My Lai A Brief History with Documents

by Olson, James S.; Roberts, Randy

• ISBN13: 9780312142278
• ISBN10: 0312142277
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-01-15
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's

Summary

This volume introduces students to the most controversial incident of the Vietnam War - the My Lai massacre when almost 400 Vietnamese civilians were killed in four hours. The authors discuss the ramifications of the cover-up and the ensuing investigations for the American public, policymakers, the anti-War movement and the soldiers involved. They examine the causes of the massacre and the issues of culpability and human rights. The narrative is built around 70 primary documents drawn mainly from testimony and reports from the government enquiry into the outrage.

Author Biography

James S. Olson is a Distinguished Professor ofHistory at Sam houston State University. He is a historian of recent U.S. history as well as popular culture. He also has a special interest in Vietnam and has edited the Dictionary of the Vietnam War (19988) and written The Vietnam War: Handbook of the Literature and Research (1993) and, with Randy Roberts, Where the Domino Fell: America and Vietnam, Second Edition (1996). Olson is the author of many other books and articles, including The Ethnic Dimenion in American History, Second Edition (1995); Saving Capitalism (1988); amd, with Randy Roberts, John Wayne: American (1995).

Randy Roberts is professor of history at Purdue University. His primary research areas are sports and popular culture within the larger context of recent American histroy. He is an award-winning biographer and is highly visible in the field of post-1945 American history. Among his more important books are Heavy Justice: The State of Indiana v. Michael G. Tyson (1994); Jack Dempsey: The Manassa Mauler (1979); and Papa Jack: Jack Johnson and the Era of White Hopes (1983). Roberts has served frequently as a consultant for PBS News, HBO, and the History Channel.

Table of Contents

Foreword	v	(2)
Preface	vii
Introduction: The Road to My Lai	1	(25)
America's Longest War	3	(3)
The Ground War in Quang Ngai	6	(4)
Charlie Company	10	(10)
The My Lai Massacre	20	(3)
Aftermath	23	(3)
1. The Official Story	26	(8)
Jay A. Roberts
1. Press Release, March 1968	27	(1)
Frank A. Barker Jr.
2. Combat Action Report, March 28, 1968	28	(4)
William Westmoreland
3. Testimony before Congressional Committee, 1970	32	(2)
2. The Official Rules of Modern Warfare	34	(7)
William Westmoreland
4. Testimony before Congressional Committee, 1970	35	(3)
5. Wallet Cards	38	(3)
Training in the Rules of Land Warfare	41	(3)
Herbert L. Carter
6. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	42	(1)
Peers Commission
7. Training of 11th Brigade, 1970	43	(1)
3. Experience in War: December 1967 to March 14, 1968	44	(12)
Peers Commission
8. Military Situation in Quang Ngai Province, 1970	45	(4)
Michael Bernhardt
9. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	49	(3)
William L. Calley
10. Combat Experiences before My Lai, 1970	52	(2)
Jay A. Roberts
11. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	54	(2)
4. The Briefings: March 15, 1968	56	(19)
Peers Commission
12. Pre-Operation Briefings, 1970	57	(2)
Eugene Kotouc
13. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	59	(3)
Ernest L. Medina
14. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	62	(1)
Max D. Hutson
15. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	63	(1)
Gregory T. Olsen
16. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	64	(1)
Harry Stanley
17. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	65	(1)
Ronald L. Haeberle
18. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	66	(1)
Herbert L. Carter
19. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	67	(1)
Robert W. T'Souvas
20. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	68	(1)
Thomas R. Partsch
21. Journal Entry, March 15, 1968	69	(1)
Robert E. Maples
22. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	69	(1)
Nguyen Dinh Phu
23. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	70	(2)
Michael Terry
24. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	72	(1)
Dennis Conti
25. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	73	(2)
5. The Assault on My Lai	75	(38)
Dennis Conti
26. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	76	(3)
Herbert L. Carter
27. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	79	(3)
Michael Terry
28. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	82	(1)
Robert E. Maples
29. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	83	(3)
Larry Polston
30. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	86	(2)
Varnado Simpson
31. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	88	(2)
Hugh Thompson Jr.
32. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	90	(3)
Ernest L. Medina
33. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1969	93	(1)
Nguyen Hieu
34. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	94	(3)
Nguyen Bat
35. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	97	(2)
36. Summary of Rapes, 1970	99	(3)
Do Vien
37. Testimony to U.S. Army CID, 1970	102	(6)
William L. Calley
38. Testimony at Court-Martial, 1970	108	(5)
6. The Cover-Up	113	(9)
Hugh Thompson Jr
39. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	115	(2)
Carl Creswell
40. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	117	(2)
Ernest L. Medina
41. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	119	(3)
Testimony from Charlie Company	122	(24)
Michael Bernhardt
42. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	122	(2)
Dennis Conti
43. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	124	(1)
Herbert L. Carter
44. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	125	(2)
Oran K. Henderson
45. Report of Investigation, April 24, 1968	127	(2)
Oran K. Henderson
46. Statement to Peers Commission, 1970	129	(4)
47. Vietcong Leaflet, 1968	133	(3)
48. National Liberation Front Committee Notice, March 28, 1968	136	(3)
49. Summary of Son My Chief's Letter, April 11, 1968	139	(1)
Tran Ngoc Tan
50. Report to Quang Ngai Province Chief, March 28, 1968	140	(1)
Thomas R. Partsch
51. Journal Entries, March 16-18, 1968	141	(2)
Brian Livingston
52. Letters Home, March 16 and 19, 1968	143	(1)
Samuel Koster
53. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	144	(2)
7. Exposure and Investigation	146	(17)
Ronald Ridenhour
54. Letter to Military and Political Leaders, March 29, 1969	147	(5)
William Wilson
55. "I Had Prayed to God That This Thing Was Fiction," 1990	152	(11)
Newspaper Accounts	163	(11)
Robert M. Smith
56. Officer Kept in Army in Inquiry Into Killing of Vietnam Civilians, November 13, 1969	163	(3)
E. W. Kenworthy
57. Resor Called to Testify About Alleged Massacre, November 26, 1969	166	(4)
Fred P. Graham
58. Army Lawyers Seek Way To Bring Ex-G.I.'s to Trial, November 26, 1969	170	(2)
59. Photographs from Life Magazine, 1969	172	(2)
Public Reaction	174	(4)
60. Notes and Comment, December 20, 1969	174	(2)
61. The Great Atrocity Hunt, December 16, 1969	176	(2)
8. Culpability	178	(22)
J. Anthony Lukas
62. Meadlo's Home Town Regards Him as Blameless, November 26, 1969	179	(3)
William L. Calley
63. Testimony at Court-Martial, 1970	182	(4)
Paul Meadlo
64. Testimony to Peers Commission, 1970	186	(1)
Lewis B. Puller Jr.
65. From Fortunate Son: The Autobiography of Lewis B. Puller Jr., 1991	187	(2)
Peter Steinfels
66. "Calley and the Public Conscience," April 12, 1971	189	(2)
Richard M. Nixon
67. From RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon, 1978	191	(2)
William C. Westmoreland
68. From A Soldier Reports, 1976	193	(7)
APPENDICES	200	(13)
Glossary	200	(3)
A My Lai Chronology (1967-1974)	203	(2)
Questions for Consideration	205	(2)
Suggested Readings	207	(3)
Maps	210	(3)
Index	213