Because of
the charges of a civilian slaughter made by WO Hugh Thompson and
other pilots from the Aeroscout Co of the 123rd Aviation Bt, Brig.
Gen. George Young (Americal Division's Deputy Commander) flew
out to LZ Dottie the evening of the My Lai Massacre. However,
instead of turning these charges over to an investigating body,
or visiting the site himself, Young asked Col. Henderson (Commanding
the 11th LIB, parent organization of the troops involved) to report
on the allegations. Henderson had only assumed command of the
11th Brigade the day before the events in My Lai 4.
DEPARTMENT
OF THE ARMY
Headquarters, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division
APO San Francisco 96217
XICO 24
April 1968
SUBJECT: Report of Investigation
Commanding
General
Americal Division
APO SF 96374
1. (U) An investigation has been conducted of the allegations
cited in Inclosure 1. The following are the results of this investigation.
2. (C) On
the day in question, 16 March 1968, Co C 1st Bn 20th Inf and Co
B 4th Bn 3d Inf as part of Task Force Barker, 11th Inf Bde, conducted
a combat air assault in the vicinity of My Lai Hamlet (Son My
Village) in eastern Son Tinh District. This area has long been
an enemy strong hold, and Task Force Barker had met heavy enemy
opposition in this area on 12 and 23 February 1968. All persons
living in this area are considered to be VC or VC sympathizers
by the District Chief. Artillery and gunship preparatory fires
were placed on the landing zones used by the two companies. Upon
landing and during their advance on the enemy positions, the attacking
forces were supported by gunships from the 174th Avn Co and Co
B, 23d Avn Bn. By 1500 hours all enemy resistance had ceased and
the remaining enemy forces had withdrawn. The result of this operation
were 128 VC soldiers KIA. During the preparatory fires and the
ground action by attacking companies 20 noncombatants caught in
the battle area were killed. US Forces suffered 2 KIA and 10 WIA
by booby traps and 1 man slightly wounded in the foot by small
arms fire. No US soldier was killed by sniper fire as was the
alleged reason for killing civilians. Interviews with LTC Frank
A. Barker, TF Commander; MAJ Charles C. Calhoun, TF S3; CPT Ernest
L. Medina, CO Co C, 1-20; and CPT Earl Michles, CO Co B, 4-3 revealed
that at no time were civilians gathered together and killed by
US soldiers. The civilian inhabitants in the area began withdrawing
to the southwest as soon as the operation began and within the
first hour and a half all visible civilians had cleared the area
of operations. *
3. (C) The
Son Tinh District Chief does not give the allegations any importance
and he points out and he points out that the two hamlets were
the incident is alleged to have happened are in an area controlled
by the VC since 1964. COL Toan, Cmdr 2d ARVN Div reported that
the making of such an allegation against US Forces is a common
technique of the VC propaganda machine. Inclosure 2 is a translation
of an actual VC propaganda message targeted at the ARVN soldier
and urging him to shoot Americans. This message was given to this
headquarters by CO, 2d ARVN Div o/a 17 April 1968 as a matter
of information. It makes the same allegations as made by the Son
My Village Chief in addition to other claims of atrocities by
American soldiers.
4. (C) It
is concluded that 20 noncombatants were inadvertently killed when
caught in the preparatory fires and in the cross fires of the
US and VC forces on 16 March 1968. It is further concluded that
no civilians were gathered together and shot by US soldiers. The
allegation that US forces shot and killed 400-500 civilians is
obviously a Viet Cong propaganda move to discredit the United
States in the eyes of the Vietnamese people in general and the
ARVN soldier in particular.
5. (C) It
is recommended that a counter-propaganda campaign be waged against
the VC in eastern Son Tinh District.
2 incl ORAN
K. HENDERSON
a/s COL, Infantry
Commanding