The My Lai Massacre Essay -- History Innocent Murder Historical Essays

The My Lai MassacreOn border district 16, 1968, in the Quang Ngai region of Vietnam, specific on the wholey My Lai, the United States military was involved in an appalling slaughter of approximately 500 Vietnamese civilians. There ar numerous arguments as to why this incident even had the capacity to occur. Although whatsoever of the arguments seem valid, can unrivalled really make excuses for the slaughter of aboveboard people? The conjunction that was responsible for the My Lai incident was the Charlie Company and through step to the fore the company there were many different accounts of what happened that reprehensible mean solar day. Therefore there argon a few contradictions ab extinct what had occurred, such as what the commanding officers detailed instructions for the soldiers were. Even with these contradictions the results be obvious. The question that must be be is whether these results make the the Statesn soldiers involved that day guilty. There is the circumsta nce that the environment of the Vietnam War made it very confusing to the soldiers exactly who the rival was, as well as providing a pent up frustration due to the inability to even engage in real conflict with the enemy. If this is the case though, why did some soldiers with the same frustrations refuse the orders and sit break through on the action, why did some cry while firing, and why and then did one man go so far as to location himself between the Vietnamese and the firing soldiers? If these men who did not see the backbone in killing innocents were right with their actions, then how come the ones who did partake were all found not guilty in tribunal? The questions can concur going back and forth on this issue, but first what happened that day must be examined.Captain Earnest Medina was in charge of self-aggrandising orders to the Charlie Company and in the early evening of March 15th a meeting was called. CPT Medina told the company that the next morning they would be moving into My Lai and assail Vietcong forces there. He told them that all the civilians would be at the market or would constitute already been moved out by the time that the soldiers arrived to carry out their planned attack. He tell all that would be left in the village would be the Vietcong of the 48th battalion and Vietcong sympathizers. It was never clear what CPT Medina had express to do in the event of coming across civilians. Medina claimed in court that he had told the GIs not to kill women and children, to us... ... landing on the president for putting the soldiers out in the jungles of an un-winnable war. In conclusion, there are honest too many people and too many things to habitation blame easily for this disturbing event. So the easy road was taken, just do not let this happen again. The military took time out to think about their training of soldiers. Commanders sent troops in the abdicate storm operation into battle with the words, No My Laisyou hear? (Li nder) History is said to be good for one reason- to learn from past mistakes so they entrust not be repeated, and that is a very good lesson to learn from My Lai and one that all hope was, in fact, learned. Works CitedChafe, William H. The Unfinished Journey America Since World War II. New York Oxford University Press, 1999.Goff, Richard, et al. The Twentieth Century A abbreviated Global History. Boston McGraw-Hill, 1998.Linder, Doug. An Introduction to the My Lai Courts Martial. Famous American Trails The My Lai Courts Martial, 1970. 15 Nov. 1999 <http//www.law.umkc.edu/ power/projects/ftrials/mylai/Myl_intro.html>.Olson, James S., and Randy Roberts. My Lai A Brief History With Documents. Boston Bedford, 1998