Vietnam during an indiscriminate, mass murder event known as the My Lai Massacre. Conducted by a unit of the United States Army, the My Lai Massacre ranked one of most appalling atrocities carried out by US forces in an already savage and violent war. All victims involved were unarmed civilians, many of which were women, children, and the elderly. Victims were raped, tortured and beaten, even mutilated before being killed. The massacre was forever seared into the hearts and minds of the American people
My Lai Massacre Soldiers are trained to always follow orders, and to never question orders. But that belief is somewhat illogical. Soldier's are to obey any lawful order given. But the training involved, the often chaotic nature of battle, and the need to follow authority to maintain survival can lead to a very blurred vision of what is right or wrong. One's animalistic instincts may take over. Sometimes there are such situations when you've stepped over the line. Such as the horrendous
The My Lai Massacre was the mass murder conducted by a unit of the U.S. army on March 16, 1968 of 347 to 504 unarmed citizens, all of whom were women, children, and elderly. Initially, the massacre was considered a military victory, claiming that 128 Viet Cong and only twenty-two citizens were killed. General William C. Westmoreland, MACV commander, congratulated the unit on an "outstanding job." Investigations began with 11th Light Infantry Brigade's commanding officer, Colonel Henderson, under
My Lai On March 16, 1968, "Charlie Company" was sent into a small Viet Cong village called (by the U.S.) My Lai 4. Their instructions by commanding officers were: "... kill every man, woman, child and animal in the village. Burn all the homes .... nothing should be walking, growing or crawling." Orders were followed, and as I read the first 65 pages of this book, I was exposed to the detailed death of 306 civilians, mostly women, small children, and old people. There was no threat to any American
On March 16, 1968, in the Quang Ngai region of Vietnam, specifically My Lai, the United States military was involved in an appalling slaughter of approximately 500 Vietnamese civilians. There are numerous arguments as to why this incident even had the capacity to occur. Although some of the arguments seem valid, can one really make excuses for the slaughter of innocent people? The company that was responsible for the My Lai incident was the Charlie Company, and throughout the company, there were
"The words "My Lai" are synonymous with a significant breakdown in leadership" (Rielly 17). Implying that the whole event of the My Lai Massacre was a giant lack of success in leadership from Military Officers and government officials. Research shows the failure of the United States Military knowing the difference between the enemy along with morals by the same leadership involved in the My Lai Massacre. The tragic event of the My Lai Massacre occurred On March 16, 1968. Involving the soldiers of
My Lai Massacre versus Prison Torture and Abuse Scandal at Abu Ghraib Prison “To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity” Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa. To start off I'm going to be talking about two very tragic events that occurred, one of them being the My Lai massacre and the other one being the prison torture and abuse scandal in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. I will go into further detail in answering the following questions, what are
The My Lai Massacre was a tragic event during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was tragic war with thousands of people killed. The My Lai Massacre was a turning point in the war because they went to a village to kill hundreds of people. Before the My Lai Massacre there were multiply Massacres that happened before. All those Massacres were not certainly known to the public, but they are certainly not prideful events that the United States did. My Lai is a village in the area of a stronghold for
My Lai the Great Massacre The Olson and Roberts book, My Lai is based upon the March 18, 1968, assault on My Lai. By examining the material, an explanation of why this massacre occurred is drawn. The main factors that lead to the My Lai assault were difficulty engaging with the enemy and the problem of distinguishing between the enemy soldiers and civilians, which both led to rage and frustration among soldiers and a misinterpretation of the mission. On March 17, 1968, a mission was given
My Lai Massacre "The picture of the world's greatest superpower killing or seriously injuring 1,000 noncombatants a week while trying to pound a tiny backward nation into submission on an issue whose merits are hotly disputed, is not a pretty one."(Martin Luther King Jr.). In this short quote Martin Luther King Jr. perfectly described what happened at Vietnam and what many people thought of the war. As the war progressed many viewed it as a mistake and one of the reasons why was the alarming fact
My Lai Massacre It doesn’t matter who is fighting, what countries are involved, or which weaponries are used; innocent civilians die in every combat. The My Lai Massacre was one of the most ungodly times in the Vietnam War. On the morning of March 16, 1968 a collection of American GIs arrived on the settlement of My Lai, located in the Quang Ngai Province in central Vietnam. The Vietnam War arose in the 1940’s as a conflict of liberties between Vietnamese nationalists known as the Viet Minh and
My Lai Massacre and the Breakdown of Military Discipline On March 16, 1968 Soldiers from C Company 1st Battalion, of the 23rd Infantry Division were involved in what would become one of the largest killings of civilians in military history. Second Lieutenant William Calley and Captain Ernest Medina led the Soldiers during the onslaught of innocent men, women, and children. Helicopter Pilot Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson along with his flight crew are credited with halting the massacre and saving
The My Lai Massacre of 1968 was a horrific blemish of brutality on America’s past. During this massacre, a company of American soldiers callously massacred the majority of the South Vietnamese hamlet of My Lai civilians, including women, children, and elderly. To this day, it remains unclear precisely how many South Vietnamese lives were taken during the massacre, but it was estimated to be as many as 500 civilians. (My Lai Cover-up Attempt) Higher-ranking U.S. Army officers covered up the events
My Lai was a town in Vietnam that was attacked by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War. Soldiers were under the impression that all civilians who were not a part of the Viet Cong (North Vietnam) were out of town for the market. They received this information from Intelligence and they were wrong. The helicopters started flying in and all the soldiers were clearly informed that there were to be no survivors from this town. Malevolent obedience was portrayed in this war and there are factors that I
Lieutenant Colonel Barker ordered his troops to storm the small Vietnamese village of My Lai and shoot at any threatening individuals who may put the American soldiers at risk of being under hostile fire. However, upon arrival, the village was abundant with peaceful civilians going about their daily business—not armed enemies. Nevertheless, the orders of Lieutenant Barker were fulfilled, resulting in the brutal massacre of over 500 unarmed Vietnamese citizens. Using various concepts of social psychology
Truth In March 1968, the worst incident of cruelty against Vietnamese citizens throughout the entire Vietnam War took place. A squadron of Americans soldiers ended the lives of nearly all who lived in a small southern vietnamese community called My Lai. No one knows the exact death toll caused by the American soldiers, but it is presumed to be around 500 people. Everyone killed was unarmed, and 0 shots were fired by any Vietnamese during the slaughter. Most of the Soldiers did not care who they killed
My Lai Massacre was a horrifying attack U.S soldiers of Company Charlie committed on March 16, 1968. This dark day occurred during the Vietnam War, the American soldiers were helping anti-communist South Vietnam. Americans main motive was to defeat the Viet Cong and they were advised by the military intelligence that Viet Cong headquarters were located at My Lai. My Lai is a village located in northeast of Vietnam. The American soldiers were ordered on a search and destroy mission by their leader
obedience resulted in a massacre on the people of My Lai. The men of Charlie Company arrived in Vietnam in December of 1967 with the average age of their company being only 20 years young. These soldiers had no prior combat experience, but had performed well within training and had become known as the best company in their battalion. It was these men who arrived in My Lai on that March day – with orders to kill. It was not only actions on this day that lead to the eventual massacre, but factors played
My Lai Massacre The Vietnam War started off just a civil rights battle within the country, but it later intensified to something way bigger. The United States ended up getting involved and it got very serious. The United States did a draft causing many men to go to the war to fight for the Vietnamese people rights. During the time in Vietnam, soldiers had to do many things they didn’t like. An example would be the My Lai massacre. The My Lai massacre was not necessary and it could have been avoided
Just because an order is coming from an authority figure does not mean that it is legal and has to be followed. In “The My Lai Massacre A Military Crime of Obedience” Herbert C. Kelman and V. Lee Hamilton examine the power of obedience to enforce people to act against their own belief and moral code. Similarly with “Opinions and social pressure” article by Solomon E. Asch who asserts in his article that individuals can be influenced by groups to deny the evidence of their own senses. Comparing those