Comments:
This is the first preliminary report from the South Vietnamese
official responsible for the district in which included Son My
village. As is noted, the RVN hadn't had control of this area
of Quang Ngai Province for years, and an ARVN officers ability
to investigate was severely hampered. This letter was followed
by a second one on April 11th.
For
further reading on this issue, see Lt. Gen. W. R. Peers. The
My Lai Inquiry. New York: W.W. Norton, 1979; Michael Bilton
and Kevin Sim. Four Hours in My Lai. New York: Viking,
1992.
-
John Tegtmeier
No.
181/HC/ST/M
FROM: 1LT Tran Ngoc Tan
Son Tinh District Chief
TO: Quang Ngai Province Chief
SUBJECT: Confirmation of Allied Troops Shooting at the Residents
of Tu
Cung Hamlet, Coordinates BS 721795
It is respectfully reported that:
On 19 March 1968, an element of US Forces (unspecified, because
this District Headquarters had not been notified of the operation)
conducted an operation in Tu Cung Hamlet (BS 721795), Son My
Village, Son Tinh District. It was reported that when the element
entered the hamlet, one of its members was killed and some others
wounded by a VC booby-trapped mine. At this time the VC opened
up fiercely from their positions in the hamlet. Meanwhile, US
troops used intense firepower while moving in with artillery
and air support, inflicting injuries on a number of hamlet residents
because the VC mingled with the population.
Observations
by this Headquarters
The Tu Cung Hamlet and the two neighboring hamlets, e.g. My
Lai (BS 737800) and Van Thien (BS 794804), in Son My Village
had become insecure since 1964, so the administrative authorities
of these areas had been forced to flee to Son Long (BS 638756),
leaving these hamlets under VC control. Casualties were unavoidable
caused to the hamlet residents during the firefight, while the
local administrative authorities were not present in the area.
The enemy may take advantage of this incident to undermine,
through fallacious propaganda, the prestige of the RVNAF, and
frustrate the Government's rural pacification efforts.
Respectfully yours,
1st Lt Tran Ngoc Tan
Copies
to:
S2 and S3, Quang Ngai Sector HQ