Lt. William Calley Haunted by Memories of My Lai Massacre Telegraph.co.uk is carrying an article titled "My Lai massacre: Lt. William Calley apologises more than 40 years after Vietnam." The title is just a little misleading. The apology comes forty years after the massacre, not the end of the Vietnam war. The event in question occurred March 16th, 1968. Lt Calley was in charge of "Charlie Company." They came to a village called My Lai and opened fire killing somewhere between 347 and 504 unarmed citizens. The people were primarily old men, women and children.
It was recommended that 28 officers and two non-commissioned officers be charged with a crime however, Calley was the only soldier charged and was given a life sentence. This sentence was changed to house arrest. The My Lai massacre is back in the news because Lt. William Calley apologized for his role in the massacre. While addressing the Kiwanis Club in Greater Columbus, Georia, Calley is quoted in the article as saying "There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for happened that day in My Lai." There is no question that the My Lai was a uniquely terrible event.
"There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai," Calley told members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Columbus on Wednesday. His voice started to break when he added, "I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry."
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