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On March 16, 1968, US soldiers entered the village of My Lai and murdered 347 civilians (by US military reckoning) and 504 civilians by local count. A hundred or more children and infants were included in that operation. 2nd Lt. William Calley lead the operation. He was the only one convicted and served 4 years of house arrest until "tricky Dick" Nixon pardoned him. No high ranking officers were ever charged nor anyone from the CIA, which was ultimately responsible as the My Lai Massacre was part of their CORDS "pacification" program.
Hugh Thompson, who was credited with stopping the killing was never recognized. The US Army and LBJ kept the massacre secret until November 12, 1969 when Seymour Hirsh, the muck raking journalist, exposed the massacre and cover up.
It's remarkable to me that Americans are so insulated from the violence of war that they act shocked by things like My Lai. Don't get me wrong, what the soldiers did that day was wrong, but FAR more innocent people (probably millions) were killed by indiscriminate bombing campaigns, but nobody complains about the Air Force. It seems like the personal nature of infantrymen killing "civilians" somehow changes the equation. Well, maybe it does to some degree in some people's minds, but I bet the people running from Arc Light strikes were just as horrified as the people running from Calley's men. How many bomber pilots were decorated for what they did? How ironic that as long as we don't see the deaths we choose to ignore the terrible realities of war.
Truth be told, Calley company was taking constant fire from the "civilian" villages in that area of operations and it shouldn't surprise anyone that they were merciless in their revenge. I'm not excusing it, but as a former infantryman and combat vet myself, seeing your best friends constantly getting killed or maimed by the enemy definitely messes with your moral compass. It's easy to sit back in our chairs here in the safety of the U.S. and pass judgement on men and women who are living, fighting and dying in a very different reality. That being said, screw Calley. He disgraced himself and the Army.
I wonder when we the people are going to start holding the culprits who are responsible for things like this accountable. I'm not just talkiing about specific soldiers either.
If they did recognize his heroism, it took a long time and I never saw or read anything about it.
Damn the US Army for turning innocent young boys into merciless killers for a war that was none of our business.
Thompson and his two crewman, one posthumously were presented the Soldiers Medal for Heroism in 1998, one of his crew was killed in a helicopter crash before he completed his tour. Thompson was a brave man landing between the Vietnamese and the American infantry not once but twice in an attempt to stop the massacre. When he returned home he as treated as the enemy by some for telling the truth and his actions.
Its a shame that Calley was pardoned and that no other military officers or soldiers were held accountable, not a proud moment.
Calley was a patsy. I was in Vietnam. All through basic and AIT, it was drummed into your head every day to never question an order, but follow them all. Many of us didn't, but some GIs were indoctrinated and did whatever they were told, no matter how wrong it was. You were told every day that disobeying an order could get you shot.
I remember my mother writing the government to condemn the my lai massacre. this conversation is my only memory of her politics as a young person. I remember her sitting at her desk and telling me about it.
My favorite cousin died flying a rescue helicopter in Vietnam. RIP, brave, young soldiers who died in Vietnam. i'll never forget him even though he was a very young man and I was a very young child.
Last edited by texan2yankee; 03-16-2018 at 07:38 PM..
If that is true, then they are equally guilty since they did nothing to stop the massacre.
Hugh Thompson, the hero, was the helicopter pilot assigned to evacuate Charlie Company.
The military drafted 18, 19 and 20 year olds from the backwaters for the war because it was easier to condition this age group to kill without mercy. Older and better educated men do not readily accept this type of indoctrination and would question unlawful orders like the ones that Calley gave his subordinates.
As the war dragged on, the draftees started to disobey orders and many refused to fight and even "fragged" gung ho officers. Wide spread marijuana and heroin use by the soldiers became a problem as they sap the will to fight and kill. Nixon began the withdrawal in part because of the new realities with the soldiers on the ground but mostly because US citizens turned against the war after the My Lai Massacre became well known.
I feel your post is not fair (again) Sorry.
I think it is easy to judge because you have not been there.
I was born in 1985 and I PERSONALLY have lost several very dear friends and romantic love interest in modern war.
I feel war is a very Nasty business. As Nasty a business as War is most of us Soldiers/Marines, airmen and sailors, make an effort to protect or at least not kill non combatants. But, the stress can be incredible and even good people can break. The professional levels, especially for a drafted Army, Marine Corps, and the military, can vary widely.
This sort of thing does happen in almost all wars and almost all Armies. Mostly you just do not hear about it
I am not saying this is right, nor am I saying this is"normal". However, I feel blaming one soldier, one leader, or blaming ONLY the soldiers/Marines is simply not the answer.
Do you think revenge killing only happens in the so called unjust wars? It happens all the time. I remember my dear brother once told me, "I honestly don't know what I would do if my best friend died in my arms. I think this would break me." I have to take his words for it. My heart broke in pieces when I learned my best friend and my second true love died in combat. I am very close to my grandfather, but the pain of losing him is very different. Losing my best friend/love interest is simply not the same. I don't think I have ever experienced pain that intense.
I don't know how to cope with the feeling losing somebody so young, nor do I know how to deal with my anger. It takes one year of intense therapy to even feel "normal" again. I simply cannot imagine how they would feel holding their dead friends in their arms. The only thing I know is that I cannot judge.
Again, I am not defending them, I am just saying, I cannot judge.
Last edited by lilyflower3191981; 03-16-2018 at 07:50 PM..
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