One of the ugliest chapters of the Vietnam War was written on March 16, 1968 when Lieutenant William L. Calley, leader of Charlie Company 1st Battalion 20th Infantry, led his men into the town of My Lai, which had been suspected of being an alleged Viet Cong stronghold. Calley and his men slaughtered 300 to 500 unarmed villagers in the South Vietnam hamlet. Hugh Thompson, a helicopter pilot and his two man crew were on a reconnaissance mission over My Lai when he spotted the massacre taking place. Thompson landed his aircraft between Calley's men and the civilians, ordering his men to shoot any Americans who tried to kill anymore civilians. The remaining villagers were rounded up and flown back to Thompson's base, where he then reported his findings. William Calley was the only person to ever be convicted for the My Lai Massacre.Tuesday, September 8, 2009
My Lai Massacre
One of the ugliest chapters of the Vietnam War was written on March 16, 1968 when Lieutenant William L. Calley, leader of Charlie Company 1st Battalion 20th Infantry, led his men into the town of My Lai, which had been suspected of being an alleged Viet Cong stronghold. Calley and his men slaughtered 300 to 500 unarmed villagers in the South Vietnam hamlet. Hugh Thompson, a helicopter pilot and his two man crew were on a reconnaissance mission over My Lai when he spotted the massacre taking place. Thompson landed his aircraft between Calley's men and the civilians, ordering his men to shoot any Americans who tried to kill anymore civilians. The remaining villagers were rounded up and flown back to Thompson's base, where he then reported his findings. William Calley was the only person to ever be convicted for the My Lai Massacre.
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