Calley

Calley refers to William Calley Jr., a former United States Army lieutenant. He was the platoon leader convicted of murdering innocent civilians during the My Lai Massacre in March 1968. The massacre occurred during the Vietnam War. Calley's company, Charlie Company, entered the village of My Lai in South Vietnam and systematically killed unarmed men, women, and children.

Initial reports attempted to conceal the details of the event, but investigative journalism, particularly by Seymour Hersh, brought the massacre to public attention. A subsequent military trial found Calley guilty of multiple counts of premeditated murder. He was the only individual to be convicted of crimes related to the My Lai Massacre.

Calley's sentence was life imprisonment, but he served only three years of house arrest before being paroled in 1974. The My Lai Massacre and Calley's conviction had a significant impact on public opinion regarding the Vietnam War and the conduct of U.S. military operations. The event raised profound ethical questions about obedience to orders and individual responsibility in warfare. Calley remains a controversial figure in American history, symbolizing the atrocities that can occur during conflict.