Son My Massacre site

Quang Ngai does not have much to offer in terms of tourist destinations.  One of its greatest attractions is the Son My Massacre site.  Attraction is probably not the right word to use but I felt that because I live here and because it is the first thing that comes up when you Google ‘places to go in Quang Ngai’ it was worth spending some time there.  It was with some trepidation though, as I read up about it before going so knew that it was  going to be a heart-wrenching experience.

This was the biggest massacre of civilians during the Viet Nam war.  The Americans had been told that the opposition were hiding in the village and to rout them out, kill them and destroy all their weapons.  What they found instead, was a sleepy little village, just waking up for breakfast and the only men there were old men who were too old to fight in the war.  What proceeded was carnage.  They killed and burned everything in the village. Women protecting their children, children running away, livestock, crops.  Soldiers who expressed bewilderment at what was clearly not what they were expecting to face, were threatened with death themselves.

Eventually, a helicopter pilot who flew in on the scene and saw what was happening, managed to rescue 10 villagers and he himself threatened the lives of the American’s trying to stop him.  He commanded his men to shoot the Americans if he was not allowed to flee with those he rescued.  So, so, so hectic!  Over 500 villagers were murdered and only 10 saved by the pilot.

Lots of heart-wrenching photos like this one! In fact, this one is mild! It was the photographer who took these photos who finally showed them to the world and tried to get justice but unfortunately none of the people in command who ordered the attack were ever brought to justice or served any time for these atrocities.

An old water carrier system as it was at the time of the massacre.

What remains of the village is still there.  Burnt down houses and one house that has been rebuilt to show how they looked at the time.  The energy there is not great.  Horrible to see such things but on the same hand humbling to experience history at its rawest.