The morale of American soldiers was high at the beginning of the war. They were professionals who believed that they were fighting for the freedom of Vietnam. As the fighting continued, the deaths increased, and more ordinary people - particularly blacks - were drafted against their will. Morale began to decline. Many began to question what they were fighting for and whether they could actually win. Those directly involved in the fighting realized that the war was going badly, and lost confidence in their officers. They tried to desert. Between 1966 and 1973, 503,000 American soldiers attempted to desert.
Drugs
As the morale of US fighting troops fell and the boredom of those not directly involved grew, drug-taking increased. Many drugs were easily available and could be purchased cheaply throughout South Vietnam. Marijuana was the most popular. The Americans smoked it in their base camps and during periods of leave away from the fighting. Cocaine and heroin were also used. The troops used amphetamines to keep themselves awake during night patrols. The problem was so bad, that in 1971, 20,000 troops were treated for drug abuse. Drugs seriously reduced the efficiency of US soldiers, much to the delight of the Vietconc.
The Massacre at My Lai
On the 16th of March 1968, a platoon of American soldiers in 'Charlie Company' approached the small village of My Lai, just south of Khe San. The platoon had already suffered fairly heavy casualties from booby traps, snipers and mines, and were becoming frustrated that they could not find the Vietcong. The villagers were suspected of hiding guerrillas, but they could find no trace of them. Under the command of Lieutenant William Calley, the platoon committed the worst recorded atrocity of the war. Later investigations revealed that 347 men, women, children and babies had been murdered. Some of the women had been raped first. Other reports put the number of deaths at over 500. (The dead are shown on the left, and the horrified survivors and onlookers are shown on the right).
Full details of the massacre were kept from the public. The official version was that 90 Vietcong fighters had been killed, and one American soldier shot in the foot. In November 1969, the full story broke. Americans were horrified by news of the massacre and that the news had been concealed for 18 months. Calley was put on trial for murder, found guilty, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He served three and a half years before President Nixon pardoned him.
The My Lai massacre divided American public opinion. Many believed that the soldiers' actions were right because the villagers were hiding the Vietcong. Others were horrified. Some were angry that only Calley had been tried. Americans realized that their soldiers in Vietnam were under great stress and pressure and that at My Lai in March 1968, they had simply cracked. The massacre confirmed the feeling, growing since the Tet Offensive of 1967, that the Vietnam War was now a war which America could not win.