The document summarizes the My Lai massacre that occurred during the Vietnam War. Over 500 Vietnamese civilians were killed by U.S. soldiers over the course of 3 hours. While the massacre was initially covered up, an investigation was later launched after a veteran sent a letter to Congress about the events. Lieutenant William Calley was ultimately the only soldier convicted for the killings, receiving a life sentence though he only served 3 years under house arrest. The massacre increased public opposition to the war and demonstrated the brutality that could occur amid incorrect intelligence and low troop morale.

1. + "I had prayed to
God that this
thing was
fiction.‖
- William Wilson,
Combat Veteran
―North Vietnam
cannot defeat or
humiliate the
United States.
Only Americans
can do that.‖
Richard Nixon, 1969
My Lai Massacre & End of
Vietnam War
Arnav Ghosh 10.3

2. +
My Lai Massacre - Background
 Tet Offensive Aftermath (January 1968)
- Americans assumed assumed that the 48th Battalion of the NLF
had then dispersed & taken refuge in Son My village
(specifically in My Lai 1, 2, 3 & 4)
 Captain Ernest Medina believed all the civilians of the
village would have left for
the market by 7 a.m, any
remaining were soldiers of
the NLF or their sympathizers :
“They‟re all V.C, now go &
get them.”
(Extreme Right) Captain Ernst
Medina, (Right) Lt. William
Calley

3. +
My Lai – The Massacre
7:30: Artillery fire clears a landing area for 8:40 – 11:00 : 1st & 2nd platoons go
helicopters bringing in 120 soldiers in to complete the ‗search & destroy‘
mission, 3rd platoon responsible for
„mop up‘ duties
 Troops found no enemy fighters in the village presumed V.C were
hiding under the houses
 Over 3 hours: 504 Vietnamese civilians killed (2 V.C soldiers & 3
weapons recovered)

4. +
My Lai - Helicopter Intervention
Thompson: But, these are human beings,
unarmed civilians, sir.
Calley: Look Thompson, this is my show. I'm in
charge here. It ain't your concern.
Thompson: Yeah, great job.
Thompson: Hey listen, hold your fire. I'm
going to try to get these people out of this
bunker. Just hold your men here.
Brooks: Yeah, we can help you get 'em out of
that bunker—with a hand grenade!
Thompson: Just hold your men here. I think I
can do better than that.
Major Hugh Thompson
Jr. – My Lai Hero

5. + My Lai – Cover Up & Investigations
 Five O‘ Clock Follies: “In action today Americal Division forces
killed 128 enemy near Quang Nai City” – 16/03/1968
 General William Westmoreland congratulated the unit for an
‗outstanding job‘ & the event began to be described as one of
America‘s greatest victories after the Tet Offensive
 March 1969: Ronald Ridenhour sends a letter to Congress
about the Mai Lai incident after hearing about it from members
of the Charlie Company: “rather dark & bloody did indeed
occur”
 Seeing the evidence provided an
inquiry was ordered, over 400
witnesses were questioned & 200
pages of testimony published
(Extreme Right) Lt. Calley – the only out of 30
to be convicted, (Right) My Lai – A symbol for
the Vietnam War

6. + My Lai – Army & Trial
 September 1969: Lt. William Calley & 10 others charged with
the murder of 109 people
 Unable to handle so many charges, Calley is thrust with the
complete responsibility of the massacre with higher officials
denying that he was acting under any orders.
 March 1969: Calley found
guilty of 22 counts of
premeditated murder &
sentenced to life in prison
causing a public outcry:
- Calley was being used as a
scapegoat by the army in
order to shield the overall
war in Vietnam
(Extreme Right) TIME Magazine
questioning the verdict, (Right) A
―Free Calley‖ Protest

7. + My Lai – Viet Cong Reactions
 Broadcast: American Evil Appears (Let the American Enemy Pay
this Bloody Debt)
 ―Crazy American enemy used light machineguns and all kinds
of weapons to kill our innocent civilian people…most of them
were women, kids, there were some just born babies and
pregnant women….There were 26 families killed completely -
no survivors‖
 ―The fierce devils… They have dropped down their priest
covers to become barbarous, and cruel. American wolfs have
forgotten their sheep - like appearance. They opened their
mouths to eat, drink our people blood with all their animal
barbarity.‖
 ―Vietnam officers, soldier brother…What are you waiting for…to
avenge our people, to wash out insult to our nation and save
your proud and your own life.

8. +
My Lai – Media &
Domestic Outrage

9. + My Lai – Media & Domestic Outrage
 5th December 1969: The first images
of the My Lai Massacre are published
in ‗The Plain Dealer‘ causing protests
all over America & various parts of the
world, including the November 1969
protests where 700,000 people turned
up against the atrocities in the war

10. +
My Lai Massacre – Protests &
Propaganda
 Protest Forms:
- Teach-ins on why the USA should leave Vietnam
- Railway Blocks with human barricades, Campus
Demonstrations
- Huge Public Demonstrations, Burning Draft Papers
 Propaganda Art
 Implied Message: In Vietnamese, babies were also
looked at as enemy combatants (ie: the
war was immoral)
 Further solidified the stereotypical belief
that US soldiers were ‗drug addled baby
killers‘
"easily the most successful poster to vent the outrage
that so many felt about the conflict in Southeast Asia."

11. + My Lai - Survivors
 Ha Thi Quy, My Lai Villager: I never would have imagined, never
would have thought Americans would kill us. When my children
came home and asked if American soldiers were killers, I
said, "No. Americans don't kill.‖
 "Everyone in my family was killed in the My Lai massacre -- my
mother, my father, my brother and three sisters," said Tuyet, who
was 8 years old at the time. "They threw me into a ditch full of dead
bodies. I was covered with blood and brains."
(Left) Survivors pointing to a ditch where many of the dead lay (Right) A My Lai
Massacre Memorial - 2008

12. +
My Lai Massacre - Effects
 Military
- My Lai showed the need to provide stronger leadership for troops
Pointing to Calley, a young, unemployed college dropout as an example of
raw recruits being rushed into training
- Questioning the Army command order
hierarchy
 Political
- Culture of Concealment: Prime example
of the Pentagon & defense establishment's
lack of integrity & reluctance to probe it‘s
officers & their willingness to use single
officers as scapegoats
- Increased domestic & world pressure on the
government to stop the war after seeing the
ruthlessness & brutality of soldiers
participating in the war, acting on incorrect
information & displayed the low morale
among troops