Exploration 3DA Case Study – My LaiEHL

A case study — My Lai: What went wrong? What went right?


Discussion regarding: "Attack on My Lai – Background"

Questions:

  1. At this point, what do you know about the soldiers in Charlie Company?
  2. What do you know about their assignment for the next day?
  3. What might have been these soldiers’ thoughts and feelings as they listened to the plans for the next day? Why?

Profile Cards (12)

Think about the night before the attack from the perspective of the soldiers on their 'Profile cards'.

Explore your sense of the situation in which these soldiers found themselves and write down your responses to the two questions at the end of your cards.

Then discuss your ideas with a partner who has the same 'Profile card.'

Class Discussion on the soldiers’ thoughts on the night before the attack on My Lai.

Discuss the 'Pocket card' that was given to all American soldiers in Viet Nam, and discuss its content and purpose.

Questions:

  1. How does this card relate to what soldiers will do the next day?
  2. What other guidance do you think soldiers should have been given regarding their behavior in combat?

Video –What we did at My Lai
After the viewing, explore what happened at My Lai and discuss your reactions.
What we did at My Lai (Discussion)

The enormity of the tragedy for the victims;

The soldiers’ state of mind prior to the operation on 16 March;

The factors influencing the soldiers’ behaviour;

The difficulties in distinguishing between combatants and civilians;

The responsibilities of commanding officers;

The responsibilities of ordinary soldiers for their own actions;

How IHL and the instructions on the Pocket card relate to the operation at My Lai (its planning and its execution);

The effect of the tragedy on the soldiers themselves.

What happened cards:
1. Compare your answers to the questions on the 'Profile cards' with what you now know from the video and the 'What happened cards.'
2. Why do you think these soldiers did these terrible things?
3. Why did some soldiers refuse to take part in the massacre?

  1. What difference, positive or negative, could a bystander make?
  2. Why is obedience important while fighting a war?
  3. Should soldiers follow even unlawful orders?
  4. What do you think soldiers should do when they are uncertain whether the enemy before them is a civilian or a combatant?
  5. How might the soldiers have been affected by what they did at My Lai?
  6. How can tragedies like this one be prevented?

What went wrong, what went right?

Report to the class what the soldiers on your cards did.

  1. Suggest which actions are examples of "what went right" and which represent "what went wrong." Mark the former with '+' (plus) signs and the latter with '–' (minus) signs.
  2. Give reasons for your opinions.

What should happen next?

Read "What should happen next?" and think about what the soldiers on their cards thought and felt on the night of 16 March 1968.

Write down your responses to the question on your 'What happened cards.'

Discuss with a partner:

what you wrote down;

what you think soldiers and commanding officers should do and why;

what you think about the responsibility of a soldier who follows unlawful orders;

what you think about the responsibility of a commanding officer who gives unlawful orders;

what you think about the responsibility of a commanding officer who knew or should have known that atrocities would be committed but failed to prevent them.

Seeking Justice
Discuss “My Lai Incident – afterwards: What happened within the army”

1.Brainstorm a list of possible reasons why the rules for enforcement of IHL were not followed.

2.Who followed the rules? Who apparently participated in “covering up” what happened in My Lai and what reasons they had for doing so.

4. What would you say to Col. Henderson or Capt. Medina or the photographer or anyone else who knew of this incident?

5. Who do you think should be accused and tired? For what crimes? Why?

6. What effect might hearing the rumours of a massacre have upon other soldiers in Viet Nam? What might they do about it?

  1. Once the cover up began, what do you think anyone could do to uncover it?
    Read "A letter to reveal the truth"
  1. Discuss the role of outsiders in uncovering the truth and in determining who was responsible and for what.
  1. Who is responsible for reporting violations of IHL?
  2. Why did Ron Ridenhour, a soldier who wasn't even there, do what he did?
    “Chronology of events” – From the information sheet “My Lai incident – afterwards”

Group 1 – compile examples from the My Lai incident of how enforcement of IHL was not carried out, Group 2 – compile examples from the My Lai incident of how enforcement of IHL WAS carried out.
Consider the roles of :Enlisted men (including Ridenhour, the journalists, Thompson and his crew, as well as the soldiers of C Company), Officers (including the army prosecuetors and General peers), The news media back in the USA, Politicans, Public Opinion, The members of the court-martial juries (officers in the U.S. military of similar level to defendants)

Chronology of Events
1. What choices about enforcement did people make? Why?

2. What effects do different points of view have on choices?