In a cable filed through Dispatch News Service and picked up by more than 30 newspapers, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reveals the extent of the U.S. Army’s charges against 1st Lt. William L.
Who reported the My Lai massacre?
However, word of Calley’s prosecution found its way to American investigative reporter and freelance journalist Seymour Hersh. My Lai was first revealed to the American public on November 13, 1969—almost two years after the incident—when Hersh published a story through the Dispatch News Service.
Who was the scapegoat of the My Lai massacre?
William Calley is back in the news. For many years now the young lieutenant convicted in 1971 of the murder of 22 Vietnamese villagers at My Lai has been regarded as a scapegoat. A recent New York Times editorial raised the stakes, calling him a “classic scapegoat.”
Did anyone escape My Lai?
Six survivors
According to the memorial museum, Thaun and her children were among just six people who survived in the ditch. Thuan waited for hours, she said, for the Americans to go away. “They relaxed at the bank and waited there, and we escaped after they moved to another place,” said Thuan.
Who was the hero at My Lai?
Hugh Thompson
Hugh Thompson is a genuine, bone-fide hero of the Vietnam war, protecting hundreds from being massacred by US troops at My Lai.
Who went to jail for My Lai?
William L. Calley
William L. Calley is found guilty of premeditated murder at My Lai by a U.S. Army court-martial at Fort Benning, Georgia. Calley, a platoon leader, had led his men in a massacre of Vietnamese civilians, including women and children, at My Lai 4, a cluster of hamlets in Quang Ngai Province on March 16, 1968.
What did Charlie Company do in My Lai?
CID begins a census of civilian casualties at My Lai. The census concludes that Charlie Company killed 347 Vietnamese men, women and children. 45 members of Charlie Company are found responsible for crimes ranging from violation of the rules of war to murder. The Peers Inquiry has gathered testimony from 39 witnesses.
Is William Calley a scapegoat?
Eleven other men were charged with murder, maiming or assault with the intent to commit murder, but their cases were abandoned before trial or they were acquitted. To many, Calley was no villain. In fact, according to polls at the time of his conviction, a majority of Americans regarded him as a scapegoat.
Why did they cover up the My Lai Massacre?
The U.S. military had deceived the public about the course of the war for years, but this was a concerted effort to hide an act of barbarism and turn it into a resounding victory over the Viet Cong. The atrocity itself was a deeply inhumane act.
What stopped the My Lai Massacre?
Barker immediately radioed ground forces to cease the “killings”. After the helicopter was refueled, Thompson’s crew returned to the village to ensure that no more civilians were being murdered and that the wounded were evacuated.
Did the U.S. commit war crimes in Vietnam?
During the war, 95 U.S. Army personnel and 27 U.S. Marine Corps personnel were convicted by court-martial of the murder or manslaughter of Vietnamese. U.S. forces also established numerous free-fire zones as a tactic to prevent Viet Cong fighters from sheltering in South Vietnamese villages.
Did anybody survive the My Lai Massacre?
I also took a picture of that helicopter, and then of Duc and Ha,” Haeberle said. The two children were among a handful who survived the My Lai Massacre that left 504 civilians dead.
How gruesome was the Vietnam War?
The brutality has been well documented: American soldiers raped, mutilated, and tortured the villagers before killing them; families were dragged from their homes, thrown into ditches and executed.
How did Americans react to the event at My Lai?
Answer and Explanation: American reaction to the My Lai Massacre was twofold, and it was similar to the other divisions that were created by the Vietnam War. Many Americans were shocked and outraged at the intentional killing of women and children.
How was the My Lai Massacre stopped?
Everybody’s heard of the My Lai massacre — March 16, 1968, 50 years ago today — but not many know about the man who stopped it: Hugh Thompson, an Army helicopter pilot. When he arrived, American soldiers had already killed 504 Vietnamese civilians (that’s the Vietnamese count; the U.S. Army said 347).
How did the My Lai Massacre affect public opinion?
The publicity surrounding the My Lai massacre proved to be an important turning point in American public opinion. It illustrated the deterioration that was taking place in the behaviour of the US troops and undermined the moral argument about the need to save Vietnam from the “evils of communism”.
Did the U.S. commit war crimes in Vietnam?
During the war, 95 U.S. Army personnel and 27 U.S. Marine Corps personnel were convicted by court-martial of the murder or manslaughter of Vietnamese. U.S. forces also established numerous free-fire zones as a tactic to prevent Viet Cong fighters from sheltering in South Vietnamese villages.
Was the My Lai massacre a turning point?
The shooting of hundreds of people in the Vietnamese village of My Lai in 1968 marked a pivotal turning point in America’s feelings about the the Vietnam War.