My Lai Massacre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My Lai Massacre - Essay Example Beyond the leaping jade plates of the sea was an overhand of cliffs and the sight of a valley so large it contained sun, smoke, rain, and cloud—all at once—independent quantities of color. I had been unprepared for this beauty; it surprised and humbled me†¦.† But soldiers are but spikes in the giant military wheel. The â€Å"preamble† to the massacre reads thus, as described by the authors. â€Å"The order that was given was to kill everyone in the village. Someone asked if that meant women and children. And the order was: everyone in the village†¦.It was quite clear that no one was to be spared in that village†. One can see each syllable of this order was the harbinger of the impending massacre. A disciplined soldier had no other alternative but to obey the order and be a part of the massacre. I entirely agree with the observations and findings of the authors that what happened in My Lai was a blunder. Not a military action but the massacr e of the innocents. Majority of those killed were civilians, estimated some 400-500. Policymakers and anti-war movement activists were aware that they were being briefed with doses of fiction, as part of the cover-up operations. But the findings of the authors are on unassailable grounds and they have tendered 68 primary documents and have relied upon General Peer’s inquiry findings and they have chronicled the events systematically from the pre-operations details, the actual operation and the developments subsequent to the massacre.... One can see each syllable of this order was the harbinger of the impending massacre. A disciplined soldier had no other alternative but to obey the order and be a part of the massacre. I entirely agree with the observations and findings of the authors that what happened in My Lai was a blunder. Not a military action but massacre of the innocents. Majority of those killed were civilians, estimated some 400-500. The public, policymakers and anti-war movement activists were aware that they were being briefed with doses of fiction, as part of the cover-up operations. But the findings of the authors are on unassailable grounds and they have tendered 68 primary documents and have relied upon General Peer’s inquiry findings and they have chronicled the events systematically from the pre-operations details, the actual operation and the developments subsequent to the massacre. Black and white photos add further credential to the report. Without doubt, the soldiers were in an agitated s tate of mind, but that doesn’t provide one license to shoot at the defenseless men, women and children at will merely on the suspicion that they were Viet-Cong supporters. My Lai, is a hamlet, 335 miles northeast of Saigon, supposed to be a Viet-Cong dominated territory. The early morning action of about 70 infantrymen which resulted in the total destruction of the villagers, their residences and the livestock—can it be termed as military warfare? The Charlie Company of the 11th Brigade, American Division, landed in the village with the express intent to kill. The Officers had their own reasons, and they considered it as a retaliatory action. Firstly the area was a stronghold of Viet