During this war men were to be way of the civilians because of the fact that the Viet Cong would supply some villagers with weapons or they’d hide behind these innocent people to commit surprise attacks on the United States Army. Throughout the massacre men would shoot anything that moved not only because they were ordered to but because they were fearful, that can seem ironic to some as these were supposed to be strong, and tough military soldiers good training and experience under their belts. However, the companies that went in there over those fateful days were thrown together for the most part. Two days after arriving in Vietnam the Charlie Company had experienced 28 casualties due to booby traps, so these men were already on high alert as their adrenaline was constantly pumping through them. Along with that many of these men were also young and were drafted which obviously don’t mix well when there is a war, as they were constantly looking to be ordered and looked for approval from older soldiers.

https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/01/archives/the-my-lai-massacre-and-its-coverup-a-crime-against-humanity-an.html

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