Introduction
On March 16, 1968 , American soldiers went into a small village in Vietnam called My Lai and killed approximately 400 unarmed civilians. Two years later the American public found out what had happened at My Lai. The government called it an incident while others called it a massacre. One person, Lt. William Calley, was charged with the killings. He served less than four years on house arrest. No others were found guilty of the killings or the cover up that the government was accused of doing.
Assignment
Explain the events that led up to the killings and what happened that day in the village of My Lai. Was there a cover up by the government of the events? How did the story finally go public? What was the public reaction to the actual sentence that Calley served? What are the reactions and the message today, from both the general public as well as the survivors, concerning My Lai and the war overall?
Overview
Vietnam Online: The My Lai Massacre
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/trenches/my_lai.html
Into the Dark: The My Lai Massacre by Mark Gado; Chapters 1-15
http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/mass/lai/index_1.html
An Introduction to the My Lai Courts-Martial. By Doug Linder
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mylai/Myl_intro.html
Murder in the name of war - My Lai
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1998/03/98/mylai/64344.stm
Background on the My Lai Hearings and Reports
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/MyLai_bckgr.pdf
Court Adjourns on My Lai
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,905582,00.html
Primary Sources
Report of the Department of the Army Review of the Preliminary Investigations into the My Lai Incident.
Volume I - The Report of the Investigation
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/RDAR-Vol-I.pdf
Volume II - Testimony
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/RDAR-Vol-IIBook21.pdf
Volume III – Exhibits; Book 6 - Photographs
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/RDAR-Vol-IIIBook6.pdf
Investigation of the My Lai Incident
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/MyLaiReport.pdf
Frontline: Remember My Lai
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/programs/transcripts/714.html
Documents Relating to the Court Martial of William L. Calley
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mylai/MYL_calt.HTM
Documents Relating to the Court Martial of Ernest L. Medina
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mylai/MYL_MEDT.HTM
My Lai survivors gather to pray for victims – Associated Press
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/16/vietnam.mylai.ap/index.html
My Lai survivors recall tragedy by Ben Stocking
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20080316/ai_n24938476
|
