Theme 4

My Lai Massacre, March 1968 in Pinkville, Led by Lt. Calley

Why did the My Lai Massacre happen?

  1. Search and Destroy

  2. Frustration and fear

  3. Aftermath of Tet offensive, revenge

  4. Orders of dehumanisation, orders to destroy civilian villages

347 men, women, children and babies murdered, some women raped first, reports put the number of dead at over 500

Hugh Thompson Jr- bravely intervened to stop the massacre and evacuate some surviving civilians

It was initially covered up but Seymour Hersh broke the story to the public in November 1969, and people were appalled

The civilian experience:

Impacts on the north

Impacts on the south

brutal communist dictatorship, thousands of civilians were killed (those speaking out against the regime)

living standards were low, limited electricity

bombing campaigns half the year

very few received information about their loved ones in the army

some resentment in fighting for the south

corruption in government and the army,

brutal tactics in order to control the country, if you spoke out, you would disappear.

people in the countryside were killed and beaten

MORE FREEDOM THAN THE NORTH

economy based on the need of US money, 10% of goods from the US were stolen then sold to the black market

ARVN could be bought and not trusted

when conflict started 80% lived in the countryside , and by the end of 1960. 50% lived in urban areas

Saigon’s population tripled to 3 million

thousands of orphans in the streets, women and girls became prostitutes or bar girls

Hearts and minds campaign

to gain support of the Vietnamese and to convince them that communism wasn’t the best form of government, (to win over ideologically)

the US provided medical supplies, good, agricultural assistance, built schools and dug wells.

Search and destroy undermined the hearts and minds strategy as well as the use of gent orange and the corruption of the south government

Operation Phoenix

to identify and neutralise the Viet Cong

Methods to get rid of the Viet Cong included:

  1. Intelligence Gathering

  2. Targeting and Neutralisation

  3. Provincial Reconnaissance Units

  4. Interrogation Centres

Controversies and impacts:

  1. Human rights abuses

  2. Civilian casualties

  3. damage to US reputation

  4. Effectiveness Debate

Defoliation and bombing:

Agent Orange was used to clear the jungle. 20 million gallons were spread over ¼ of Vietnam’s land mass. it impacted agriculture and killed animals, also resulted in health impacts such as cancers

Napalm was used to remove undergrowth. 388,000 tons of napalm bombs were dropped in Vietnam between 1963-73

US morale

by 1971 most arrivals were drafted and didn’t know why they were fighting

booby traps caused frustration and low morale

hostility to officers sometimes led to men killing them, 3% of officers who were killed were killed by their own men.

a lot of racial tension

from 1966-73, 503,000 incidents of disertion in the US army in Vietnam

24% of the army were black

VC morale

a lot better than the US

the US could not beat them

Growing opposition to the war:

  1. Pentagon papers- damage to US reputation

  2. The Draft- unfair, corrupt

  3. Student protests- SDS, The Weathermen, Kent State University

  4. Opposition other than students- Hippies, Black power, Vietniks, Economic opponents, women

  5. Pro-Vietnam protests- Young Americans for freedom, National student committee for victory in Vietnam, VIVA

Fulbright Hearings started to attempt to make the discussion public and President Johnson was angry