Military Law
Sep. 14, 2026
My Lai at 58: Enduring lessons for command, training and military justicev
The My Lai Massacre shows how failures in command, training and accountability can lead to atrocity--and why clear legal standards and moral courage remain essential to preventing them.
As a judge advocate general officer with the California Military Department, I may be called up to advise commanders on the Law of Armed Conflict, rules of engagement and the ethical guardrails that must hold even in the most demanding environments. Few cases underscore the catastrophic cost of failing those guardrails more clearly than the My Lai Massacre.
On March 16, 1968, soldiers of Charlie Company entered the hamlet of My Lai (4) in Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam. Expecti...
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