Lai Massacre Essay

work. Events during the war, such as the My Lai Massacre, made the American public question the motives of the government and eventually led to hundreds of anti-war groups and protests to arise. In 1988, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) conducted several tests on Vietnam veterans to fully

The My Lai incident relates to the Afghanistan shooting as they both demonstrate acts of war crimes against innocent villagers. The My Lai incident took place in a Northern part of Southern Vietnam when Lt. Calley of the 11th Brigade Charlie company took part in acts of war crimes against innocent villagers. Lieutenant Calley was charged with killing a total of 104 villagers during the My Lai Massacre. In this incident the soldiers were very irritated with the booby traps and attacks against them

surrendered, marking the end of the war (Winthrop, 861-865). As the soldiers returned home they had to adapt from a war in which over one million people were killed. There were no banners or celebrations, and as the news of events such as the My Lai Massacre spread, they were seen as ruthless killers. When these soldiers risked their lives every minute for a reason they were not told and seemingly was purposeless, and then returned to a

basics such as how to tell the Vietcong from non-combatants, instruction in basic patrol techniques, how to call in fire support and how to handle prisoners. Charlie Company had gotten information saying that the Vietcong, 48th Battalion would be in My Lai recovering from battle and gaining a surplus of troops, and as the men in Charlie Company had not met their enemy head on they were ready for an all-out battle to avenge their fallen friends and comrades. The mission was to eliminate all Vietcong and

women, and elderly citizens in the village of My Lai were raped, killed, and had their homes and livelihoods destroyed by Charlie Company because of the orders given by one man. Lieutenant William Laws Calley Junior. Calley grew up in a very conservative town where he eventually enlisted in the Army after several unsuccessful endeavors. Later he went through OCS and became a Platoon Leader for Charlie Company. His military career leading up to My Lai was relatively lackluster; he did not have the respect

The Vietnam War, is widely regarded as a conflict that divided public opinion in the United States and influenced civilian perceptions on international relations. The conflict lasted for over twenty years and began after a policy of communism was introduced in the North after the withdrawal of French imperialists. The American government was highly concerned with the spread of communism in Asia (known as the Domino Theory) and wanted to end the possible political threat. Over time, the war has

pain on a complaining victim. In the article “The My Lai Massacre: A Military Crime of Obedience,” authors Herbert C. Kelman and V. Lee Hamilton contend that orders conduct crimes of obedience. In My Lai, Charlie Company were ordered to obliterate the village because the Viet Cong was supposed to be there; however the village was filled with unarmed civilians. Lt. William L. Calley, Jr. was the only person charged with the murders of the My Lai crimes because he violated Military Code; however the

Nayan Myerson-Jain E Band Mr. Jacobs June 9, 15 A Pink Sunset: United States Policies and Their Affect on Charlie Company The massacre at My Lai 4, often referred to as the “Pinkville Operation” by military officials, quickly became an event surrounded by outrage on the behalf of anti-war activists and soldiers alike. As stories leaked from letters sent to congressmen, and interviewed soldiers, outrage quickly boiled and conservatives and liberals were forced to ask: how could American soldiers

Dielle Ghislaine Ochotorena American Studies 1/2 Destructiveness of Obedience Alot of people like to believe that the world is generally all good or all evil; however, in reality they are the yin and yang of the human condition, and they are the labels we put on things that either appeal to us or don’t. The biblical story of Lucifer, who before he was banished from Heaven, was God’s favorite angel. Lucifer in the story, defied God which was the ultimate disobedience to authority in everyone’s

escape the war. He possibly thought about her too much which is why he took the blame. But in all reality, Lavender was shot while using the bathroom and that’s that. The only blame for that would be the war itself. In the video 60 Minutes: “My Lai Massacre”, a report on a very brutal attack on a Vietnamese village by U.S Soldiers, Hugh Thomson is a hero for saving many Vietnamese civilians from an awful fate. More than 150 women and children were marched