William Calley Jr. from My Lai Massacre Passes Away

William L. Calley Jr., the Army lieutenant responsible for leading U.S. soldiers in the My Lai massacre, has passed away at the age of 80. His death was recorded on April 28 in Gainesville, Florida, where he had lived in relative obscurity since his court-martial in 1971. Calley was the only one of 25 men charged in connection with the massacre to be convicted, facing charges for the murder of 22 Vietnamese civilians during the tragic event on March 16, 1968. The My Lai massacre, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Vietnamese civilians, is considered one of the most egregious war crimes in American military history. The incident involved horrific acts, including the killing of unarmed civilians and sexual violence. It took over a year for the details of the massacre to emerge, shocking the public and leading to a high-level Army inquiry that revealed the extent of the atrocities committed by Charlie Company. In a rare public statement in 2009, Calley expressed remorse for the events at My Lai, stating, “I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families.” He attributed his actions to following orders, a defense he maintained during his trial. The former Army colonel who oversaw Calley’s court-martial later remarked that while Calley believed he was acting correctly, he was still guilty, and others involved should have faced justice as well. Despite his conviction, the My Lai massacre was not an isolated incident, with estimates suggesting that between 1 million and 2 million Vietnamese civilians lost their lives during the Vietnam War. Calley’s legacy remains a complex and painful chapter in the history of U.S. military engagement.