What had Charlie Company been assigned to do in Quang Ngai province?

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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.

In January 1968, Charlie Company was one of three companies tasked with the destruction of the 48th Battalion, a Viet Cong unit operating in Quang Ngai province.1

Following a briefing on March 15, the company was directed to enter the My Lai area under specific rules of engagement. Because the commander believed civilians had already departed for the city, he instructed his men to treat anyone remaining in the area as a Viet Cong fighter or sympathizer, effectively authorizing them to fire at anyone or anything. Additionally, the troops were ordered to destroy crops and buildings and to kill livestock.1

The targeting of noncombatants is a grave violation of the fundamental ethical principles of humanity and the laws of war, which mandate the protection of civilians in conflict zones.1