The Lai Massacre And The Vietnam War - 1186 Words

Matthew Lippman provides that the Lai Massacre violated the international humanitarian law of war. The Lai Massacre and the Vietnam War raises critical questions about how America conduct war and its military leadership in Vietnam. The massacre of innocent unarmed civilians illustrates the horrendous war crime committed by American soldiers. Lippman discusses how the United States tried to keep the events of My Lai Massacre from the public. The My Lai Massacre makes me wonder if this was only one of the many massacres in Vietnam War and if the higher US officials managed to cover-up the other massacres. The trials for the crimes committed in My Lai were held separately from the Nuremberg trails because officials wanted to avoid creating parallels between the two events. However, parallels can be drawn with American conduct in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. Troops who were in violation of international law and committed war crimes in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay were not held account able for their action to their full extent. In fact, those who were convicted were not necessarily charged with war crimes. This leads us to question whether the events of my Lai and Nuremberg could ever be reconciled. Allan Ryan makes the argument that the Nuremberg Tribunals was the most significant development of international human rights law. I agree with Ryan as many tribunals following the events of World War II have been modeled after the Nuremberg Tribunals. For instance, this is true inShow MoreRelatedEssay on The My Lai Massacre - Vietnam War1214 Words   |  5 Pages On March 16, 1968 a terrible massacre occurred at My Lai, called The My Lai Massacre. The following massacre should have never happened and the events that followed the massacre are typical of any American wrongdoing. Thats why it wasnt in my US History book. They covered it up and the people involved in the massacre received no punishment except for one soldier. My US History book: The Story of America Volume 2 doesnt even touch on this dark moment in US historyRead MoreHarry S. Trumans Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb1857 Words   |  7 PagesNagasaki in order to end World War II and the U.S. would soon meet another formidable enemy with the beginnings of The Cold War. The Cold War developed anti- and pro-Communist views, shifting the United States’ focus towards defeating Communism and its supporters. The tensions from the Cold War developed into great animosity spurring from the clashing beliefs of Democracy and Communism. 20 years later, U.S. intervention combats Communism’s spread in The Vietnam War. Although the U.S. thought it wasRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War886 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican soldiers arrived in My Lai on March 16, 1968. These soldiers were members of the Charlie Company, which was a division within the army. The Charlie Company had been in Vietnam a few months before they were called to My Lai. Americans were fighting against North Vietnam alongside South Vietnam. â€Å"They (Charlie Company) were on a search and destroy mission to root out 48th Viet Cong Battalion thought to be in the area† (AE Networks). The Charlie Company encountered numerous amount ofRead MoreMass Media and the Vietnam War Essay842 Words   |  4 PagesMass Media and the Vietnam War Many people at the beginning and before the Vietnam War were in confusion on whether going to war was such a good thing; this mainly consisted of the American public. By the time it had reached the peak of the war much of the American public had swung towards being for the war. This was mainly due the mass media at the time, one integral part of the mass media that often swayed public opinion was television, it proved to be such an effectiveRead MoreThe Vietnam War and its Impact, An Essay with Editing Notes825 Words   |  4 PagesThe Vietnam War was a violent and turbulent time in America. Generally hated from its beginning, many still perceive it as a loss. When one looks over the causalities in the war, it is noticeable that 58,000 members of our military lost their lives tragically in a ten year period.(cite) However, Communist Vietnam reported losses in numbers close to a million. Although many people see Vietnam as horrific stain in the legacy of America and its military, the war and its repercussions had a significantRead MoreThe My Lai Massacre Essay789 Words   |  4 Pagescivilians were killed in South Vietnam during an indiscriminate, mass murder event known as the My Lai Massacre. Conducted by a unit of the United States Army, the My Lai Massacre ranked one of most appalling atrocities carried out by US forces in an already savage and violent war. All victims involved we re unarmed civilians, many of which were women, children, and the elderly. Victims were raped, tortured and beaten, even mutilated before being killed. The massacre was forever seared into the heartsRead MoreAnalysis Of The My Lai Massacre1549 Words   |  7 Pages The My Lai Massacre is a prime example of America’s actions in an attempt to preserve their image, but this genocide also indepthly grasps the concept of the transitional period from war to sadism. The 23rd Infantry Division of the Charlie Company under the command of Lieutenant William Calley Jr. committed this heinous massacre, in sum murdering around 500 unarmed civilians. The victims included men, women, children, elderly ... no one was spared. According to Dr. O’Connell, a sociology professorRead MoreThe Battle Of Dien Bien Phu1519 Words   |  7 Pages Vietnam Timeline 04/24/2016 Sarah Dustagheer Period 4 Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954) The Battle of Bien Dien Phu was the first crucial engagement in the first Indochina War. It took place in March 13, 1954 - May 7, 1954. This battle was a symbolic turning point in Indochina. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was fought between French forces and the Viet Minh communists. The French wanted to convert Vietnam as one of their colonies, butRead MoreLosing Vietnam On The Home Front1672 Words   |  7 Pages Losing Vietnam on the Home-front Forty six years have passed since the United States officially stopped their involvement in Vietnam. Not since the Civil war had the country been so torn. Every American family was impacted, losing husbands, sons, and daughters. Over fifty thousand Americans were killed and many more still suffer deep physical and emotional scars . Veterans took their own lives, were treated as social outcasts, or ended up on the streets with the homeless. The Vietnam conflictRead MoreThe Massacre And Abu Ghraib Torture Prison1660 Words   |  7 PagesThe My Lai massacre and the Abu Ghraib torture prison were both tragic events in history that Americans were involved in. The My Lai massacre took place during the Vietnam war in 1968. Lieutenant William Calley ordered the Charlie Company to proceed with the attack on the village of My Lai. Their goal was to exterminate the Viet Cong combatants and any one who stood in their way, but they ended up killing hundreds of innocent unarmed civilians instead . The Abu Ghraib torture and prison was an american