One common excuse for their behavior was that the Charlie Company had lost five men just a few days before the massacre from booby traps, so they were upset, and sought vengeance (Digital History). One soldier claimed that the massacre happened because “in a guerilla war, the line between legitimate and illegitimate killing is blurred. The policies of free-fire zones in which a soldier is permitted to shoot at any human target, armed or unarmed, further confuse the fighting man’s moral senses” (History Learning Site). These excuses may be a part of the reason of why they did what they did, but it doesn’t explain going on a rampage and killing innocent people just because you can for three hours straight. So what happened when the troops returned home, and how did they get punished for their
One common excuse for their behavior was that the Charlie Company had lost five men just a few days before the massacre from booby traps, so they were upset, and sought vengeance (Digital History). One soldier claimed that the massacre happened because “in a guerilla war, the line between legitimate and illegitimate killing is blurred. The policies of free-fire zones in which a soldier is permitted to shoot at any human target, armed or unarmed, further confuse the fighting man’s moral senses” (History Learning Site). These excuses may be a part of the reason of why they did what they did, but it doesn’t explain going on a rampage and killing innocent people just because you can for three hours straight. So what happened when the troops returned home, and how did they get punished for their