One Day on My

Lai, Six Months in

Conscience





Santiago A. Ramrez C.

what he answer: because that incident pass one day on My
Lai, but six months in conscience.


















These happen four decades ago, in the Vietnam War, when
the Cold War was taking place. In modern days it is known
as the My Lai Massacre, one of the worst episodes on
world history.
Bravo Companys message! scream the guard that night.
Immediately the lieutenant gets up and run to the entrance
for the message. We fall in a tramp. An enemy mine field
cause that five compatriots die. This is an advice, all
companies beware from My Lai village surroundings,
coordinates ## E, ##N, presence of enemy: to confirm. Mine
fields: confirm.
Charlie Company was command by Lieutenant William
Calley, the one who give orders, the one who cause the
nightmares, the one who change the soldiers life forever.
Calley was hysterical. According to the coordinates, where
the mine field was supposedly located, it was the zone
which Charlie Company, Calleys Company, has revise and
insured. This notice unleashed lieutenants rage, the rest of
the night wasnt easy, a rainy night; we get on our beds,
waiting for our dawn punishment.
Next day, every soldier was afraid, not because a possible
ambush like other days, but because Calleys rage. Nobody
expected that lieutenants orders were normal, All soldiers
report to lieutenants tent for daily patrol. Some pessimists
think that in half patrol, Calley was going to kill someone;
other said that we were going to My Lai, searching the
enemy. These last ones were right; we ended in My Lai, but
not for the predicted purpose. Here we are, say Calley,
My Lai village. Our company havent found the enemy
during many time, so all of us want to hit some targets. You
want some targets, Calley continued, Here is your target.
Open fire.
Exited, all soldiers open fire to My Lai villagers. It was a
bloody day, every living thing in that village was killed.
Charlie Companys bloodlust was sated, soldiers were
happy and now they have a story to tell. That day nobody
thinks in what they have done, nobody think about the war
crime they just have done, kill unarmed people, kill
between 347-504 civilians.
We were very excited, many people bet that he has kill
more Vietnamese than anyone else, we bet up to a days
food. Satisfied, me and my companions, go to sleep, thinking
in the lieutenant happiness, and how he will congratulate us
in tomorrows morning. Next day, we were impressed of
Calleys reaction.
This is what really happen that day lieutenant takes a
deep breath and he continued, I got orders from above,
days before for killing My Lai villagers. What happens to
Bravo Company was an accident, but it helps to justified the
massacre. Now everyone most understand that this
information is confidential, so if you dont what to betray
your country, shut up, ok? And that was the end of
lieutenants speech. He try to show us what is good like if
we were babies, do this and would be rewarded, do this
other thing and you would be punish, he try that we relate
one thing with the other. Time pass, these thoughts dont let
me sleep, is not a single moment in which I can relax, the
screaming of the children, the women crying, the bullet
bursts, stay in permanent echo inside my head. Tomorrow
is going to be six months after the incident, and I cant hold
this feeling of guilty any more, I need to reveal the truth to
the media, I need to free what really happen six months ago
on My Lai.
That night, the soldier communicate with one of the fact
researchers, he reveal the truth. The next day, the soldiers
confession appears in news, in magazines, in all media.
One month later the soldier that confess was killed in his
house, 3 weeks after the murderer was found, and one of
the interrogatory questions was He give you a message? No, before kill him I ask: Why? Why do you confess? For

This time everybody thinks that he was going to be happy,
but instead he seems like worry. Also he changes the
orders: What happen yesterday, it was a enemy attack, we
cause 128 enemy downs and unfortunately 22 civil
casualties. Understood? Yes sir! Some soldiers think that
we have only kill enemies, others have notice before this
announcement that what have happen yesterday was
something unusual, in this last group, I was the first in think
about it.
Suspicions between the soldiers began to arise, the
company began to compare numbers and according to the
lieutenant there were, in total, only 150 deaths, but every
soldier claim to have killed at least 30 Vietnamese, they
were 10 men in the company without Calley, so the
numbers have a great difference. Some of them doesnt care
about what happen that day, other were desperate for
knowing the truth.
I want to know what really happen in My Lai, three months
have already pass from the attack and the ignorance is
killing me, and thats why I decide to go and talk with
Calley, say him, if we are going to lie, we have the right of
knowing the truth!, and I was very impressed with Calleys
answer, You know? You are right, call your companions for
telling you the truth, to tell you what really happen in My
Lai three months ago.