The My Lai Massacre
The My Lai Massacre is arguably one of the worst military crimes in the 20th Century. Approximately 100 American soldiers raided a tiny village in the South Eastern side of Vietnam and massacred non-combatants who mainly consisted of children, women, and elderly men (Fox 29). The soldiers arrived in the remote village of My Lai expecting to meet resistance from the rebels commonly known as the Viet Cong instead they found hundreds of unarmed civilians. Under the control of the Viet Cong communists, the region was subject to bomb attacks and strafed with Agent Orange a dangerous herbicide. Led by Lieutenant William Colley, the U.S army commanders ordered the American Division’s 11th Infantry Brigade to kill people in the entire village since they were considered as either communist rebels or active sympathisers.
The bloodbath's end
The bloodbath only ended after an army pilot on a reconnaissance mission landed at the scene and warned to shoot any of the soldiers who continued with the heinous act. In a bid to cover up the bloodshed, senior officers in Vietnam made effort to downplay the carnage by denying all accounts related to the massacre. However, the cover-up did not last for long until a soldier who had not participated in the ordeal narrated the events to an investigative journalist who in turn published the story in November 1969. Amid national and international uproar, suspected officers were apprehended and charged for their involvement and attempted cover-up of the bloodshed. Despite their involvement, only Lieutenant William Calley was convicted for his role in ordering for the massacre at My Lai (Calley 206). Many people viewed Calley as a scapegoat whose sentence was reduced to 10 years imprisonment after appeal. He later obtained parole in 1974 which many questioned the American justice system.
Lieutenant William Calley’s Decisions at My Lai
After months of cover-up, the relentless investigate journalist uncovered the events that occurred in My Lai. In his report, Seymour Hersh unravelled the perpetrators of the massacres with the main suspect being Lieutenant William who was accused of ordering for the murder of hundreds of civilians. During Vietnam’s war, Lieutenant Calley allegedly authorised his juniors to kill, rape, and destroy property that belonged to the innocent civilians. During the Martials court proceedings, Calley claimed that he was following decisions from his seniors (Milgram 1973). Unfortunately, none of his seniors or juniors were charged for presiding or participating in an illegal operation.
The acquittal and uproar
In fact, every soldier in American Division’s 11th Infantry Brigade was acquitted of murder charges while William Calley was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. The sentence sparked national outrage as the majority of the Americans demanded justice in the U.S military chain of command. Many view Calley as a classic scapegoat who presided over mass killings yet the American justice system and the Executive sought to protect him by handing a lenient sentence. Amid the uproar, President Nixon ordered to the authorities to transfer him to house arrest where Calley would complete his sentence at the comfortable apartment. In 2009, William Calley handed a note of personal regret maintaining that he regretted his role in the My Lai killings and offered his apologies the families that had lost their loved ones in the ordeal.
The Hero of My Lai
Hugh Thompson, a Warrant Officer during the Vietnamese war, is widely hailed for his role towards against injustice of the Vietnamese civilians in a remote village. While on a reconnaissance mission, pilot Thompson discovered unlawful bloodbath of civilians committed by American Division’s 11th Infantry Brigade. To salvage the situation, Thompson landed his helicopter at the scene confronted the leader of the platoon William Colley and threatened to open fire on any soldier who would dare shoot the innocent civilians (Wiener np). With the help of his crew Warrant officer, Thompson retrieved some of the injured victims from a hole covered with dead bodies and evacuated them to the nearby military camps for medication.
Recognition and accolades for Thompson
After the rescue mission, he reported the matter to the section commander who in turn ordered for a cease-fire leading to the end of a bloodbath. Thompson’s effort exemplifies high ethical standards and individual courage, which attracted national and international attention to a man who had saved the reputation of the United States army during the Vietnamese war. For heroism beyond and above the call of duty Hugh Thompson was awarded a Soldier’s Medal in 1998 an award presented to soldiers who exhibit bravery and avoid direct contact with the enemy. For an outstanding effort, Thompson received a Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award a prestigious accolade presented to individuals for their contribution for peace initiatives globally. Hugh Thompson Foundation was commissioned due to his efforts to end the My Lai massacre.
Messages from My Lai Massacre
As the 50th anniversary approached, one of the survivors of the massacre reported that he is still terrified by the memories of the 1968 massacre. The survivor narrates that whenever the anniversary approaches, he thinks of sister two-year-old sister who was cut killed in the attack. He confesses that the memories hurt him each time he remembers about the ordeal. Similarly, Pham Thi Thuan recalls hearing gunshots from a distance mistaking the shooting to the Vietnamese army who allegedly attacked villages and killed domesticated animals (Olson and Randy 76). However, she was shocked to learn that American soldiers raided the village with the motive of killing, raping and destroying their property. Pham and her two daughters were grouped and forced into a ditch along with other villagers and the soldiers shot at them indiscriminately. Additionally, Do Ba was among the survivors rescued and evacuated for further medical treatment by Thompson and his crew. Ba credits his life to Thompson who saved his life during the ordeal. In recognition of Thompson’s efforts, Ba hangs the pilot’s portrait on a household altar a space of honor generally reserved for ancestors.
When a freelance investigative journalist published about the killings, many viewed the American soldiers as cowards who yearned on the blood of innocent civilians. William Calley’s mother criticized the American army for letting his son turn into a murderer killing non-combatants. The incident tainted the U.S army’s image who many viewed it as unprofessional. Despite the killings, many survivors cited that they have forgiven the perpetrators and have no hatred towards the American people (Beidler 41). Thuan has applauded the growing relations between Vietnam and the United States, which has since grown since the re-establishment of diplomatic ties a decade ago. Some of the survivors attribute the freedom they enjoy today to the Americans protest to the war.
Works Cited
Jon, Wiener. “A Forgotten Hero Stopped the My Lai Massacre 50 Years Ago Today.” Los Angeles Times, 16 March 2018. https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-wiener-my-lai-hugh-thompson-20180316-story.html. Accessed Dec. 1, 2018.
Last Statement of Lt. William Calley to His Court Martial.” Last Statement of Lt. William Calley to His Court Martial, Aug. 2017, p. 206
Milgram, Stanley. "The Perils of Obedience." Harper’s, vol. 247, no. 1483, 1973, p. 1973.
Olson, James and Randy Roberts. My Lai: A Brief History with Documents. Macmillan, 1998.
