Most of thousands come today to Son My (also My Lai) seemingly not either to see with their eyes or to recall what often understood brutal or bloodshed, thus deepening, sharpening and refreshing hatred. This obssesses them far enough. Perhaps, they expect something hidden far down in their hearts that I think it is love other than brutality and hatred. Today, for many, My Lai is where humanity prevails brutality, and love displaces hatred, and life thrives from the ashes of ruins.
Son My Vestige and Museum is situated in a village now called Son My, Tinh Khe Commune, Son Tinh District, Quang Ngai Province, near beautiful My Khe Beach and just about 12 km northeast of Quang Ngai Downtown.
The whole memorial site, established in 1978, 3 years after the war and 10 years after the My Lai Massacre, is composed of a museum, a munument and vestige points about the massacre on 16 March 1968.
Gentle and cultured Son My, like many other villages, was some 40 years ago covered in the ash and fire of war, and that time was circled by the US Army in the red, and called Pinkville or My Lai.
And 16 March 1968 became doomsday for Son My civilians when 504 civilians, most were harmless elderly, women and the children, were killed by the US Gis.
Directly taking part in the massacre were soldiers of Task Force Barker from the Brigade 11 of the Americal Division. Early that morning 40 years ago, a squadron of helicopters transporting units of US soldiers of Company C landed on a field west of Thuan Yen sub-hamlet of Tu Cung hamlet, while another squadron transporting Company B landed on Go Thon of Co Luy hamlet. The massacre started in a most barbarous manner: “kill all, bun all and destroy all,” and an inexcusable crime was commited.
Ridiculously, the only casualty for US Army was black soldier Herbert Carter’s wound caused by his shooting into his own foot to avoid participation in the dirt.
The actual events were not exposed in the US until a year and a half later at the end of 1969, when news of the massacre became a media sensation.
Gone are behind all these dark days.
My Lai appears today as if there had never been such a massacre, except for a story told about somewhat a killing field teeming with dead bodies, women, elderly and children dozens years ago.
Green are large paddy rice fields stretching to the horizon far away, replacing the killing fields that time torn apart by war, farmers working, children playing in schoolyards, peacefully. Gone are the days!
Gone are the days, Green is the field.
Visitors to Son My now come to witness how Son My is revitalized. Son My people today thrive from the ashes and ruins, indicating the imortal vitality after the agony of wartime. Economic and technical infrastructure as well as the welfare of the people in Son My have been changing day after day in a better way. Visitors can also enjoy sightseeing, visit other places of interest, all to discover a gentle, poetic and cultured village in Son My.
My Lai is now a "rendezvous" for whoever knows how to cherish human values and how to get (oneself) rid of animosity.
N.M.T
