The My Lai Massacre Flashcards
When did it occur
March 1968
Who started a search and destroy mission and where?
Charlie Company - in the Quan Ngai region of South Vietnam
What were the young and inexperienced soldier told?
Would find VC headquarters and 200 VC fighters
What were they to do in the raid
Burn all houses, destroy houses and kill everyone in the village
What were the commanders under the impression of
All villagers would have left for market
In 4 hours how many civilians were killed and who were they
300-400 killed - mostly women, children and old men
What did they do to the villagers?
- Some shot in their homes
- Killed working in fields
- Mowed down by machine gun fire in an irrigation ditch
- brutality : raping
How did they execute the villagers?
Dragged dozens into ditch and executed them with automatic weapons
Who arrived in an Army helicopter retreating villagers and threatening to open fire if attacks continued
Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson
