In the case of what had happened in Iraq in the recent months such as Haditha, many could call the killing of Iraqi civilians as a massacre. However, Haditha has not been branded as a massacre under the simple term of “massacre.”
Today, many call the deaths of Iraqi civilians in Haditha another “My Lai.” The synonym of My Lai comes from the notorious event in the Vietnam War in both US and Vietnamese history called the “My Lai massacre.”
My Lai is considered the pinnacle of atrocious acts committed by United States forces during the time of war. A little over 500 people were killed during the My Lai massacre. The event had taken place on March 16, 1968. On Sunday, March 16, it will be the 40th anniversary of a dark time in US Military History let alone in the Vietnam War.
The coverage was extensive. There were many that were interviewed and had their testimonies recorded. Two years after the incident on March 15, 1970, the eve of the second year anniversary of My Lai, those recordings were locked away.
According to the testimony, the mentality of the soldiers that partook in the massacre could be considered shocking. Many of the soldiers that participated in the My Lai massacre did not consider the Vietnamese to be human beings.
“I would say that most people in our company didn’t consider the Vietnamese human… A guy would just grab one of the girls there and in one or two incidents they shot the girls when they got done,” said Dennis Bunning, who was a soldier in Charlie Company that was led by Lieutenant William Calley.
Calley was tried and convicted of murder for his part in My Lai.
Commentators and critics of the war in Iraq have been quick to compare it to Vietnam. With the incident in Haditha, Iraq, critics have been quick to compare that with the My Lai massacre that took place in the Vietnam War.
However, it is not surprising that My Lai has been linked with the Haditha killings. In Haditha, 24 Iraqis were killed. It is alleged that the Marines were looking to exact revenge for the death of Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas who was killed by an IED(improvised explosive device).
Those that have commented on Haditha nicknamed it as “Bush’s My Lai” or “Iraq’s My Lai.”
From now on, many can possibly look as My Lai as the newest synonym to be associated with the word of massacre. When one talks about a mass killing, one can simply say “My Lai.” In a sense, My Lai is a new word that can be put in the Urban Dictionary.
Leave Your Comments