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Overview
The My Lai massacre of March 16, 1968 and the court martial of Lt. William Calley a year and a half later are among the bleakest episodes in American history and continue to provide a volatile focus for debates about the Vietnam War. Other books have exposed the facts surrounding the incident; Facing My Lai now examines its haunting legacy through a unique exchange of contemporary viewpoints.This powerful book emerges from a stellar gathering of historians, military professionals, writers, mental health experts, and Vietnamese and American war veterans convened to memorialize the tragedy. The cast of prominent speakers included journalists Seymour Hersh and David Halberstam, novelist Tim O'Brien, psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, military prosecutor William Eckhardt, and veterans Hugh Thompson and Ron Ridenhour—the two true heroes in the My Lai story. David Anderson's reflective recasting of their presentations creates an impassioned chorus of voices that demonstrates why this tragedy remains one of the key emblems of the American experience in Vietnam.
These authors address many of the troubling questions that still persist about My Lai. Why had it been identified as a Viet Cong stronghold? What orders were the troops actually given? Why didn't someone stop the slaughter? But these questions are asked again in the hope that they might lead to a better understanding of what My Lai means for us now.
As these authors show, our nation is still trying to come to grips with the bitter legacies of the Vietnam War. A grim window into the darker side of American history (like the massacre at Wounded Knee), My Lai reminds us of humanity's baffling capacity for attrocity within the crucible of war. Facing My Lai does not allow us to forget or hide from such horrors, but it also seeks to heal the deep wounds inflicted by the war. Its unflinching look at the past ultimately leads us away from darkness and towards a more enlightened understanding of a war that in many ways is not over yet.
This book is part of the Modern War Studies series.
Synopsis
"A profound memorial to a dark, forgotten history. A book of utmost importance."—Oliver Stone
"A coherent volume of passionate reflections on the painful subject of the My Lai massacre."—Marilyn B. Young, author of The Vietnam Wars, 1945-1990
"I read this book with great interest and deep emotion. I expect it will have a deeply cathartic effect on its readers. The recollections of those who had a hand in uncovering My Lai's horrible truth are gripping, and the discussion of post-traumatic stress disorder adds a whole new dimension to the story."—Robert D. Schulzinger, author of A Time for War
Library Journal
For this somewhat emotional book commemorating the 30th anniversary of the My Lai massacre on March 16, 1968, Anderson edited the transcripts of a 1994 conference concerning the events at My Lai. The first few chapters deal with the facts and testimony of witnesses. The remaining chapters are round-table discussions from the conference dealing with the massacre for which Lt. William Calley was ultimately court-martialed. The participants included veterans Ron Ridenhour and Hugh Thompson and experienced reporters such as David Halberstam and Seymour Hersh, who both won Pulitzer prizes for their Vietnam reporting. This well-written book brings out all those emotions that are part of the Vietnam experience, and, as the subtitle suggests, reading it does provide a catharsis. With appeal for both general and informed lay readers; recommended for all history collections.