William Calley
William Laws Calley Jr.[1] (June 8, 1943 – April 28, 2024) was a convicted American war criminal who was found guilty of some of the killings of the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War.
| William Calley | |
|---|---|
 Calley's mugshot | |
| Birth name | William Laws Calley Jr. |
| Born | June 8, 1943 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | April 28, 2024 (aged 80) Gainesville, Florida , U.S. |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/branch |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1967–1971 |
| Rank | ,_rotated.svg) Second lieutenant[1] |
| Unit | 1st Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division (Americal) |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War • The Mỹ Lai massacre happened during a military expedition |
Early life and education
Calley was born in Miami, Florida.[2] His father was a United States Navy veteran of World War II. Calley graduated from Miami Edison High School in Miami and then went to Palm Beach Junior College in 1963. He dropped out in 1964, after having failed (most or) a majority of his classes.[3]
Calley then had (some jobs or) a variety of jobs before enlistment in 1966;[4] He worked as a bellhop, dishwasher, salesman, insurance appraiser, and train conductor.[5]
Education in the military
Calley had eight weeks of basic combat training at Fort Bliss, Texas,[6] followed by eight weeks of advanced individual training as a company clerk at Fort Lewis, Washington. He scored high enough on (some test,) his Armed Forces Qualification tests; He applied for and got into Officer Candidate School (OCS).[5]
He then began 26 weeks of [ officer training or] junior officer training at Fort Benning in mid-March 1967. He graduated in September 1967.[5] He became a second lieutenant in the infantry. He was put in the 23rd Infantry Division "The Americal Division" ,[1] and began training at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, as preparation for getting sent to South Vietnam.
My Lai massacre
He was held responsible and found guilty[7] of some of the killings of the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War. Of the 26 officers and soldiers that were charged for their part in the My Lai Massacre or the cover-up, only Calley was convicted. He was sentenced to a life in prison, but that was changed to 20 years in prison, and later to 10 years in prison. He was put on house arrest instead. Calley only spent three years on house arrest, and was then released.
After punishment
In 2009, Lieutenant Calley was speaking (at a Kiwanis Club in Georgia, USA) and said that (he feels remorse, and that) "There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in Mỹ Lai. I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry."[8]
Later life and death
In 1976 he got married in a church in the United States.[9]
Calley died on April 28, 2024 under hospice care in Gainesville, Florida at the age of 80.[10] His death was not reported until three months after his death on July 29, when public records of him revealed his death.[10]
William Calley Media
Photo taken by the Army photographer Ronald L. Haeberle on March 16, 1968, during the My Lai massacre, showing mostly women and children dead on a road
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "WSB-TV newsfilm clip of a reporter John Philp conducting street interviews with civilians and soldiers outside the commissary following the conviction of Lieutenant William Calley for his role in the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War, Fort Benning, Georgia". Civil Rights Digital Library. University System of Georgia. 1971-03-30. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
Second lieutenant William Calley was a member of the Alpha Company, 1st battalion, 20th infantry regiment, 11th infantry brigade while in Vietnam.
[dead link] - ↑ McFadden, Robert D. (July 30, 2024). "William Calley, Convicted of Mass Murder in My Lai Massacre, Dies at 80". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/us/william-calley-dead.html. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ↑ "An Average American Boy?". Time. May 12, 1969. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901624,00.html. Retrieved January 15, 2007.
- ↑ https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/calley-william
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Loh, Jules. "Average Guy Calley Found Niche in Army", Pacific Stars and Stripes, December 1, 1969. 25th Aviation Battalion, United States Army.
- ↑ Tucker, Spencer (2011). The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History. Vol. 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 149. ISBN 978-1-85109-960-3. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
- ↑ Daily Mail: The Monster of the My Lai Massacre – October 6, 2007. London. October 6, 2007. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=485983&in_page_id=1811. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
- ↑ "Calley apologizes for role in My Lai massacre". msnbc.com. August 22, 2009. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/16/archives/calley-gets-married-to-jewelers-daughter.html. Retrieved 2024-07-31
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Smith, Harrison; Langer, Emily; Murphy, Brian; Bernstein, Adam (29 July 2024). "William Calley, Army officer and face of My Lai Massacre, is dead at 80". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/07/29/william-calley-dead-my-lai-massacre/. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
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