Which U.S. Army unit carried out the killings 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 My Lai Massacre was carried out by Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade of the U.S. Army.1

On March 16, 1968, soldiers from this unit entered the hamlet of My Lai and killed as many as 500 unarmed civilians, including women, children, and the elderly. The actions taken by the members of Charlie Company, which included indiscriminate shooting, rape, and the destruction of property, were a profound violation of the fundamental ethical principles governing the conduct of war and the protection of noncombatants.23