The Massacre Of Vietnamese Civiliance Led By U.S.A Lt. william Calley Who Was Convicted On This Day In 1969

 

26 soldiers were charged with criminal offenses, but only Lieutenant William Calley Jr., a platoon leader in C Company, was convicted on this day in 1969.

In March 16th 1968, a war crime which is known recently as "the most shocking episode of the Vietnam War" and "one of the largest publicized massacres of civilians by U.S. forces in the 20th century", took place in two hamlets of Sơn Mỹ village in Quảng Ngãi Province. Perpetrators included the U.S. Army soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment and Company B, 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade, 23rd (Americal) Infantry Division.

The incident prompted global outrage when it became public knowledge in November 1969 as an estimated 347-504 lives were lost, including the lives of women children and infants. According to reports, the women were gang-raped and their bodies mutilated, as were children as young as 12.

The 1st Platoon was led by Second Lieutenant William Calley, and 2nd Platoon was led by 2LT Stephen Brooks, while the 3rd Platoon was commanded by 2LT Jeffrey U. Lacross and Captain Medina.

Initially, 3 U.S. servicemen who had tried to halt the massacre and rescue the hiding civilians were shunned, and even denounced as traitors by several U.S. Congressmen, including Mendel Rivers, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Although, after 30 years they were recognized and decorated, by the U.S. Army for shielding non-combatants from harm in a war zone. This was however, after the incident had caused some sort of domestic opposition to the U.S. after their involvement in the Vietnam War and scope of killing and cover-up attempts were exposed.

Lieutenant William Calley Jr., a platoon leader in C Company, was convicted on this day in 1969, a year after the incident, he was Found guilty of killing 22 villagers. He was originally given a life sentence, but served only three-and-a-half years under house arrest!!