My Lai Cover-Up Deceit and Incompetence

The most publicized single incident of the Vietnam war was the My Lai 4 massacre when on 16 March 1968 a company unit of the Americal Division while conducting its first combat assault in South Vietnam massacred over 400 innocent civilians, raped women, bayoneted livestock and burned down houses in the hamlet of My Lai 4. The reporting and investigation of the incident are discussed in detail as well as an explanation of how a bold cover-up was orchestrated by the two lower-level combat commanders who, concerned that their orders had been misinterpreted, desperately attempted to suppress knowledge of the extent of the massacre. Their efforts succeeded because of "incredible mismanagement" by the division's senior leaders who were responsible for investigating the incident. This book answers many of the perplexing questions concerning the My Lai incident which have arisen over time.