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William Laws Calley, Jr.
Born June 8, 1943 (1943-06-08) (age 64)
Place of birth	Miami, Florida, U.S.
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Rank	First Lieutenant
Unit	Company C, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division
Battles/wars	Vietnam War, My Lai Massacre
Other work	Jewelry store manager

William Laws Calley, Jr. (born June 8, 1943, in Miami, Florida) is an American war criminal. While serving as a U.S. Army officer, he was found guilty of ordering the March 16, 1968, My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... Miami redirects here. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... First Lieutenant is a military rank. ... The Americal Division of the United States Army was formed in May 1942 on the island of New Caledonia. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... The My Lai Massacre ( , approximately ) (Vietnamese: ) was the mass murder of 347 to 504 unarmed citizens of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), mostly civilians and majority of them women and children, conducted by U.S. Army forces on March 16, 1968. ... Jewelry (the American spelling; spelled jewellery in Commonwealth English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Miami redirects here. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... A war crime is a punishable offense, under international (criminal) law, for violations of the law of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... An officer is a member of a military, naval, or if applicable, other uniformed services who holds a position of responsibility. ... is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The My Lai Massacre ( , approximately ) (Vietnamese: ) was the mass murder of 347 to 504 unarmed citizens of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), mostly civilians and majority of them women and children, conducted by U.S. Army forces on March 16, 1968. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

Early life

By all accounts William Calley came from a normal background. Nicknamed "Rusty", he stood at five foot four inches tall and was reportedly undistinguished, other than the fact many people who knew him described him as "nice". His father was a United States Navy veteran of World War II. Calley graduated from Miami Edison High School in Miami. After high school, Calley attended Palm Beach Junior College for one school year from 1963 to 1964, but he dropped out after receiving poor grades, consisting of two C's, one D, and four F's.^[1] USN redirects here. ... Former crewmembers of the battleship Missouri pose for photos shortly after the Anniversary of the End of World War II ceremony, held aboard the famous ship. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Miami Edison Senior High School (also known as the Dade County Agricultural High School or Miami Edison Middle School) is a historic school in Miami, Florida, United States. ... Located in Palm Beach County, Florida, Palm Beach Community College (PBCC) enrolls over 46,000 students in more than 100 programs of study including associate of arts and associate of science degree programs and short-term certificates. ...

At the age of twenty-two, Calley was rejected for military service for being tone deaf. He then worked at a number of jobs, including bellhop, dishwasher, salesman, insurance appraiser and train conductor.^[2] He did not hold any of these for very long and was in San Francisco in 1966, when he received a letter from his draft board requesting reevaluation for his medical condition. On his return to Miami, his car broke down in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Reporting to the duty sergeant there, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in Albuquerque on July 26, 1966, at the height of the Vietnam War.^[2] A bellhop (also bellboy or bellman) is a hotel porter, who helps patrons with their luggage while checking in or out. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sales are the activities involved in providing products or services in return for money or other compensation. ... Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. ... A train Conductor // The Conductor is the railway employee charged with the management of a freight, passenger, or various other types of train, and is also the direct supervisor of the trains Train Crew (brakeman, flagman, ticket collector, assistant conductor, on board service personnel). ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... This article is about the largest city of New Mexico. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Largest metro area Albuquerque metropolitan area Area  Ranked 5th  - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 km²)  - Width 342 miles (550 km)  - Length 370 miles (595 km)  - % water 0. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ...

Military career

Calley underwent basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and received advanced individual training as a company clerk at Fort Lewis, Washington State. He applied for and was accepted into Officer Candidate School (OCS). Calley began 16 weeks of junior officer training in mid-March 1967. After graduating in OCS Class No. 51 on September 7, 1967,^[2] he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry. Fort Benning is a United States Army base, located southwest of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama It is part of the Columbus, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. ... Fort Lewis is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post located in Pierce County, Washington. ... This article deals with the U.S. state. ... The United States Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) is a school located at Fort Benning, providing training to become a commissioned officer. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I Infantry or footmen are very highly disciplined and trained soldiers who fight primarily with small arms(rifles), but are trained to use everything from their bare hands to missle systems in order to neutralize...

Calley was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, and began training at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii before the brigade's deployment to the Republic of Vietnam. In Vietnam, the brigade became part of the Americal Division. Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols This article is about the military unit. ... British regiment A regiment is a military unit, consisting of a variable number of battalions - commanded by a colonel. ... Schofield Barracks is a United States Army installation (and census-designated place or CDP) located in the City and County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the island of Oahu, Hawaii. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Anthem Thanh niên Hành Khúc (Call to the Citizens) Capital Saigon Language(s) Vietnamese Government Republic Last President¹ Duong Van Minh Last Prime minister Vu Van Mau Historical era Cold War  - Regime change June 14, 1955  - Dissolution April 30, 1975 Area  - 1973 173,809 km² 67,108... The Americal Division of the United States Army was formed in May 1942 on the island of New Caledonia. ...

As a combat leader, Calley was apparently not highly regarded. His officer evaluation reports when My Lai first became public described him merely as "ordinary".^[1] Later, as the investigation progressed, a more negative picture emerged. Many members of his platoon told Army investigators that he lacked common sense and couldn't even read a map or compass properly.^[3] Calley's men claimed he was so disliked that some even thought of "fragging" him.^{[citation needed]} Frag is a term from the Vietnam war, most commonly meaning to assassinate an unpopular member of ones own fighting unit by dropping a fragmentation grenade into the victims tent at night. ...

Murder trial

Calley was charged on September 5, 1969, with six specifications of premeditated murder for the death of 109 Vietnamese civilians near the village of My Lai, at a hamlet called Son My, more commonly called My Lai in the U.S. press. In this well documented incident, about 347 to 504 villagers, mostly women, children, infants and elderly, were systematically killed by the American soldiers during a bloody rampage in 1968. If convicted, Calley faced death penalty. is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ...

Calley's trial started on November 17, 1970, and resulted in a conviction on March 29, 1971, of premeditated murder of 22 civilians. Testimony revealed that Calley had ordered the men of 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry of the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal) to kill everyone in the village. Calley claimed that he was following the orders of his immediate superior, Captain Ernest Medina. Whether or not this order was actually given is disputed; Medina was later acquitted of all charges relating to the incident at a separate trial. On March 31, 1971, Calley was sentenced to life imprisonment. 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 88th day of the year (89th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... Premeditated murder is the crime of wrongfully causing the death of another human being (also known as homicide) after rationally considering the timing or method of doing so, in order to either increase the likelihood of success, or to evade detection or apprehension. ... A civilian is a person who is not a member of a military. ... Platoon of the German Bundeswehr. ... For other uses, see Captain (disambiguation). ... Ernest Lou Medina was a captain in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime, nominally for the entire remaining life of the prisoner, but in fact for a period which varies between jurisdictions: many countries have a maximum possible period of time (usually 50 years) a prisoner may be incarcerated, or require the...

Of the 26 officers and soldiers initially charged for their participation in the My Lai massacre or the subsequent cover-up, only Calley was convicted. Calley was seen by some as a scapegoat used by the U.S. Army for its failure to instill morale and discipline in its troops and commanders. Others, with lack of knowledge about his education or background, sought to excuse his actions because of his allegedly low intelligence and cultural background. Many saw My Lai as a direct result of the military's attrition strategy with its emphasis on "body counts" and "kill ratios." The Scapegoat by William Holman Hunt, 1854. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

House arrest

On April 1, 1971, only a day after Calley was sentenced, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon ordered him released from prison pending appeal; on August 20, 1971, the convening authority — the Commanding General of Fort Benning — reduced his sentence to 20 years. The Army Court of Military Review affirmed the conviction and sentence (46 C.M.R. 1131 (1973)). The Secretary of the Army reviewed the sentence and findings and approved both, but in a separate clemency action commuted confinement to ten years. On May 3, 1974, President Nixon notified the Secretary that he had reviewed the case and determined he would take no further action in the matter. is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... Flag of the United States Secretary of the Army The United States Secretary of the Army has statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and equipment acquisition, communications, and financial management. ... A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ...

Ultimately, Calley served only three and a half years of house arrest in his quarters at Fort Benning. He petitioned the federal district court for habeas corpus on February 11, 1974, which was granted on September 25, 1974, along with his immediate release, by federal judge J. Robert Elliott. Judge Elliott found that Calley's trial had been prejudiced by pretrial publicity, denial of subpoenas of certain defense witnesses, refusal of the House of Representatives to release testimony taken in executive session of its My Lai investigation, and inadequate notice of the charges. (The judge had released Calley on bail on February 27, 1974, but an appeals court reversed it and returned Calley to Army custody June 13, 1974.) In justice and law, house arrest is the situation where a person is confined (by the authorities) to his or her residence. ... Map of the boundaries of the United States Courts of Appeals and United States District Courts The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. ... For other uses, see Habeas corpus (disambiguation). ... is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... A federal judge is a judge appointed in accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution. ... J. Robert Elliott (born 1910, Gainesville, Georgia) - (died June 27, 2006, Columbus, Georgia) was a politician and a federal judge. ... A subpoena is a command to appear at a certain time and place to give testimony upon a certain matter. ... The word bail as a legal term means: Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that persons appearance for trial. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ...

The Army appealed Judge Elliott's decision to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and asked an appeals judge to stay Calley's immediate release, which was granted. However, the full Court upheld the release pending appeal and decided the entire court would hear the appeal (normally not done in the first instance). The Army won a reversal of Judge Elliott's habeas corpus grant and a reinstatement of the judgment of the court-martial, with 5 judges dissenting. (Calley v. Callaway, 519 F.2d 184, 9/10/1975). In a long and extremely detailed careful opinion, the reviewing court disagreed with Judge Elliott on the law and significantly on Elliott's scope of review of the court martial proceeding. The Court noted that although by now Calley had been "paroled" from confinement by the Army, that did not moot the habeas corpus proceedings. A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ...

After release

Calley currently lives in Atlanta after having retired from managing V.V. Vick, a jewelry store that his father-in-law owned in Columbus, Georgia. Atlanta redirects here. ... Jewelry (the American spelling; spelled jewellery in Commonwealth English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ... Columbus is a city in Muscogee County, Georgia, United States. ...

In 2007, Calley agreed to be interviewed to discuss the massacre, saying, "Meet me in the lobby of the nearest bank at opening time tomorrow, and give me a certified check for $25,000, then I'll talk to you for precisely one hour."^[4] However, when confronted with journalist's questions, Calley fled the scene.

References

“TIME” redirects here. ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Stars and Stripes is the newspaper published for the United States Armed Forces overseas. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article is about the year. ...

See also

• Glenn Andreotta, Lawrence Colburn and Hugh Thompson, Jr. - U.S. helicopter crew members who intervened to stop the My Lai killings
• Seymour Hersh - Investigative journalist who broke the story of the massacre and coverup
• Major General Samuel Koster - Commanding officer of the Americal Division
• Captain Ernest Medina - Commanding officer of Charlie Company
• Terry Nelson - One-hit wonder who released "C. Company", a song about Calley in 1971

Andreottas name on the Vietnam Wall, Panel 48 East, Row 50. ... Lawrence Colburn on the left of the photo Lawrence Colburn was an American helicopter gunner in the Vietnam War - noted for being one of three who intervened in the My Lai Massacre. ... Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson Hugh C. Thompson, Jr. ... Seymour Myron Sy Hersh (born April 8, 1937 Chicago) is an American Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, DC. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters. ... Samuel W. Koster (29 December 1919—23 January 2006 was a United States Army officer and the highest-ranking officer charged and punished for his role in the My Lai massacre. ... Ernest Lou Medina was a captain in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. ... For other uses, see One hit wonder (disambiguation). ...

External links

• TRIAL : William Calley's trial
• Famous American Trials: The My Lai Courts-Martial 1970
• Beidler, Philip D., "Calley's Ghost", Virginia Quarterly Review, Winter 2003.
• BBC ON THIS DAY | 29 | 1971: Calley guilty of My Lai massacre