On March 16, 1968, about 200 American soldiers in roughly 4 hours in the Vietnamese village of Son My killed approx. 540 civilians , including pregnant women and infants, gang raped women, and burned a village to ashes. Second Lieutenant Willian Calley was the only soldier convicted out of 24 charged with criminal offences, and was set free after serving only 4 years. Private Vernado Simpson interviewed for the book " four hours in Mai Lai " , said " I cut their throats, cut off their hands, cut out their tongue, their hair , scalped them . A lot of people were doing it, I just followed". Simpson later committed suicide.


THE GHOSTS OF MAI LAI

The Ghosts of My Lai | History | Smithsonian Magazine