my lai massacre

describe the events

• Date: March 16, 1968

• Place: My Lai village, South Vietnam

• Who: U.S. Army Charlie Company

• What happened: Searching for Viet Cong, but instead killed over 500 unarmed civilians (women, children, elderly)

• Other actions: Some women were assaulted, homes were burned

why did the charlie company target my lai

they were told that that was where the viet cong headquarters were

how did the army ibnitially view the massacre

viewed it as a success

it was reported that only 20 civillians had been viet cong

how did the US goverment find out about the massacre

12 months later

letter arrived at the offices written by ronald ridenhour an american soilder who had served in vietnam, he had evidence of what occured in my lai

describe the investigation

• ended in a trial for mass murder - lieutenant william calley, officer in the charlie company

• september 1969 he was charged with murder of 109 people

• 10 other memebers and the commanding officer was charged

• calley found guilty of murdering 22 civillians

• aug 1971 he was sentenced to 20 years hard labour

why was the my lai massacre a turning point

• made the us realise innocent people were being killed

• public saw everything in the media

• war crimes committed

• brutality