The Mai Lai Massacre was a mission held by the American military (and more specifically the Charlie Company), with the goal being to sift out the incognito "Viet Cong" agents that were scattered about Southern Vietnamese Villages. It was one of the most horrific incidents of violence. As the "search and destroy" mission unfolded, it soon degenerated into the massacre of over 300 apparently unarmed civilians including women, children, and the elderly. The platoon burned houses, killed livestock, Commander Calley ordered his men to enter the village firing, though there had been no report of opposing fire. According to eyewitness reports offered after the event, several old men were bayoneted, praying women and children were shot in the back of the head, and at least one girl was raped and then killed. Babies were shot at point-blank range, and some of the corpses have "C Company" carved into them by bayonets. For his part, Calley was said to have rounded up a group of the villagers, ordered them into a ditch, and mowed them down in a fury of machine gun fire. Higher-ranking U.S. Army officers managed to cover up the events of that day for a year before revelations by a soldier who had heard of the massacre sparked a wave of international outrage and led to a special investigation into the matter. When Americans heard of the horrific incident, it increased the divide between Americans who supported and were against the war. It decreased the morale of the GI's dramatically and their faith in fighting the war plummeted to an all time low. Although this incident occurred toward the end of the war and its anti-war movements, it intensified the remaining protesters' bravado and passion for their cause.
"This is what you've been waiting for -- search and destroy -- and you've got it," said their superior officers. A short time later the killing began. When news of the atrocities surfaced, it sent shockwaves through the U.S. political establishment, the military's chain of command, and an already divided American public. Before Johnson's very eyes, his administration and America had begun to crumble. "