BY RICHARD HAMMER STAFF WRITER. THE NEW YORK" TIMES" MT LAI: DID AMERICAN TROOPS ATTACK THE WRONG PLACE?

THE FINAL, tragic Irony of the mas- sacre of more than 500 Vietnamese civilians on March 16, 1968, may lie in this question: Did American troops that day destroy the wrong place—not the one that was their prime target but another about three miles away? I em convinced they did. This Lai, My Khe, Co Luy and Tu Cung conclusion becomes inescapable —and 20 sub-hamlets on the South after some days spent at the scene China Sea. of the massacre; after talking with Son My no longer exists. On American soldiers directly involved March 16, 3968, and In succeeding in the action and with other Ameri- days, all of its hamlets were totally cans at staff level; after interview- destroyed, its houses burned and ing at least 50 Vietnamese who bombed, its fields laid waste, some of its people killed and the rest once lived in Son My village; after examining the reports of the action; On March 16. 1968. U.S. troops destroyed 'My Lei scattered to refugee camps. and after studying Vietnamese and Vietnamese called it Xom Lang. They knew Except for the killing, this was VC were there. U.S. Army maps of the area. only one My Lai, three miles east. The the aim of Task Force Barker, a It was Pinkville. Was it the real target that day? What was attacked and de- unit in Operation Muscatine, which stroyed within a few hours that was a campaign to drive the Viet- March morning was not My Lai, cong forces from areas that they can soldiers had operated three the so-called "Pinkville" (from Its had long occupied and to remove times previously without running color on the Army's maps). My Lai, the civilian population to safer and Into any trouble. a hamlet of the village of Son My, protected camps. A village in Vietnam is not what But the initial thrust of Task Force was the target of Task Force Bark- er that day, for It was a major base a village Is In the United States: it Barker was, supposedly, to strike of the Vietcong's 48th Local Force is a large administrative unit with a at the heart of the Vietcong's bas- Battalion. But the violence that number of small settlements—ham- tion in Son My: My Lai, or Pinkville. morning fell on sub-hamlets of Son lets and sub-hamlets. Son My was And the soldiers who took part in My about three miles inland from the name of such a village of 10,000 My Lai, sub-hamlets where Ameri- people living in four hamlets—My 60 LOOK 7 10 70 they were certain, My massacre is a different matter.) Lai, or Pinkville. That the Vietcong did, indeed, But questioning the maintain control over all of Son My •Vietnamese brought village Is indisputable. The surviv- out a different picture. ors said as much. But such control Queries about My Lai varied. It was stronger to the east, invariably brought the along the sea, than it was to the response that, indeed, west, inland — and for very good the Vietcong had op- reason. According to former resi- erated extensively dents of Son My and many others from the hamlet and in the province (though no confir- had controlled the mation can be obtained either from area for some years. the South Vietnamese Government But questions about or Army), Xom Lang had long been a massacre at My Lai under the guns of a unit of the brought blank looks South Vietnamese Army's Region- and denials. There al Forces. That unit was stationed had been no massa- atop Elephant Hill. which directly cre at My Lal, I was overlooks Xom Lang. As a result, told again and again. the Vietcong had stayed away from By the time the Ameri- the area during the day, not wish- cans reached My Lai ing to provoke action that would the operation were told before the on the afternoon of March 16, both destroy the hamlet and their day began that they would meet the Vietcong and the civilian popu- sources of supply. They had en- heavy resistance at Pinkville; in- lation were long gone, scattered as tered the settlements near Ele- deed, they would have if they had the sound of guns drew ever clos- phant Hill only at night, to collect gone there first. er. The Americans faced almost no taxes, to lecture, and occasionally But the initial action that morn- opposition in My Lai and destroyed to draft recruits. If shots had been ing, during which the massacre it, as they destroyed everything in fired from Xom Lang, retribution took place, centered on a sub-ham- Son My. would have come sooner than It did. let of Tu Cung called Xom Lang. Had there, then, been any mas- Further, on three occasions in On American military maps, Xom sacre at all? Questions about a the months preceding Task Force Lang is labeled My Lal 4. Soon place called My Lal 4 brought only Barker, American Infantry patrols after the Americanization of the incomprehension. No Vietnamese had entered Xom Lang. No shots war in Vietnam, survey teams be- had ever heard of such a place, not had been fired at them from the gan a remapping of Vietnam, using even the military. There was only settlement. According to some the latest techniques. But when it one My Lai. But the question that Americans and to survivors of Xom came to labeling the various settle- brought a positive response was: Lang, during these patrols the peo- ments, the Americans did not both- Had there been a massacre any- ple had shared their rice with the er to give many hamlets and sub- where in Son My village that morn- Americans, and the Americans had hamlets their Vietnamese names. ing? There had. At Xom Lang. The given them cigarettes, chewing Instead, new names were given location of Xom Lang coincides gum, candy and rations. them, frequently one name with a with the designation My Lai 4 on Americans had heard—and they variety of numbers to indicate dif- the American military maps. Xom had heard from many Vietnamese, ferent settlements. Thus what was Lang is inland, just north of a dirt including people who lived in Son known to the people as My Lai be- road leading to the sea; It is direct- My—that the Vietcong were at My came My Lai 1: Xom Lang became ly across the road from the present Lai in force. The helicopters My Lai 4; four other sub-hamlets refugee camp of Son My, where brought C Company down outside were also called My Lai. But the some of the survivors now live and what the American maps called My people continued to call their com- from which some of the overgrown Lai 4, apparently convinced that it munities by their original names, ruins of Xom Lang can be seen. was Pinkville. The sub-hamlet and and did not even know of the As the survivors recounted their all that was in it were destroyed. Americanized names. story of that morning, one thing But what the U.S. maps showed What happened during the struck stronger with each retelling. as My Lai 4 was not My Lal, not attack on the morning of March 16 It was the almost universal sur- Pinkville. It was not even a sub- gradually began to emerge as I prise expressed by the survivors hamlet of My Lai. It was Xom Lang, talked with former residents of over the suddenness and vicious- a sub-hamlet of Tu Cung. My Lai, Son My at refugee camps, and with ness of the attack. There had been or Pinkville, with the waiting Viet- American soldiers both In Vietnam none of the usual leaflet and loud- cong, was about three miles away, and In the United States. For the speaker warnings. to the sea. Americans, there was no question If the area, as the U.S. Army Just before Christmas of 1969, but that they were about to attack maintained, was dangerous terri- this information was given to the a Vietcong complex, would face tory, under strong Vietcong con- American military, both in Vietnam heavy fighting and would have to trol, why then should the people and Washington. About 21 months depend on surprise and a lightning have been surprised by the attack after the massacre, it evoked sur- thrust. They would be attacking, or its suddenness? (Surprise at the prise and shock—but not disbelief.