Word: calley
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...Calley's defense rests in part upon the argument that he was obeying orders when he killed villagers at My Lai. Said he: "For refusing an order in the face of the enemy, you could be sent to death." Calley testified that he was never instructed that he had the choice of refusing an order that he considered illegal. Indeed, since My Lai, the Army has added more explicit training on the rules...
Before the My Lai attack, Calley received two briefings from his company commander, Captain Ernest Medina. According to Calley, Medina repeatedly emphasized that "we would have to neutralize My Lai completely, not let anyone get behind us. He said it was completely essential that we not lose our momentum of attack." According to Calley, Medina suggested that the troops would not encounter any civilians, that psychological-warfare units had warned civilians to clear the area, and that "anyone there would be considered enemies." Said Calley: "I believe somebody asked if that meant women and children. He said that meant everything...
...Dark. At about 8:30 a.m. on March 16, the men of Charlie Company were lifted by helicopter toward My Lai. "I was definitely hyper," said Calley. The men feared most the sort of minefields that had previously decimated their unit. In a minefield, Calley said, "it's kind of like being in the dark, knowing there is a step there and afraid to walk. You almost have to force every foot down...
...artillery bombardments and helicopter gunships were still propping the My Lai area when Charlie Company landed. Calley described how his men entered the village, dropping grenades into bunkers and firing to "neutralize any personnel inside any building." He said he saw many dead Vietnamese before he saw one alive. At one concrete house, "there were about six to eight individuals lying on the floor, apparently dead, and one man was going to the window. I shot him. There was another man standing in a fireplace-and I shot him. I took him as NVA cadre...
Thus the killing began. But even when enemy resistance did not materialize, the savagery continued. Twice during the morning, said Calley, Medina radioed him, demanding that he hurry and "get rid of" or "waste" the Vietnamese so that the attack could press forward. At one point, said Calley, "I broke out in a clearing, and my men had a number of Vietnamese in a ditch and were firing upon them." According to the charges, there were at least 70 men, women and children killed at the ditch, but Calley estimated the number last week at from four...