Why did the tragedy at My Lai occur?

It occurred when Charlie Company was ordered to enter the village for a search and destroy mission. Still stinging from human losses in their unit during the Tet Offensive, Charlie Company vented their rage on the villagers at My Lai.

Why was a conflict likely to occur in My Lai?

Why was a conflict likely to occur in My Lai? As the "search and destroy" mission unfolded, it soon degenerated into the massacre of over 300 apparently unarmed civilians including women, children, and the elderly. Calley ordered his men to enter the village firing, though there had been no report of opposing fire.

Who was responsible for the My Lai Massacre?

Lt. William Calley is charged with six specifications of premeditated murder in the death of 109 Vietnamese civilians at My Lai in March 1968.

Where did the My Lai Massacre happen?

On March 16, 1968, a platoon of American soldiers brutally kills as many as 500 unarmed civilians at My Lai, one of a cluster of small villages located near the northern coast of South Vietnam. The crime, which was kept secret for nearly two years, later became known as the My Lai Massacre.

Why did the My Lai Massacre occur quizlet?

Army got word that the Viet Cong guerrillas had taken control of Son My and Calley sent the unit to stop the Viet Cong. Army commanders advised soldiers that anyone in Son My could be Viet Cong and ordered them to destroy the village. Created antiwar sentiment because of the killings of a villages worth of civilians.

The My Lai Massacre | History

What initially sparked the 1973 energy crisis?

The 1973 oil crisis or first oil crisis began in October 1973 when the members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries led by Saudi Arabia proclaimed an oil embargo. The embargo was targeted at nations that had supported Israel during the Yom Kippur War.

What was the significance of the events in the village of Mai Lai in 1968 quizlet?

What was the significance of the events in the village of Mai Lai in 1968? U.S. soldiers committed terrible atrocities against Vietnamese citizens, which ignited a public out cry and debate upon their exposure to Americans at home.

Why did the military try to cover up what happened in My Lai?

In contrast to the instantaneity of Tet's news coverage, My Lai triggered a cover up by the Army that served to keep the massacre secret from the American public for a staggering 20 months during an election year.

When did the My Lai massacre happen?

On March 16, 1968 the angry and frustrated men of Charlie Company, 11th Brigade, Americal Division entered the Vietnamese village of My Lai. "This is what you've been waiting for -- search and destroy -- and you've got it," said their superior officers. A short time later the killing began.

What really happened in Vietnam?

The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The conflict was intensified by the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.

WHO reported My Lai?

Ronald L. Ridenhour, the Vietnam veteran who in 1969 first disclosed the My Lai massacre of Vietnamese civilians by United States Army troops, died yesterday in Metairie, La. He was 52. The cause apparently was a heart attack while playing handball, said his companion, Mary Howell.

Why Did My Lai happen Reddit?

The cause was the disconnect between the stated goals of the USA and the reality on the ground. The cause was the defective leadership of the officer in command coupled with the intense frustration of those subject to his command.

Was Agent Orange a war crime?

Despite this, from 1961 to 1973, the U.S. military dropped an estimated 81,000,000 liters of various chemicals on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Over 60% of this was Agent Orange. The U.S. military's actions in poisoning these countries and their people still stand as one of the greatest war crimes since World War II.

How did the My Lai massacre affect public opinion?

The publicity surrounding the My Lai massacre proved to be an important turning point in American public opinion. It illustrated the deterioration that was taking place in the behaviour of the US troops and undermined the moral argument about the need to save Vietnam from the "evils of communism".

What is William Calley doing now?

Though sentenced to life in prison, Calley ended up serving three years under house arrest after President Richard Nixon later reduced his sentence. After his release, Calley stayed in Columbus and settled into a job at a jewelry store owned by his father-in-law before he moved to Atlanta a few years ago.

Why did the US invade Cambodia in 1970?

Nixon speaks

He announced his decision to launch American forces into Cambodia with the special objective of capturing COSVN, "the headquarters of the entire communist military operation in South Vietnam." Nixon's speech on national television on 30 April 1970 was called "vintage Nixon" by Kissinger.

What event happened at My Lai that profoundly shocked America?

What event happened at My Lai that profoundly shocked Americans? Unarmed Vietnamese civilians were massacred by U.S. troops.

What was the outcome of the My Lai Massacre quizlet?

Terms in this set (5)

What was the My Lai Massacre and when was it? It was when the Americans approached a village called My Lai on the 16th of March 1968. Reports said the village was in a area controlled by the Vietcong. However they found no VC and killed anyone in their way, 500 died.

What happened at My Lai quizlet yawp?

- My Lai, 1969, investigative reporter Seymour Hersh revealed that U.S. troops had raped and/or massacred hundreds of civilians in the village of My Lai.

Why did the energy crisis happen?

Most energy crises have been caused by localized shortages, wars and market manipulation. Some have argued that government actions like tax hikes, nationalisation of energy companies, and regulation of the energy sector, shift supply and demand of energy away from its economic equilibrium.

Which best describes the main cause of the 1973 oil crisis?

Which best describes the main cause of the 1973 Oil Crisis? OPEC raised oil prices to punish the United States for its support of Israel.

Why did the oil crisis happen?

Oil Embargo, 1973–1974. During the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) imposed an embargo against the United States in retaliation for the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military and to gain leverage in the post-war peace negotiations.

What did Agent Orange smell like?

“Going into Agent Orange was like it had a musty smell to it. It was a reddish-brown-colored fog that would be in the air,” said Dudich, who served much of his first tour with troops of the Republic of Vietnam.

What is an Agent Orange baby?

Spina bifida is a spinal cord birth defect. A baby develops spina bifida while still in the womb. In some cases, a parent's past contact with specific chemicals causes this birth defect.