How did the initial U.S. Army report describe civilian deaths at My Lai?

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A group of frightened Vietnamese women and children stand close together outdoors during the My Lai Massacre in the Vietnam War. — My Lai Massacre Vietnamese citizens photographed during the My Lai Massacre, March 16, 1968.

The initial U.S. Army after-action report characterized the operation at My Lai as a "resounding success," falsely claiming that scores of Viet Cong had been killed.12

Regarding civilian casualties, Col. Oran Henderson, commander of the 11th Infantry Brigade, officially concluded on April 24, 1968, that 20 civilians had been killed accidentally. The report attributed these deaths to the opening artillery barrage or to crossfire between U.S. and Viet Cong forces. This official account was used to dismiss reports of the massacre, including eyewitness testimony from Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson, as false.2