How significant was the My Lai massacre
“Some people think that the Japanese committed atrocities, that the Germans committed atrocities, that the Russians committed atrocities, but that the Americans don’t commit atrocities. Well, this just isn’t so. American troops are capable as any other of committing atrocities.” - Robert Rheault, 1970, former commander of U.S. special forces, Vietnam.
On the morning of March 16th, 1968 Charlie Company changed the way people looked at the Vietnam forever. After experiencing terrible attacks from Vietnamese guerrilla fighters Charlie Company were ordered to take on a search and destroy mission of My Lai, a small village in what was known as “Pinkville”. In the subsequent attack 347 were reported to have been killed in the search and destroy mission in My Lai. However, these weren’t communist fighters, which the army expected; they were innocent men, women old and young, children and babies. Not a single shot was fired at the soldiers of Charlie Company.
Historians have asked whether Nazis were evil or just acting under orders from their superiors. On a smaller scale, is the My Lai massacre any different to the atrocities committed by the Nazis in WW2? If Lt. Calley was only following orders does it make him evil for massacring so many innocent people? If it was true that Calley was just following orders did it ever come to his mind that it was illegal? When standing on trial Calley spoke of an “enemy I couldn’t see, I couldn’t feel and I couldn’t touch...... when it became between me and the enemy, I had to value the lives of my troops and I feel that is the only crime I have committed” this shows the paranoia and how mentally unprepared soldiers were when they entered the jungle war zone. It has been suggested that this may be due to soldiers taking hallucinogenic drugs to nullify the atrocities they were committing or how the American Government hadn’t trained them to expect the worse.
People have asked if any heroes came from the American war in Vietnam. Hugh Thompson is the only name which comes to mind with links to My Lai. Hugh Thompson was a pilot who helped drop of Charlie Company on their search and destroy mission in My Lai. When he was flying over head he kept on seeing piles of bodies appearing. This was unusual because they were all children and old men and women. He and the other pilots stopped and started to help injured and other helpless Vietnamese civilians court up in the massacre. This strikes me of an act of courage and heroics because Hugh even threatened to turn his guns on his own troops if it made them stop killing innocent men, women, boys and girls. This is significant because in all the midst of atrocities there is a glimpse of how real soldiers should act. This represents true emotion and courage which a soldier should carry. Hugh Thompson represents true significant within a massacre which could have been avoided. When Americans look back on this atrocity most would like to forget they can take some pride because one man chose to do the right thing and not tolerate such ambiguity and mass murder.
Ronald L. Haeberle a military photographer assigned to follow Charlie Company on the search and destroy mission in my lai played a significant role in the uncovering remembrance of the my lai massacre.
Historian Claude Cookman wrote in his journal of American History: the My Lai massacre concretized in a victim’s face. When American forces liberated the Nazi death camps in World War II, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Allied commander, ordered ordinary Germans to walk through the concentration camps to see the bodies. He wanted them to witness what their government had done, and he wanted proof against denials the Holocaust had occurred. Germany lost the war and was forced by the Allied victors to apologize for its atrocities. America lost the Vietnam War but was not conquered. “Nobody will force us to apologize for My Lai. Nobody will force us to look
caused the slaughter of civilians in My Lai by U.S. Troops in March 1968? The My Lai Massacre happened on March 16th, 1968. On this sad day in history the United States Army 1st Battalion Charlie Company, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division led by Lieutenant William L. Calley walked into the hamlet of My Lai which was located in a small village of Son My and killed hundreds of innocent unarmed citizens of Vietnam. The My Lai massacre is considered by some to be one of the…
been incidences in history where people have carried out the orders, leading to atrocious acts of violence. This is an issue because it helps us to understand more about people’s actions during war and conflict, and if there is an incident where the life of an innocent person has been lost, then we can explain the events and decide who is to blame – the soldier or their superior. A real life incident where obedience to authority has led to the harm of others is the My Lai Massacre. During the Vietnam…
To what extent did the Australian people support the decision to enter the war in Vietnam in 1965? Australia joined the Vietnam War in 1965, as support to their allies, the US. Their support was continuous throughout the war, up until they were faced with the harsh realities of what was really going on in Vietnam. Up until this, the Australians were completely oblivious to the horrific crimes against humanity that the US were committing, and until these events were brought to light in reports…
ring the 1960s was the My Lai Massacre. In this incident, American soldiers killed about 400 Vietnamese civilians. Most of these civilians were women, children, and the elderly. The article “Face to Face: Resistance, Melancholy, and Representations of Atrocities” reports how colored pictures of the massacre caused more antiwar protests to start in opposition to the once thought trustworthy American government. “Then, in late 1969, color images of the My Lai Massacre reproduced in Life magazine…
Steven Macke Mr. Gonzales U.S. History 6 June 2013 “War” Relates to History In the history of the United States, fighting for the nation was considered a badge of honor. However, in the late 1960’s the United States was divided into two opposing parties; those who supported the war, and those who opposed it. In 1964, the U.S. declared open conventional warfare against North Vietnam. Many Americans could not understand how or why we became so involved in Vietnam, and many began protesting through…
trials, where the ethics of following orders was quite possibly the most famous instance in history. November 20, 1945, marked the start of the Nuremberg trials that lasted thru April 13, 1949. During the trials, numerous defendants used the excuse of "I was only following orders", further using the rational that the orders given were for the greater good and were necessary to keep the peace. (History, U.S., nd) In the case of Nuremberg, the Utilitarian (Nazi) theorist would argue that…
really mean? According to Griggs (2012), “Obedience is following the commands of a persons authority”(p.331). A psychologist named Milgram decided to take obedience deeper and studied it from the history to his basic discoveries and later results. Taking a look back at history for example, “My Lai Massacre, where soldiers were ordered to shoot the innocent villagers, including children, women and the elderly”(Griggs 2012). This is a prime example of the definition. Their ruler had authority; they looked…
man’s word is his bond and the most important leadership trait there is. Looking back, the man I see as a great leader that possesses these traits is Ret. General Colin Powell. Colin Powell is one of the greatest military leaders in this country’s history. He served this country…
1967, in the black ghettos of the country, came the greatest urban riots of American history. Congress responded to the riots of 1967 by passing the Civil Rights Act of 1968. But problems were still going untouched by civil rights laws. But as time went on, whites and blacks were crossing racial lines in the South to unite as a class against employers. Reading this chapter I got a good look at the black history in our country and all the hardships this country had to go throughn. Each of these historical…
Daniella Brunner April 23, 2015 AP American History Mr. Visone My Lai Massacre In 1968, in which American troops had brutally massacred innocent women and children in the village of My Lai, in South Vietnam. It also led to more opposition to the war in America. Watergate The events and scandal surrounding a breakin at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972. Led to revelations that White House staff had orchestrated it, and from there a string of illegalities were exposed…