This image depicts Vietnamese citizens who were murdered during the My Lai Massacre in 1968. It was shot by Ron Haeberle, a photographer for the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Haeberle took photos of the massacre on his personal Nikon camera, so he was able to sell them to the Cleveland Plain Dealer and, later, Life Magazine.
The Army tried to cover up the My Lai Massacre, but a year later, an investigation prompted by a whistleblower uncovered the truth: U.S. soldiers had invaded the village and murdered upwards of 400 unarmed civilians, burning their homes and raping several dozen women and young girls.
Haberle's photos helped citizens across the U.S realize the atrocities that occurred in My Lai. The images prompted anti-war activists and average people alike to question what U.S. troops were really doing in Southeast Asia. Were we helping the South Vietnamese, like the government said we were, or were we actually hurting them? Prior to the 1960s, most Americans trusted the government, but Haberle's series of My Lai photos, as well as other scandals like Watergate and the Pentagon Papers, led to the widespread distrust of the government we see today. Today, the photos also serve as a haunting reminder of what really went on in Vietnam during the war.
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