Did the My Lai Massacre affect the American people?

The My Lai Massacre affected the American people greatly. The event occurred at a time when there was a growing doubt about the government’s war effort and its honesty with the American people about how well the war was going. The government continued to tell the American people how well the war was going. The pictures and the news reports suggested something different. When the Tet Offensive occurred in January 1968, Americans were convinced the government was being dishonest with them.

When the news of the My Lai Massacre broke, this increased the anti-war spirit in the country and the distrust in the government. In this massacre, American troops killed hundreds of innocent civilians in the raid on the hamlet of My Lai. To make matters worse, the military covered up this event for about a year. More Americans began to demand that we get out of Vietnam. Soldiers began to wonder what other actions were being hidden from the public. Morale was very low, and drug use among the soldiers was high.

The My Lai Massacre had a great impact on the military and on the American people.