The Vietnam War on Trial

by Belknap, Michal R.

• ISBN13: 9780700612123
• ISBN10: 0700612122
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-11-01
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Kansas

Summary

The military trial of William Calley for his role in the slaughter of five hundred or more Vietnamese civilians at My Lai shocked a nation already sharply divided over a controversial war. In this superb retelling of the My Lai story through the prism of the law, Michal Belknap provides new perspectives and keen insights into core issues about the war that still divide Americans today.

One of the most highly publicized trials of its day, the Calley case emerged at a time when protests against the war were growing larger, louder, and more intense. Well aware of this, the Nixon administration sought to downplay the My Lai incident, which military officers in Vietnam had tried to cover up in order to protect their own careers and reputations. It might never have come to light had it not been for the efforts of Vietnam veteran Ron Ridenhour and journalist Seymour Hersh. Their investigations revealed the full extent of the My Lai tragedy, further inflamed the antiwar movement, and brought to trial Lieutenant William Calley.

Unfolding the Calley case step by step

Table of Contents

Editors' Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xiii
Introduction	1	(5)
Going to Hell	6	(17)
Lieutenant Calley	23	(14)
Charlie Company's War	37	(22)
Massacre at My Lai (4)	59	(20)
Cover-Up	79	(19)
Charged with Murder	98	(19)
Reaction	117	(27)
Court-Martialed	144	(24)
Defenseless	168	(23)
An Unlikely Hero	191	(25)
``Others That Participated...or Condoned the Bloody Act''	216	(19)
``Hasn't He Suffered Enough?''	235	(22)
Chronology	257	(12)
Bibliographical Essay	269	(14)
Index	283