Mỹ Lại

On the morning of the massacre, C Company, commanded by Captain Ernest Medina, entered the hamlet of Mỹ Lai 4 expecting to confront the Viet Cong's Local Force 48th Battalion, which was not there. The killings began as troops searched for guerillas and continued even after it became clear none were present. Soldiers rounded up villagers, held them in the open, and massacred them using automatic weapons, bayonets, and grenades; one large group was executed in an irrigation ditch. They also burned homes, poisoned wells, and slaughtered livestock. Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson Jr. and his helicopter crew attempted to intervene and halt the attack. In the nearby hamlet of Mỹ Khê 4, B Company killed an additional 60 to 155 villagers.

The massacre was originally reported as a victory against Viet Cong troops, and was covered up in initial investigations by the U.S. Army.