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William CalleyAn American army officer who participated in the extermination of civilians in the village of My Lai.
Date of Birth: 08.06.1943
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of William Calley
William Laws Calley Jr. was born on June 8, 1943, in Miami, Florida, USA. He was an officer in the US Army who participated in the massacre of innocent villagers in the village of My Lai during the Vietnam War. He is considered the main perpetrator of this crime.
Early Life and Military Career
Calley was born into a family of a World War II veteran. He graduated from high school in Miami and attended college in Palm Beach but dropped out due to poor grades. He then worked odd jobs without staying in one place for long.
In July 1966, Calley enlisted in the US Army. He was admitted to Officer Candidate School and completed his training in September 1967, earning the rank of Second Lieutenant. He was assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Light Infantry Brigade. At the end of 1967, the 11th Brigade was deployed to South Vietnam, where it came under the operational control of the 23rd Infantry Division.
During his time in Vietnam, Calley did not demonstrate any outstanding leadership qualities; on the contrary, there are claims that he was ill-suited for his position as a platoon leader. On March 16, 1968, Charlie Company participated in an operation in the village of My Lai 4, which escalated into the massacre of innocent civilians.
Legal Proceedings and Aftermath
Only on September 5, 1969, did William Calley face charges of premeditated murder of 109 civilians. In November of the same year, the My Lai case finally received widespread publicity, leading to Calley becoming the subject of investigation by the American media. The trial of the lieutenant lasted from November 1970 to March 1971 and ended with Calley pleading guilty to the murder of 22 civilians. The initial sentence of life imprisonment was changed to 20 years in August 1971.
In reality, Calley spent three and a half years under house arrest before being pardoned in 1974. After his release, Calley worked at a jewelry store in Columbus, Georgia, and reportedly suffered from insomnia. William Calley is often referred to as the main person responsible for the tragedy of My Lai, which is unfounded as he was the only one convicted in the My Lai case, while the commanders of other platoons, Captain Medina (who falsified information in the report on the operation's results submitted to the battalion headquarters), and any of the soldiers faced no punishment.
