Who Was Responsible For The My Lai Massacre

On March 16, 1968, there was a massacre of around 300-400 innocent noncombatant people mainly old men, women, and children in My Lai located in the Quang Ngai region of Vietnam. My Lai was a small village of only around 700 total people. (p.3) Those responsible for this horrific act were all members Charley Company, which is a part of the United States’ military. Their mission was clear and they followed through. The mission was to “search and destroy” and “Sanitize” My Lai. (Olson, Roberts, p.8-9) Lieutenant Colonel Frank Barker ordered My Lai to be "leveled"(p.19) In March 1968 within the Quang Ngai Province it was reported by the Untied State’s military there were around 262,200 enemies to the USA, this number includes combat troops of

Bernhardt and Hugh Thompson Jr. Hugh Thompson Jr. was the only man to even attempt to stop the killings. Thompson even went as far as landing his helicopter between the soldiers and villagers in order to protect the villagers, he also threatened to shoot his fellow soldiers himself if they continued on with the massacre. When Thompson Jr. returned to base that same day he reported what he had witnessed. (p.23) Unfortunately, Hugh Thompson Jr.’s report to his superiors was covered up. The cover up went all the way through the chain of command. Lieutenant Colonel Frank Barker wrote twelve days after the massacre that is was a successful mission and that “Friendly casualties were light and the enemy suffered heavily.”. (p.31)

In March of 1969 Ronald Ridenhour after hearing about the My Lai massacre started his own investigation and then wrote to over thirty politicians about what he heard about My Lai. At that point the American public had still not heard about the horrific My Lai massacre until in December 1969 military photographer Ron Haeberle in 1969 sold and published his photos form the My Lai massacre in Life magazine. After the photos were publish massive negative public outcry and protests erupted all around the country. The American public was

(p.24) I don’t believe this was at all justice served. Under the Geneva conventions and also the U.S. army rules and regulations soldiers do not have to follow orders to commit war crimes, not only that they are supposed disobey and report to authorities any and all war crimes that they are aware of. (p.56) Murdering of innocent unarmed people and the rape of women and children all fall under war crimes. Even if the excuse of the argument that was used to acquit most of the men was that the murders were just and they were only following orders and acted in self-defense, it still never took into account the 20 women and children who were raped. Rape could never be justified as self-defense nor is that ever a just non-war crime order to execute. (p.76, 99) Not only were these war crimes, but under the Geneva convention and U.S. army rules a solider must report war crimes done, however, only one soldier who witnessed the crimes actually reported it. These were clearly civilians out of the about seven-hundred peoples’ possessions that were found in the village where only two guns were found, and never was one shot reported coming from any of the villagers.