CAUSES OF THE MY LAI MASSACRE.
CAUSE: Some say that the causes of My Lai were due to the frustration from the men in the units. The men were tired of losing their men, so they turned to killing the people of Vietnam to get their revenge. Others say that it was because of poor command and control, and lack of clear orders. It is possible had the units had clear orders, and better command and control that the massacre overall could have been avoided.
CAUSE: Soldiers were seeking revenge, they were doing this because they were tired of watching their friends die beside them and because they did not know who were Viet Cong and who wasn't , the american troops killed every Vietnamese they saw, even if they were unarmed. Sergeant Michael B. Terry, commented at the time, "that really bothered the guys." The men in the unit's frustration caused them to beat up an innocent women that they spotted in a field.
CAUSE: Viet Cong and North Vietnam sent the TET offensive to attack South Vietnam, this affected Charlie Company because they were assigned to that location and watched the fighting in Quang, TET was high alerted and this lead to the massacre as it attacked 8200 provincial capitals. Soldiers whom watched their friends die in this battle caused the american troops to seek revenge and kill any Vietnamese they saw.
CAUSE: Soldiers were poorly prepared and inexperienced.
The soldiers had no job and did not attend school which made them poorly educated. This was the key reason why many soldiers had been drafted to go to war.
CAUSE: American soldiers were fighting an invisible enemy, as Viet Cong used guerilla tactics. Such as booby traps, trip wires and land mines. Viet Cong also wore black pajamas, so they could not be spotted at night.
CAUSE: All Vietnamese were seen as the enemy, either Viet Cong or Viet Cong supporters. Many american soldiers had believed this so as they walked through villagers in My Lai they threw hand grenades into houses and bunkers and destroyed livestock and crops.
CAUSE: Threat of communism, communists were thought of to be taking over the world and that they were spreading, Americans wanted the oil in the South China Sea, and wanted to control the pipeline.
CAUSE: Some say that the causes of My Lai were due to the frustration from the men in the units. The men were tired of losing their men, so they turned to killing the people of Vietnam to get their revenge. Others say that it was because of poor command and control, and lack of clear orders. It is possible had the units had clear orders, and better command and control that the massacre overall could have been avoided.
CAUSE: Soldiers were seeking revenge, they were doing this because they were tired of watching their friends die beside them and because they did not know who were Viet Cong and who wasn't , the american troops killed every Vietnamese they saw, even if they were unarmed. Sergeant Michael B. Terry, commented at the time, "that really bothered the guys." The men in the unit's frustration caused them to beat up an innocent women that they spotted in a field.
CAUSE: Viet Cong and North Vietnam sent the TET offensive to attack South Vietnam, this affected Charlie Company because they were assigned to that location and watched the fighting in Quang, TET was high alerted and this lead to the massacre as it attacked 8200 provincial capitals. Soldiers whom watched their friends die in this battle caused the american troops to seek revenge and kill any Vietnamese they saw.
CAUSE: Soldiers were poorly prepared and inexperienced.
The soldiers had no job and did not attend school which made them poorly educated. This was the key reason why many soldiers had been drafted to go to war.
CAUSE: American soldiers were fighting an invisible enemy, as Viet Cong used guerilla tactics. Such as booby traps, trip wires and land mines. Viet Cong also wore black pajamas, so they could not be spotted at night.
CAUSE: All Vietnamese were seen as the enemy, either Viet Cong or Viet Cong supporters. Many american soldiers had believed this so as they walked through villagers in My Lai they threw hand grenades into houses and bunkers and destroyed livestock and crops.
CAUSE: Threat of communism, communists were thought of to be taking over the world and that they were spreading, Americans wanted the oil in the South China Sea, and wanted to control the pipeline.
Action shot of the C Company in Vietnam.