William Calley
Ex-lieutenant William Calley said: “There is not a day that goes by that I do not think guilt for what happened that day in My Lai.
“I suffer sorrow for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American military implicated and their families. I am very regretful.”
The killings that occurred on March 16, 1968 in the South Vietnamese rural community of My Lai impelled extensive rage around the world. This incident became one of the reasons that started advancement towards the end of the Vietnam War because they considerably weaken US public support for the war attempt.
The carnage began when men of Charlie Company, under the authority of William Calley, opened fire on civilians during a “seek and demolish” mission in My Lai and adjacent villages.
The target of the murder were mostly old men, women and children, all unguarded, as most younger members of the society were functioning in the fields.
The accurate tolls of the carnage still linger in difference of opinion, but US estimates propose that around 347 and 504 defenseless citizens were killed that day.
Although a commission of investigation suggested charges should be brought against 28 officers and two non-commissioned officers, William Calley was the only US soldier convicted over the killings at My Lai. He was sentenced to life in prison, later reduced to house arrest.
It has been quite some time that William Calley has been freed from the charges, but much of his social privileges have been banned for life.
William Calley
William Calley
William Calley
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