Karley Wilson, Breanna Paul MY LAI AND LIEUTENANT CALLEY.

 My Lai is located south of Da Nang Vietnam.  The exact death toll will never be known, but estimates of the My Lai Massacre range from 347 to 504 innocent villagers slaughtered, most of them women, young children and babies. MY LAI

 My Lai is more than a battlefield tragedy. My Lai is more than the subject of several well publicized criminal trials. The very word “My Lai” is synonymous with battlefield atrocity. Within the context of the Vietnam Era, it may well have been the turning point in an unpopular war and may well be a high water mark in the “cultural civil war” MY LAI (CONT.)

 On March 16, 1968, US Army troops murdered several hundred Vietnamese civilians at the villages of My Lai and My Khe during the Vietnam War My Lai (Cont.)

 The My Lai Massacre took place early in the Tet Offensive, a major push by the Communist Viet Cong (or National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam) forces to drive out the South Vietnamese government troops and the US Army.  Villagers who tried to surrender were shot or bayoneted. A large group of people were herded to an irrigation ditch, and mowed down with automatic weapons fire. WHY DID THE US ARMY GO BERSERK AT MY LAI?

 Vietnamese women were raped; other civilians were clubbed and stabbed. Some victims were mutilated with the signature "C Company" carved into the chest. One soldier would testify later, "I cut their throats, cut off their hands, cut out their tongues, scalped them.

 Initial reports of the so-called battle at My Lai claimed that 128 Viet Cong and 22 civilians were killed  General Westmoreland congratulated Charlie Company for their work, and the Stars and Stripes magazine lauded the attack. THE AFTERMATH OF MY LAI

 As the "search and destroy" mission unfolded, it soon degenerated into the massacre of over 300 apparently unarmed civilians including women, children, and the elderly MASSACRE

 The My Lai massacre is probably one of the most infamous events of the Vietnam War.  On March 16, 1968, US Army troops murdered several hundred Vietnamese civilians at the villages of My Lai and My Khe during the Vietnam War. The victims were mostly eldery men, women, and children. Many were also sexually assaulted, tortured, or mutilated in one of the most horrifying atrocities of the entire bloody conflict. WHAT WAS THE MY LAI MASSACRE?

 As the gruesome details of My Lai reached the American public, serious questions arose concerning the conduct of American soldiers in Vietnam.  As the war progressed, many "career" soldiers had either been rotated out or retired. QUESTIONS ABOUT SOLDIERS' CONDUCT

 Calley, an unemployed college dropout, had managed to graduate from Officer's Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, in  He was sentenced to life in prison, but was released in 1974, following many appeals. ORDERS FROM ABOVE

 In 1996 the William Calley enlisted into the untied states army.  In 1967 William applied and was accepted into OCS (Officer Candidate School)  Though sentenced to life in prison, Calley ended up serving three years under house arrest after President Richard Nixon later reduced his sentence. LIEUTENANT WILLIAM CALLEY

 In 1969 Calley was charged with six specifications of premeditated murder for death of 109 Vietnamese civilians near the village of My Lai LIEUTENANT WILLIAM CALLEY

 March 16 th 1968: The My Lai massacre took place.  November 17 th Calley's trial started on  March 31 st - he was sentenced to life in prison. TIMELINE

 Truong Thi Le, 30  Truong Moi, 18  Pham Thi Thuam, 30  Truong Ngu, 45  Phan Chot, 37  Pham Thi Trine, 10  Pham Ky, 34  Nguyen Thi Meo, 32  Vo Thi No, 72  Tuong, 8  Xiu, 4  Pham Cu, 2 SOME SURVIVORS OF MY LAI:

 " There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai," William L. Calley told members of a local Kiwanis Club, the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reported Friday. "I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry.”