As we begin to study Tim O’Briens’ In the Lake of the Woods, we might want to consider this brief editorial for The New York Times in order to have another piece to the puzzle that we have been referring to as “the fog of war.”
The nation has finally heard a note of personal regret from William Calley 38 years after he became the sole American soldier convicted in the My Lai massacre of hundreds of Vietnamese civilians.
“There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai,” Mr. Calley, a former lieutenant who now is a 66-year-old graybeard, told the Kiwanis Club of Greater Columbus, Ga. His appearance this month came after decades of no comment. “I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families,” said Mr. Calley, who was defended as a dutiful soldier by many when the slaughter was disclosed.
We are also looking forward to Mr. Williams sharing his expertise on the Vietnam War, and specifically the My Lai Massacre, on Monday. Mr. Quale’s class and mine will meet in my room. 
We might also investigate the artwork of Long Nguyen, a Vietnamese painter who fled with his family from Vietnam in 1975, and who now resides in California. To the left I have included one of his most powerful pieces, titled “Homage to a Troubled Land,” but be sure to also click on the link to investigate more of his artwork via the San Jose Museum of Art website.
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