Lai massacre that occurred in March 1968 and led by Lieutenant William L. Calley took the lives of more than 500 Vietnamese civilians, including elderly men as well as women and children. This event fueled growing outrage in the United States over the war in Vietnam and contributed to the groundswell of calls for the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Vietnam altogether. This paper provides an examination of the social and psychological environmental influences for the My Lai massacre, a discussion concerning the development of attitudes in response to a passive environment as they relate to the massacre, a discussion concerning the implications of the My Lai massacre and its legacy. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning these issues are presented in the paper's conclusion.

Introduction

In March 1968, soldiers from the U.S. Army's Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment of the 11th Brigade,...
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