Thạnh Mỹ massacre
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The Thạnh Mỹ Massacre was a massacre of South Vietnamese civilians committed by the Viet Cong (VC) during the Vietnam War, in Thạnh Mỹ hamlet, Phú Thạnh commune, (now Bà Rén village, Quế Xuân 1 commune) Quế Sơn District, Quảng Nam Province, South Vietnam on 11 June 1970. The hamlet, which was pro-government and defended by US Marines and South Vietnamese militia, was attacked by the VC in the early morning of 11 June. Under cover of a mortar barrage VC sappers set fire to houses and killed civilians either by shooting to throwing explosives into their shelters. The Marines and South Vietnamese forces engaged with the VC and called in artillery support. By 03:15 the VC began to withdraw and the Marines reoccupied the village and began evacuating the wounded.
Thạnh Mỹ massacre | |
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Location | Thạnh Mỹ hamlet, Quảng Nam Province, South Vietnam |
Coordinates | 15.818°N 108.296°E / 15.818; 108.296 |
Date | 11 June 1970 |
Attack type | Massacre, grenade attack, mortar bombardment |
Deaths | 74 unarmed civilians and four attackers |
Injured | 160+ |
Perpetrators | Viet Cong |
Defenders | US Marines and South Vietnamese militias |
In all 156 houses were destroyed and 35 damaged during the attack. Four militiamen were killed and two wounded, ten U.S. Marines were wounded. Civilian casualties were 74 dead, many of them women and children; 60 severely injured; and over 100 lightly wounded. Four VC dead were found, one prisoner was taken and one of the VC defected. The VC later claimed that they had been attempting to capture the bridge in the village and that the civilians had merely been caught in the crossfire.