William Calley Jr, the sole United States soldier who was found guilty for his involvement in the Vietnam War’s My Lai massacre, in which hundreds of Vietnamese civilians were killed, has passed away at the age of 80, as reported by US media sources. Calley died on April 28 at a hospice center in Gainesville, Florida, according to The Washington Post's initial report, which referenced his death certificate. Further information about his passing is not currently available.

The My Lai Massacre

The My Lai massacre details became symbolic of the misconduct by the US during its participation in the Vietnam War, a period when over five hundred thousand soldiers were stationed in the country in 1969 to combat the southern-based Vietcong guerrilla force.

Calley's conviction, being the only one among 25 individuals originally accused in the massacre, highlighted the rarity of the US holding its citizens accountable for offenses committed during foreign military missions.

Calley's Role and Conviction

In March 1968, Calley, serving as a US army lieutenant, led soldiers from the Charlie Company on a mission to engage Vietcong fighters. However, instead of confronting the fighters, the soldiers tragically massacred 504 civilians, most of whom were women, children, and elderly men who posed no threat.

The killings occurred in My Lai and a nearby community, with the involved soldiers later confessing to a US army investigative committee that the atrocities included acts like gang rape, throwing grenades into civilian-filled bomb shelters, and bayonetting.

In 1971, Calley was convicted of the murder of 22 individuals and was initially sentenced to life imprisonment, but his sentence was eventually reduced by former President Richard Nixon and he served a mere three days before being placed under house arrest for three years.

The My Lai massacre was not widely known in the US until a year later, and it gained national attention due to the release of photographs of slain civilians captured by war photographer Ron Haeberle, as well as disclosures from army informants.

Subsequent Revelations

It took decades for a comprehensive view of the US abuses in Vietnam to emerge. In 2006, declassified military records uncovered by the Los Angeles Times identified at least 320 instances of atrocities committed by US forces in Vietnam, including seven other massacres between 1967 and 1971 that resulted in the deaths of at least 137 civilians.

Only 57 US soldiers faced court-martial proceedings, with 23 individuals being convicted, all of whom received lenient sentences.

Post-conviction, Calley resided in Columbus, Georgia, and worked at a jewelry store owned by his father-in-law before relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, where he largely shunned public visibility.

In 2009, he uttered his remorse concerning the massacre, expressing sorrow for the Vietnamese victims and their families, as well as the American soldiers involved and their families. He maintained that he was merely following orders, which was his primary defense during his trial, characterizing it as a lapse in judgment.