Map courtesy of Britannica
My Lai: The Massacre That Changed the Course of the Vietnam War
Background
Painting courtesy of the Witness Collection / Nguyen Duc Tho
The Vietnam War troubles were brewing ever since North Vietnam defeated France in 1954.
U.S Marine soldiers in Vietnam, 1965.
Image courtesy of Michael Mok / Paul Schutzer
After their short freedom, a conflict began to form between the communist North and the pro-western South. North Vietnam wanted to unify the nation, modeling after the Soviet Union and China. South Vietnam however, wanted to be closely aligned with the U.S. The war truly began when the U.S. got involved. It was named ‘The War Against the Americans to Save our Nation', or the ‘American War’ in short.
“I am not going to lose Vietnam. I am not going to be the president who saw Southeast Asia go the way China went.”
~Lyndon B. Johnson, November 24, 1963
"Remember, the storm is a good opportunity for the pine and the cypress to show their strength and their stability."
~ Ho Chi Minh
The Tet Offensive
Map courtesy of the U.S Military Academy
The Tet Offensive was a series of staged attacks starting on January 31, 1968 by the North Vietnamese who bombarded multiple cities, military bases, and villages. The CC suffered many casualties from this attack. Filled with revenge and retribution, they set out in search of the Vietcong who were allegedly sheltering in the village of My Lai.
Image courtesy of Al Chang / Associated Press
The Vietnam War Body Count Controversy: Search and Destroy Missions
For Search and Destroy Missions, the goal was to quickly destroy the enemy's area. The degree of success was determined by having a higher body count. This command was passed down through the ranks and resulted in the killing of any civilian or soldier whom the U.S thought to be North Vietnamese. This resulted in many civilian deaths.
Image courtesy of Neil Sheehan / The New York Times
My Lai