My Lai Massacre

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My Lai Massacre

United States-Vietnamese history

Also known as: Pinkville Massacre

Written by Michael Ray

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 9, 2024 • Article History

My Lai Massacre

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Category: History & Society

Also called:: Pinkville Massacre

Date:: March 16, 1968

Location:: Vietnam

Participants:: United States

Context:: Vietnam War

Key People:: Seymour Hersh

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My Lai Massacre, mass killing of as many as 500 unarmed villagers by U.S. soldiers in the hamlet of My Lai on March 16, 1968, during the Vietnam War. My Lai, a subdivision of Son My village, was located in the province of Quang Ngai, roughly 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Quang Ngai city. The area had been dubbed “Pinkville” by U.S. soldiers because of the reddish colour used to indicate the densely populated My Lai area on military maps. By the time Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, arrived in Vietnam in ...(100 of 1625 words)

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