About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

139 Mil. L. Rev. 153 (1993)
The Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of My Lai: A Time to Inculcate the Lessons

handle is hein.journals/milrv139 and id is 159 raw text is: THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF MY LAI: A TIME TO INCULCATE THE LESSONS MAJOR JEFFREY F. ADDICOTT* MAJOR WILLIAM A. HUDSON, JR.** I. Introduction The way of the superior man is like that of the archer. When he misses the center of the target he turns and seeks the cause of his failure in himself' If history teaches anything about avoiding the mistakes and disasters of the past, it is that humanity first must understand historical lessons-lessons often understood only after the expen- diture of incredible amounts of human blood and treasure-and then must inculcate those lessons in the members of each of its succeeding generations. As America passes the second anniversary of its victory in the Persian Gulf War,2 correctly having heeded the lessons of appeasement from World War II,3 another reminder of critical historical lessons is rapidly approaching. Spring 1993 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the My Lai massacre-an appropriate time to revisit the event and to reinforce the lessons learned. Representing the antithesis of the conduct of United States Armed Forces during the Liberation and Defense of Kuwait, the My Lai massacre was a nightmarish event that most Americans would like to forget. Nevertheless, My Lai never must be forgotten. Its horror and disgrace are precisely why My Lai must never be erased from the individual memories of American citizens, nor must it ever be lost from the legacy of the United States. To the contrary, nothing provides a greater vehicle for inculcating the *Judge Advocate General's Corps, United States Army. Currently assigned to the International and Operational Law Division, Office of The Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army. **Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Army. Currently assigned as Instructor, International Law Division, The Judge Advocate General's School, U.S. Army. ICoNFucms, THE ANALEcTs op CoNFucrus 59 (Arthur Waley trans., 1939). 2See Michael Cramer, Kuwait: Back to the Past, TIME, Aug. 5, 1991, at 33. The ground phase of the military campaign in the Persian Gulf War lasted only 100 hours, from 24 to 28 February 1991. For an excellent overview of the entire operation, see The Gulf War, MnL. REV., Sept. 1991. 'See THE NATIONAL MILITARY STRATEQY OF THE UNITED STATEs 6 (Jan. 1992). 153

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most