get them out of the bunker that they were to open fire at these soldiers. Thompson later testified that he spoke with a Lieutenant (identified as Lieutenant Calley) and told him there were women and children in the bunker, and asked if the Lieutenant would help get them out. According to Thompson, "he [the Lieutenant] said the only way to get them out was with a hand grenade." Thompson testified he then told Calley to "just hold your men right where they are, and I'll get the kids out." He found 12-16 people in the bunker, coaxed them out and led them to the helicopter, standing with them while they were flown out in two lots.

Returning to My Lai, he and other air crew noticed several large groups of bodies. Spotting some survivors in the ditch he landed again and one of the crew entered the ditch and returned with a bloodied but apparently unharmed child who was flown to safety. The child was thought to be a boy, but later investigation found that it was a 4 year old girl. Thompson then reported what he had seen to his company commander, Major Watke, using terms such as "murder" and "needless and unnecessary killings." His reports were confirmed by other pilots and air crew.[8]

In 1998, three former U.S. servicemen who stopped their comrades from killing a number of villagers, significantly reducing casualties at My Lai, were awarded the Soldier's Medal awards in Washington D.C. [9] The veterans also contacted with the survivors of My Lai.

Aftermath

Dead bodies outside a burning dwelling. Photo by Ronald L. Haeberle, Charlie Company photographer

I did not see anyone alive when we left the village.

— Private First Class Robert Maples[7]

Due to the chaotic circumstances, and the Army's decision not to undertake a definitive body count, the precise number of civilians killed at My Lai cannot be stated with certainty. Estimates vary from source to source, with 347 and 504 being the most commonly cited figures. A Vietnamese memorial at the site of the massacre lists 504 names, with ages ranging from one to eighty-two years. A later investigation by the U.S. Army arrived at a considerably lower figure of 347 deaths, the official American estimate.

In the spring of 1972, the camp (at My Lai 2) where the survivors of the My Lai Massacre had been relocated was largely destroyed by ARVN (South Vietnamese) artillery and aerial bombardment. The destruction was officially attributed to "Viet Cong terrorists". However, the truth was revealed by Quaker service workers in the area, through testimony (in May 1972) by Martin Teitel at hearings before the Congressional Subcommittee to Investigate Problems Connected with Refugees and Escapees. In June 1972, Teitel's account of the events was published in the New York Times.

Cover-up and investigations

Initial investigations of the My Lai operation were undertaken by the 11th Light Infantry Brigade's Commanding Officer, Colonel Henderson, under orders from the Americal Division's Assistant Commanding Officer, Brigadier General George H. Young. Henderson interviewed several soldiers involved in the incident, then issued a written report in late April claiming that some 22 civilians were inadvertently killed during the operation. The army at this time was still describing the events at My Lai as a military victory that had resulted in the deaths of 128 enemy combatants.

Six months later, Tom Glen, a 21-year-old soldier of the 11th Light Infantry Brigade, wrote a letter to General Creighton Abrams, the overall commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam, accusing the Americal Division (and other entire units of the US military) of routine and pervasive brutality against Vietnamese civilians. The letter was detailed and its contents echoed complaints received from other soldiers.

Colin Powell, then a 31-year-old US Army Major, was charged with investigating the letter, which did not specifically reference My Lai (Glen had limited knowledge of the events there). In his report Powell wrote: "In direct refutation of this portrayal is the fact that relations between Americal soldiers and the Vietnamese people are excellent." Powell's handling of the assignment was later characterized by some observers as "white-washing" the atrocities of My Lai.[10] In May 2004, Powell, then United States Secretary of State, told CNN's Larry King, "I mean, I was in a unit [the Americal Division] that was responsible for My Lai. I got there after My Lai happened. So, in war, these sorts of horrible things happen every now and again, but they are still to be deplored."[11]

The carnage at My Lai might have gone unknown to history if not for another soldier, Ron Ridenhour, who, independently of Glen, sent a letter detailing the events at My Lai to President Nixon, the Pentagon, the State Department, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and numerous members of Congress.[12] The copies of this letter were sent in March 1969, a full year after the event. Most recipients of Ridenhour's letter ignored it, with the notable exception of Congressman Morris Udall (D-Arizona). Ridenhour learned about the events at My Lai secondhand, by talking to members of Charlie Company while he was still enlisted.

Eventually, Lt Calley was charged with several counts of premeditated murder in September 1969, and 25 other officers and enlisted men were later charged with related crimes. It was another two months before the American public learned about the massacre and trials.

Independent investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, after extensive conversations with Lt Calley, broke the My Lai story on 12 November 1969; on 20 November, Time, Life and Newsweek magazines all covered the story, and CBS televised an interview with Paul Meadlo. The Cleveland Plain Dealer published explicit photographs of dead villagers killed at My Lai. As is evident from comments made in a 1969 telephone conversation between United States National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger and Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, revealed recently by the National Security Archive, the photos of the war crime were too shocking for senior officials to stage an effective cover-up. Secretary of Defense Laird is heard to say, "There are so many kids just lying there; these pictures are authentic."

Courts martial

On 17 March, 1970, the United States Army charged 14 officers, including Major General Samuel W. Koster, the Americal Division's commanding officer, with suppressing information related to the incident. Most of those charges were later dropped. Brigade commander Colonel Oran K. Henderson was the only officer who stood trial on charges relating to the coverup; he was acquitted on December 17, 1971.[13]

After a 10-month-long trial, in which he claimed that he was following orders from his commanding officer, Captain Ernest Medina, Lieutenant William Calley was convicted, on September 10, 1971, of premeditated murder for ordering the shootings. He was initially sentenced to life in prison. Two days later, however, President Richard Nixon made the controversial decision to have Calley released from prison, pending appeal of his sentence. Calley's sentence was later adjusted, so that he would eventually serve 4½ months in a military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, during which time he was allowed routine and unrestricted visits by his girlfriend. [14]

In a separate trial, Captain Medina denied giving the orders that led to the massacre, and was acquitted of all charges, effectively negating the prosecution's theory of "command responsibility", now referred to as the "Medina standard". Several months after his acquittal, however, Medina admitted that he had suppressed evidence and had lied to Colonel Henderson about the number of civilian deaths.[15]

Most of the enlisted men who were involved in the events at My Lai had already left military service, and were thus legally exempt from prosecution. In the end, of the 26 men initially charged, Lt. Calley's was the only conviction.

Some have argued that the outcome of the My Lai courts martial was a reversal of the laws of war that were set forth in the Nuremberg and Tokyo War Crimes Tribunals.[16] Those tribunals set a historic precedent, establishing the principle that no one may be excused from responsibility for war crimes because they were "following orders". Secretary of the Army Howard Callaway was quoted in the New York Times as stating that Calley's sentence was reduced because Calley honestly believed that what he did was a part of his orders — a rationale that stands in direct contradiction of the standards set in Nuremberg and Tokyo, where German and Japanese soldiers were executed for similar acts.

Effects and analysis

The explosive news of the massacre fueled the outrage of the American peace movement, which demanded the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam. It also led more potential draftees to file for conscientious objector status. Those who had always argued against the war felt vindicated; those on the fringes of the movement became more vocal.

The more pivotal shift, however, was in the attitude of the general public toward the war. People who previously had not been interested in the peace/war debates began to analyze the issue more closely. The horrific stories of other soldiers began to be taken more seriously, and other abuses came to light.

Some military observers concluded that My Lai showed the need for more and better volunteers to provide stronger leadership among the troops. As the Vietnam combat dragged on, the number of well-educated and experienced career soldiers on the front lines dropped sharply as casualties and combat rotation took their toll. These observers claimed the absence of the many bright young men who did not participate in the draft due to college attendance or homeland service caused the talent pool for new officers to become very shallow.[17] They pointed to Calley, a young, unemployed college dropout, as an example of the raw and inexperienced being rushed through officer training.

Those involved

Calley and Meadlo were firing at the people. They were firing into the hole. I saw Meadlo firing into the hole.

Q: Well, tell me, what was so remarkable about Meadlo that made you remember him?
A: He was firing and crying.
Q: He was pointing his weapon away from you and then you saw tears in his eyes?


A: Yes.[8]

1st Platoon

Some of the soldiers of the 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, included:

Other soldiers

Charlie Company, the unit deployed in My Lai 4 on the day of the massacre led by Lt. Calley, was one of at least three that swept My Lai 4.

Rescue helicopter

Intervention helicopter's crew consisted of:

30 years later the crew was decorated for their actions at My Lai with Soldier's Medals, the U.S. non-combat heroism awards. Andreotta, who was killed in action shortly after the events at My Lai, received the medal posthumously.

Photographs

  • Unidentified killed Vietnamese female.
    Unidentified killed Vietnamese female.
  • Unidentified killed Vietnamese male.
    Unidentified killed Vietnamese male.
  • Unidentified body thrown down a well.
    Unidentified body thrown down a well.
  • Nicholas Capezza burning a dwelling.
    Nicholas Capezza burning a dwelling.

All photos taken by Ronald L. Haeberle.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Murder in the name of war - My Lai". BBC. July 20, 1998.
  2. ^ My Lai was one of four hamlets associated with the village of "Song My". Americal Division Veterans Association.
  3. ^ "Peers Inquiry: Report of the Department of the Army Review of the Preliminary Investigations into the My Lai Incident".
  4. ^ "Neo-fascism and the religious right". By John M. Swomley. Humanist (magazine). Jan-Feb, 1995.
  5. ^ "Report of the Department of Army review of the preliminary investigations into the My Lai incident. Volume III, Exhibits, Book 6 - Photographs, 14 March 1970". From the Library of Congress, Military Legal Resources.[1]
  6. ^ "Ronald Haeberle, Witness for the Prosecution"
  7. ^ Laurence Rogerson & Sue Powell (1999). "Exploring Vietnam - My Lai". Retrieved 2006-03-16.
  8. ^ Thompson's own testimony before a conference at the University of Tulane in 1994[2] and from the Peers Report.
  9. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/03/98/mylai/62924.stm Heroes of My Lai honoured
  10. ^ "Behind Colin Powell's Legend -- My Lai" by Robert Parry and Norman Solomon, The Consortium for Independent Journalism, July 22, 1996.
  11. ^ "Interview on CNN's Larry King Live with Secretary Colin L. Powell". 2004. Retrieved 2006-03-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  12. ^ Text of Ridenhour's 1969 letter
  13. ^ "Biography of Oran Henderson"
  14. ^ Neier, A. War Crimes: Brutality, Genocide, Terror, and the Struggle for Justice, Random House, p. 95
  15. ^ "An Introduction to the My Lai Courts-Martial"
  16. ^ Marshall, Burke (2 April 1976). "Learning From My Lai: A Proposal on War Crimes". The New York Times. p. 26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ PBS/The American Experience. The My Lai Massacre

Further reading

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