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My Lai Massacre In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

831 Words4 Pages

There is never a true winner in war. When hundreds of innocent civilians are killed it draws attention from all over the world. Actions such as the My Lai Massacre will lead to detrimental effects, and leave a mark on a country forever. Events like the My Lai Massacre portrayed our country in a negative way and furthermore coincide with the barbaric actions behind the entire Vietnam War. On March 16, 1968, American soldiers invaded Vietnam resulting in roughly 350 unarmed Vietnamese deaths (Yanak, Ted, and Pam Cornelison). They demolished the village of My Lai killing and destroying anything in sight. At first, this horrific event was kept a secret, but when information was leaked, America’s character was at risk. This horrific procedure …show more content…

Ever since Tim O’Brien received his letter to fight in the Vietnam War he was against it. If he had read the 1970 military hearing about the My Lai Massacre, it would have furthered supported his arguments. In a conversation between Captain Medina (a military leader) and Mr. Stratton (a congressmen), flares emerge about how the My Lai Massacre was handled. Captain Medina exclaims, “Mr. Congressmen, I told them to destroy the village of My Lai 4 by burning it, destroying the crops, destroying the livestock and closing the wells” (Medina 81). Mr. Stratton was very upset with how the process of the mission was carried out. There was no clear plan as it was inconsiderate and irresponsible. This reflects on how unnecessary, and how blinded everyone was by the …show more content…

Tim O’Brien was very skeptical about the war when he was drafted. He didn’t want to fight a war that served no purpose. O’Brien supports this as he states, “Certain blood was being shed for uncertain reasons”(40). O’Brien believes a war shouldn’t be started unless it's absolutely necessary. He believes there should be a reason for war and a country shouldn’t go into a war wondering who started it and why. Tim O’Brien can’t wrap his head around the idea that people are dying for no reason. A significant part of the atrocity in My Lai Massacre was the desperation and lack of leadership behind the mission. America was not professional in how they handled the situation and did not take it seriously. As a result, they have made improvements and adjustments to make sure another tragedy like this will never happen again. Another change since the Vietnam era is better training for soldiers and officers and higher admissions standards. "Both Calley and his boss, Ernest Medina, were fairly uneducated, and I don't think either would be an officer in today's environment," Wilberding said. "Because of the draft and the enormous need for soldiers, a lot of people became officers who never would be today." (“Impact from My Lai case still

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