1. Village of Mai Lai, Southern Vietnam
The Mai Lai Massacre 1968
Village of Mai Lai, Southern Vietnam

2. US Troops arrive in Mai Lai
March 16th, 1968.

3. The Platoon was led by Lt William Calley
Civilians who had bowed to greet the Americans were beaten with fists and tortured, clubbed with rifle butts and stabbed with bayonets
The Platoon was led by Lt William Calley

4. Soldiers are told that the civilians have left the
village to go to church

5. They searched Mai Lai for a resistance group called Viet Cong

6. But the Viet Cong weren’t there……

7. …and the civilians hadn’t gone to church

8. They were in the village….

9. ….and they bowed to greet the soldiers.

10. Soldiers respond by rounding up Villagers
…and slaughtering them.

11. “Soldiers went berserk, gunning down
unarmed men, women, children and babies.
Families which huddled together for safety in
huts or bunkers were shown no mercy.
Those who emerged with hands held high
were murdered. ..”

12. US army forces
murder approximately
500 unarmed citizens
in South Vietnam,

13. Some of the victims were sexually
abused, beaten, tortured, or maimed,
and some of the bodies were found
mutilated

14. Most of the victims were women and children

15. They were all unarmed and innocent of
any crime

16. One Soldier Said…. "I would say that most people in our
company didn't consider the
Vietnamese human"

17. Lt. Calley claimed
“I was just following orders….”

18. March 1971 Calley is charged with premeditated murder
for ordering the shootings.

19. He serves 4 and a half months in jail.

20. 504 INNOCENT CIVILIANS DIED

21. BUT THE SOLDIERS WERE JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS