My Lai Massacre

The My Lai massacre was the largest massacre of civilians by U.S. forces in the 20th century. The attempted coverup highlights the dangers of permitting leadership personnel to erased or censor stories.

Materials

• American Experience - My Lai (2010 documentary)

• Moral Courage In Combat: The My Lai Story (2003 speech book)

Assignment

Two ways to learn about the My Lai massacre are given above. Select at least one of the sources given above, or an alternative source. On the social media platform of your choice, make a post or series of posts answering the following questions:

1. What are your overall impressions from the stories? What sticks with you the most strongly?

2. Warrant Officer Thompson attributes part of the blame for the massacre to dehumanization of the enemy. Discuss the role of ignoring the diversity of personnel in our own communities in fostering dehumanization and xenophobia.

3. There is a plethora of leadership failures throughout the entire incident and its aftermath. Select one leader and contrast their leadership decisions with Warrant Officer Thompson’s.

Bonus: Given the censorship at service academies, do you think it is likely that U.S. Naval Academy leadership would authorize this lecture to be given in 2025?