Part 1 of 3    
Four Hours of Insanity     
 

Our summary of Smithsonian's feature (January-February)

   Today, this remains a land of rice paddies, where water buffalo and chickens roam the fields, and most roads are dirt.

   Here, on March 16, 50 years ago, 6-year-old Tran Nam was having breakfast with his extended family of 14. A U.S. soldier burst in, spraying bullets into the meal and three generations of relatives, all civilians.

   More soldiers entered. More gunshots. 

   Nam, now 56, survived by hiding under a bed, then hiding again in a ditch when soldiers set his house on fire.

   Six Army platoons swept into Son My and its sub-hamlet, My Lai. They used M-16s; they tossed grenades, and they committed atrocities (that might have embarrassed Custer and the Indians as well.)  - JD

   2nd Lt. William Calley and PFC Paul Meadlo corralled villagers along an irrigation ditch and mowed them down. Witnesses said Calley also shot a praying Buddhist monk and a woman whose hands were up. 

   At least one of the soldiers later committed suicide.

   The U.S. Army portrayed this as a victory over Viet Cong forces. And that was that.

   Until a few weeks later, when several participants shared their story with a friend, a helicopter gunner. He investigated on his own, and a year later, as a civilian, sent letters to several members of Congress and secretary-level people in the administration. He mentioned 2nd Lt. "Kally."  

   The IG of the Army began fact-finding, granting immunity to many of the soldiers, including Meadlo. 

   Another investigation discovered a military photographer, who stunned the investigator with horrifying images.

   In March 1971, a court-martial with a jury, including five officers who had served in Vietnam, reached their decision.

Tomorrow: Who ordered this?