Women, children, babies, cows and catsRobert Lowell

“There were so many people killed that day it is hard for me to recall exactly

how some of the people died.”

U.S. Army Pvt. Harry Stanley

Pfc. Varnado Simpson, shot a woman,  a baby. Afterwards, he went into a kind of

shock. “The baby’s face was half gone, my mind just went…and I just started

killing. Old men, women, children, water buffaloes, everything…I just killed…That day in My Lai, I was personally

responsible for killing about 25 people,” said Simpson.

Women, children, babies, cows, cats…

‘It was at My Lai or Sonmy or something,it was this afternoon… We had these orders,we had all night to think about it –it was to burn and kill, then there’d be nothingstanding, women, children, babies, cows, cats…As soon as we hopped the choppers, we started shooting.I remember… as we was coming up upon one areain Pinkville, a man with a gun… running – this lady…Lieutenant LaGuerre said, “Shoot her.” I said,“You shoot her, I don’t want to shoot no lady.”She had one foot in the door… When I turned her,there was this little one-month-year-old babyI thought was her gun. It kind of cracked me up.”

Robert Lowell

‘It was at My Lai or Sonmy or something,

it was this afternoon… We had these orders,

we had all night to think about it –

it was to burn and kill, then there’d be nothing

standing, women, children, babies, cows, cats…

Name of the place = unimportantJust another place of killing What happened more important than where!

Orders – destroy the area completely – nothing and no-one to be left alive

List reduces status of people – classified with animals

As soon as we hopped the choppers, we started shooting.

I remember… as we was coming up upon one area

in Pinkville, a man with a gun… running – this lady…

Lieutenant LaGuerre said, “Shoot her.” I said,

Army slang/jargon – jumped out of the helicopters

An American soldier – no enemy fire

Concord error – language of uneducated, “real”, ordinary person

Innuendo? Guns blazing – callous killing machines

“You shoot her, I don’t want to shoot no lady.”

She had one foot in the door… When I turned her,

there was this little one-month-year-old baby

I thought was her gun. It kind of cracked me up.”

Appears that he did shoot her in the end – mistook her baby for a gunWhen I turned her = turned over her dead body

Appalled – waging war on women and childrenGuilt, anguishDeed = awful

Hysterical reaction of a man twisted by war

IRONY

Attempting to protect herself – keep door shut or force it open

Confusion about age – shock/age doesn’t matter?