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Lieutenant William Calley And The My Lai Massacre

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"There is not involved day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai, I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry." Former lieutenant William Calley spoke these words at a Kiwanis Club, where he gave a public apology to the audience for his part in the My Lai Massacre 40 years overdue. A while after the massacre he was sentenced to life imprisonment, which was later commuted. Even though President Nixon reduced Calley’s sentence, the decision was unjustified because the jury found him guilty and he also confessed to the crime. Lieutenant William Calley was a United States Army officer that was convicted of murder …show more content…

A reporter by the name of Ronald Ridenhour heard rumors about the massacre and decided to investigate more into the rumors. He sent a report of his findings to President Nixon and sixteen congressmen, which resulted in a Pentagon Investigation. “Lieutenant William Calley was charged with premeditated murder of no less than 70 occupants of the My Lai village by means of shooting them with a rifle” (Eckhardt). During the trial, Calley attempted to use multiple arguments to defend himself completely innocent. The questions asked of Lt. Calley during the four-month-long trial showed that he was responsible for the deaths of the many that were killed during the massacre. When asked how to evacuate someone, Calley said,” I meant just - I meant only that the only means I could evacuate the people would be a hand grenade” (O'Brien 135). When asked about whether sex or age crossed his mind during the massacre he said,” I didn't discriminate between individuals in the village, sir. They were all the enemy, they were all to be destroyed, sir" (O'Brien 141). Calley tried to cover up his actions by saying that he was only following the orders of his command. He told the jury that Captain Ernest Medina gave the command to kill and destroy the enemy. “Like I said, I gave the order to take those people through the ditch and had also told Meadlo if he couldn't move them, to waste them, and I directly -- other than

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