Education / Key events

The My Lai massacre

March 16, 1968

This page describes a massacre of civilians. Teachers may want to preview it before sharing it with younger students.

What happened

On March 16, 1968, soldiers of Charlie Company entered the hamlet of My Lai 4 in Quang Ngai Province. The unit had suffered casualties in the preceding weeks, and the area was believed to be a stronghold of the Viet Cong. The soldiers found no organized enemy. They killed hundreds of unarmed villagers, including women, children and older people.

The exact death toll is uncertain. Sources give estimates from about 175 to more than 500. The Army’s final estimate was 347.

Those who tried to stop it

Army helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson Jr. landed between soldiers and villagers and worked to protect civilians. He reported what he saw, but the Army took no action at the time. In 1998, three soldiers who risked themselves to save civilians were awarded the Soldier’s Medal, one of them after his death.

The cover-up and how it came out

For well over a year, Army inquiries did not bring the killings to light. In spring 1969, Ron Ridenhour, a former helicopter gunner who had learned of the killings from fellow soldiers, wrote to officials asking for an investigation. The Army then began a criminal investigation, and Lt. William Calley was charged in September 1969.

The public learned the full story in November 1969, when the independent journalist Seymour Hersh reported it. The Army appointed Lt. Gen. William R. Peers to investigate both the killings and the cover-up.

Trials and outcome

Sources differ on how many people were implicated or charged, with figures from 13 to 30. Only Calley was convicted. In March 1971, a court-martial found him guilty of the premeditated murder of at least 22 civilians and sentenced him to life in prison. The sentence was later reduced, and he was released in the mid-1970s after spending most of that time under house arrest. Sources differ on the exact dates and the length of his confinement.

Many Americans were divided over the verdict. Some saw Calley as a scapegoat for failures higher up, and others saw the lenient outcome as a failure of accountability.

Why it matters

My Lai became a symbol of the moral cost of the war and a reference point in debates about the laws of war, the duty to refuse unlawful orders, and command responsibility.

Questions for discussion

1. What does the role of Hugh Thompson Jr. suggest about individual responsibility in war?
2. Why did it take so long for the massacre to become public, and what role did journalism play?
3. Was Calley’s trial an adequate form of accountability? What would your reasoning be?

Sources

• Encyclopedia.com, My Lai incident
• Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, My Lai atrocity and cover-up

Accounts of these events vary, and estimates are given as ranges where sources disagree. See something to correct? Email us.

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