40 yrs on US officer says sorry for Vietnam massacre

After more than 40 years the former US army officer found guilty of involvement in the massacre of women and children in the Vietnamese village of My Lai during the Vietnam war has made a public apology.

"There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai," former lieutenant William Calley told members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Columbus, Georgia. "I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry."

The only person convicted in connection with the killings, although other soldiers were charged, Calley was initially sentenced to life imprisonment, but his sentence was later heavily reduced.

After his release Calley returned to civilian life and had until now shied away from publicity and interviews about My Lai.

The killings that occurred on March 16, 1968 in the South Vietnamese hamlet of My Lai prompted widespread outrage around the world when they eventually became known in November 1969, when independent investigative journalist Seymour Hersh broke the story after extensive conversations with Calley.

They are also credited with advancing the end of the Vietnam War because they significantly undercut US public support for the war effort.

The massacre began when men of Charlie Company under the command of Lieutenant Calley opened fire on civilians during a "search and destroy" mission in My Lai and neighboring villages.

The targets of the killings were mainly old men, women and children -- all unarmed -- as most younger members of the community were working in the fields.

The exact toll of the massacre still remains in dispute, but US estimates suggest that between 347 and 504 unarmed citizens were massacred that day.

According to testimony presented during Calley's trial, dozens of people were herded into a local irrigation ditch and killed with automatic weapons.

A large group of about 70 to 80 villagers, rounded up in the center of the village, were killed personally by Calley and other soldiers under his command.

Calley also shot two other large groups of civilians with a weapon taken from a soldier who had refused to obey his orders, it was revealed.

Although his presentation at the Kiwanis Club Wednesday was brief, Calley took a few questions.

When asked if obeying an unlawful order was not itself an unlawful act, he said: "I believe that is true."

"If you are asking why I did not stand up to them when I was given the orders, I will have to say that I was a second lieutenant getting orders from my commander and I followed them - foolishly, I guess," he continued.

Calley's immediate commander at that time was Captain Ernest Medina, who was also tried in connection to the My Lai massacre.

But Medina was represented by famous defense attorney F. Lee Bailey and was acquitted of all charges in 1971.

Following his release from house arrest, Calley settled in Columbus, Georgia, where he worked at jewelry store that belonged to his father-in-law. He now lives in Atlanta.

He complained that some of the basic civil rights remained denied to him following his conviction. "I still cannot vote," he said.