My Lai

My Lai refers to a controversial U.S. Army attack during the Vietnam War in which hundreds of Vietnamese citizens were killed under dubious orders. Debate regarding how to characterize the events and the implications of the attack continues to the present day, reflecting the ongoing disputes about the American war in Vietnam. For example, in the spring of 2015, the United States’ official Vietnam War Commemoration website, set up to honor Vietnam War veterans on the 50th anniversary of the arrival of U.S. ground troops in Vietnam, changed its official interactive timeline. It had said that March 16, 1968, was the date of the “My Lai Incident.” A furor of protest greeted that description. The new reference stated that on that day an “American Division ...