My Lai Massacre Research Paper

On the morning of March 16th, 1968 in two hamlets of Son My village in Quảng Ngãi Province, the thin border between duty and war crime was crossed when American soldiers raped, mutilated and killed between 347 and 504 unarmed Vietnamese men, women and children. There was no sign of resistance nor possession of weapons. According to evidence from various informants, the 48th Vietcong infantry Battalion was harbored within the border of My Lai, but in truth only innocent civilians occupied the village. Military officials promptly initiated a cover up attempt, but the scandal soon came to the public’s attention in 1969 and trials were held to determine the fate of the men. Of the twenty-six soldiers charged with criminal offenses, only Lieutenant William Calley Jr., a platoon leader responsible for the majority of the killing, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. After a great public outcry demanding the release of Calley, President Nixon ordered his release from the stockyards and his case was reviewed and he was ultimately placed under house arrest. No other men were held accountable for their actions at My Lai. Unbeknownst to the public, Richard Nixon was involved in the sabotage of the My Lai trials which was ground enough for his impeachment, regardless of his future involvement in the Watergate …show more content…
By looking at the political weight of the My Lai Massacre, internal documents and the agenda of the House of Armed Services Committee, it is clear that Nixon initiated the campaign to sabotage the My Lai massacre trials to salvage his presidency and reunite the country at a vital moment during the Vietnam