My Lai Massacre 1968 and The Kent State University shootings 1970

My Lai

A village in northern South Vietnam

16th March 1968

My Lai Massacre

Lieutenant Calley

The commanding officer that ordered the massacre at My Lai.

My Lai Massacre

h American troops brutally massacred innocent women and children in the village of My Lai, whilst carrying out a search and destroy mission.

Deaths at My Lai

347 men, women and children and babies were killed. Some of the women had been raped first.

'Double GI'

A term used by American soldiers for women who had been raped first, and then killed.

US military response

Tried to keep the news of the massacre quiet. Initially they boasted of the success in killing 90 Vietcong soldiers.

Life Magazine

In November 1969, Life Magazine published details about the massacre.

Trial of Lieutenant Calley

Calley and the ten other officers were formally changed with murdering 109 people. Calley was given 20 years of hard labour in 1971, he was released in 1974.

Public opinion

My Lai shocked public opinion, it was the clearest evidence the way was going wrong. In November 1969, 500,000 anti-Vietnam war protesters demonstrated in Washington.

University protests 1969

In the autumn of 1969, there were large demonstration against the war. These protests increase following Nixon's decision to invade Cambodia.

Campus bums

Those who supported the war called students campus bums.

Kent State University shootings 1970

Kent State was the location of one of the many college student protests against the Vietnam War. The protest ended with a clash against the Nation Guard who used tear gas and then fired shots. 4 students were killed and 11 were injured.

Response from the media to Kent State

The press was horrified and 400 colleges were closed.

Response from students

2 million students went on strike in protest. A few days later two students at another University were killed whilst protesting against the Kent State shootings.