The My Lai Massacre
Dan Snow's History Hit
History Hit
4.7 • 13.7K Ratings
🗓️ 16 March 2021
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On the 16th March 1968, the My Lai Massacre occurred in South Vietnam. 350-500 men, women, children and babies were brutally killed by US troops during a counterinsurgency operation. It was the worst war crime perpetrated by US forces during the Vietnam War.
To try and find out what made those men snap and commit those terrible crimes I spoke to Erik Villard a Historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History, Fort McNair, DC. He talks us through the events of that fateful day, why he believes it took place and how these shocking events continue to influence US military operations today.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I really welcome to Dan's nose history yet. Today, the 16th of March 1968, the Mealine |
| 0:08.5 | massacre occurred in South Vietnam. US troops killed between 350 and 500 unarmed people |
| 0:19.3 | during a counting-surfancy operation. The victims included men, women, children and babies. |
| 0:28.7 | It was a complete breakdown in order and is widely regarded as the most shocking war |
| 0:37.4 | crime perpetrated by US troops in the whole of the Vietnam War. What made those men snub |
| 0:46.8 | and commit those terrible crimes on this day in 1968? Well, I talked to Eric Villagni's |
| 0:53.9 | historian at the US Army Center for Military History based at Fort McNair and DC. And as |
| 0:59.0 | you'll hear, it gives a fantastic summary of what happened and why he thinks it happened. |
| 1:04.2 | As I mentioned many times, I've had podcasts before. I particularly enjoy discussions like |
| 1:09.0 | this and learning about the changes that take place on the battlefields and in military |
| 1:15.6 | planning departments to try and prevent things like this happening again. He's very interesting |
| 1:20.9 | about its consequences. If you wish to pay these podcasts without the hands, if you wish |
| 1:26.1 | to watch hundreds of hours of history documentaries, please head over to historyhit.tv on your documentary |
| 1:32.8 | Killing God about the murder of Julius Caesar on the Ims of March 44 BC. Yes, day 44 BC. |
| 1:39.8 | That's come up this week. Lots of people watching that. Thank you very much, everyone, for |
| 1:43.0 | signing up to watch out Berlin documentary. I've got lots more coming out. So please |
| 1:46.7 | go to historyhit.tv and check that out. In the meantime, everybody here is Eric Villagni |
| 1:52.5 | talking about the Mealine Massacre. |
| 1:55.2 | Eric, thanks so much for coming on the podcast. Thank you for having me. So let's start with |
| 2:07.8 | the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. End of January, turbulent year, 1968. That's the critical |
| 2:15.4 | background to this event, right? It is. And the Mealine Massacre really, in a lot of |
| 2:21.0 | ways, comes out of those chaotic, turbulent, confusing days and months just before and |
... |
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