On this day, 16 March 1968, the My Lai massacre took place in Vietnam.

 On this day, 16 March 1968, the My Lai massacre took place in Vietnam.

, during which around 500 unarmed villagers were murdered by US troops (content note: sexual violence). First, US forces shelled the village. Then, ground troops came through. 

Although there was no resistance at all, the soldiers began systematically killing the villagers, rounding up women, children, and the elderly, shooting them, and raping many of the women.

One US serviceman, Hugh Thompson, was flying a helicopter over the area and saw what was happening. Observing a group of soldiers moving towards a group of women and children, Thompson and his crewmates, Lawrence Cockburn and Glenn Andreotta, prepared their weapons and landed the helicopter in front of the soldiers to prevent their advance, and called on other helicopters to arrive to help them transport the survivors to safety.

The murderers falsely claimed later that they had killed scores of National Liberation Front guerrillas. Only one US soldier was injured in the massacre, when he accidentally shot himself in the foot.

Although Thompson reported the massacre to his superiors, the US army claimed that the My Lai operation was a huge success, and that Thompson had filed a false report. Thompson was then allocated dangerous missions as a punishment, during which he was shot down five times and broke his back.

Another US serviceman, Ronald Ridenhour, launched his own investigation into the massacre, and distributed his findings widely. The incident gave added impetus to the movement against the war, and resistance to the war by serving GIs.

In the end, only one officer was convicted for the murders. He was sentenced to life in prison but was released after only three years. 

Pic: Women and children try to hide before being murdered.