Contextualizing a Primary Document

The primary document I chose was written by a veteran who served in World War II as well as the Korean War, who says he’s not too sure that he is proud to have done so. This is because of the trial of Lieutenant Calley. This is where the ambiguities started. He explained how he didn’t agree with the verdict of the trial with sentencing Lieutenant William Calley to life in prison. This took place because of the My Lai murder’s in Vietnam during the Vietnam War in which Lieutenant Calley was involved in. As a result, he asked Congressman Bizz Johnson to represent the people and support the disengagement act of 1971.
Lieutenant Calley was tried and convicted of premeditated murder of twenty-two Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai Massacre in 1968. According to the Toronto Star article by anonymous, during the My Lai Massacre, frustrated U.S. troops came to My Lai on a ‘search and destroy’ mission, looking for elusive Viet Cong guerrillas. Although there were no reports of enemy fire, the U.S. troops began mowing down villagers and setting fire to their homes. The incident shocked Americans and undermined support for the war (I am Very Sorry,’ Ex-U.S. Officer Says of My Lai Massacre; Slaying of Women and Children in 1968 was Turning Point in Vietnam War).
The U.S. veteran explains in the document that the responsibility for the actions at My Lai rests much higher than Lieutenant Calley. If he is guilty, then so is everyone else. If he is sentenced to life imprisonment or death, then so does every lawmaker and citizen who tolerates acts of war. He feels that Bizz Johnson, a representative of the people, should correct this miscarriage of justice. He feels that public opinion carries no little or no weight, and this is why men like Lieutenant Calley are deprived of their rights as a citizen.
In comparison, the secondary document, “From Testimony to Tragedy: My Lai in personal perspective,” shows a different viewpoint. U.S. Private Dennis Conti personally witnessed the events that took place in Vietnam. He testified and said that while he and riflemen Paul Meadlo were guarding a group of prisoners, most of which were women and children, Lieutenant Calley ordered the two soldiers to “take care of them.” The soldiers replied and said “we are,” and Lieutenant Calley responded with, “no, kill them all.” Private Conti refused to do so while Meadlo executed the order and began to shoot the civilians and since Conti refused, Calley killed the rest of the children. When it was said and done, Lieutenant Calley turned his back and walked away (From Testimony to Tragedy: My Lai in personal perspective). It seems that these innocent woman and children were killed for pleasure, and not to defend the platoon.
In the document, the citizen also wants Congressman Bizz Johnson to support the disengagement act in 1971. Disengagement involved withdrawing from the war and bringing our troops home by December of 1970. By April 1971, hearings began and included testimonies and debates from several members of Congress, as well as from representatives of interested pro-war and anti-war organizations (Powell).
For more information you can find these journals in the JSTOR database. These sources can further help you to understand the ambiguities of the primary document giving detailed explanations of the events that occurred during the Vietnam War. These are valid and reliable sources because they are from a database with scholarly sources filled with massive amounts of information and anything you want to know.