Primary Source

Harold T. Bizz Johnson wrote a response  to Rev. Bayliss on April 28, 1971. It was a response to the letter he received from Rev. Bayliss involving the My Lai massacre. This event happened in Vietnam in March 1968 but the public didn’t find out until Nov 1969. It was covered up until a reporter got a hit and published the story. The public’s support for the Vietnam War was strong but it soon eroded as military action escalated. Lt. L. Calley and his team were given instruction to invade a town that had vicious fighters. They shot and killed about 400 civilians including women and children. These men were part of the 11th brigade. When the incident got out the public was shocked. Many sided with the conviction of Lt. L. Calley while others had sympathy for him. Rev. Byliss wrote to Bizz asking him to excuse Calley for what he had done and that it wasn’t his fault. The men that were over in Vietnam were exposed to harsh conditions and were mentally and physically exhausted. Many used that to back up that those that did the killings were told to do so and when given commands they are expected to follow through. Bizz responds by saying that it there is still so many things that they don’t know yet it’s hard to come to an immediate conclusion. The president being the Commander –in –Chief of the armed forces has the role of final review in situations like this one. Rev Bayliss along with many other Americans expressed their concern that if Lt. L. Calley was prosecuted that he wouldn’t stand alone. Those that killed unarmed civilians should receive equal treatment under the military law. The Geneva Convention establishes standards of international law for humanitarian treatment of war. It required the Army to investigate all allegations to the massacre. During the Vietnam war the treatment of prisoners of war became a issue. They were being mistreated and ethical issues arose. The Geneva conventions stats that those who come into contact with the enemy must treat them humanely if they surrender. Lt. L. Calley and his brigade violated this, which caused the issue of injustice to arise. The public in such confusion what was happening over seas and had little trust in what the government was doing. This event caused more distortion to the publics view of war crimes. If there is more information you would like to know these sources will help you better understand the ambiguities that are in this primary source. These sources are reliable secondary sources because they are either form a database with scholarly sources or from creditable organizations.

Works Cited 

“Calley Charged for My Lai Massacre.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2015

Commander in Chief Powers.” Commander in Chief Powers. Cornell University Law School, n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2015

“Geneva Conventions.” Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.

“Content The My Lai Massacre.” PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.

“Selected Men Involved with My Lai.” PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.

“The Geneva Convention and the Treatment of Prisoners of War in Vietnam.” Jstor.org. The Harvard Law Review Association, n.d. Web.