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Essay on The My Lai Massacre - Vietnam War

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On March 16, 1968 a terrible massacre occurred at My Lai, called The My Lai Massacre. The following massacre should have never happened and the event's that followed the massacre are typical of any American wrongdoing. That's why it wasn't in my US History book. They covered it up and the people involved in the massacre received no punishment except for one soldier. My US History book: The Story of America Volume 2 doesn't even touch on this dark moment in US history. The closest that they come to my topic is the eight pages about the Vietnam War. Within these pages they talked about Nixon being elected to presidency in 1968. He received 43 percent of the popular vote only 1 less than Humphrey. He …show more content…

Captain Ernest Medina ordered the Charlie Company, Task Force Baker, Eleventh Brigade of the Americal Division, to search and destroy My Lai. My Lai is a small village located on the coast of Vietnam, near the South China Sea. Lt. William Calley led 150 fully armed and ready soldiers into Son My villiage to destory the hamlet called My Lia. But it wasn't clear as what to do with any civilians they encountered
(The My Lai Massacre). The Charlie Company soldiers were brought by helicopter (Gettleman). The soldiers entered My Lai expecting fierce combat with a Viet Cong battalion believed to be at My Lai. "For the past three months the American unit had been in no major battles but had suffered a lot of casualties from snipers, mines, and booby traps. The soldiers were ready to prove themselves, ready to exact revenge on the enemy"(The My Lai Massacre).
The Charlie Company soldiers met no Viet Cong soldiers though. Then William Calley ordered the slaughter of the civilians of My Lai. This should have never happened just because you don't find the enemy doesn't give you the right to kill the villagers. Also the inhumane way they killed these villagers which were mostly elderly woman and men and children. The following is a few of the ways they killed the villagers
According to eyewitness reports offered after the event, several old men were bayoneted and praying women and children were shot in the back of

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