From Sand Creek to the War on Terror: Exploring American Reactions to War Crimes

From the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado through the 1968 My Lai Massacre in Vietnam, Americans both condemned and praised soldiers for their participation in war crimes. This phenomenon continued into the 21^st century as the United States military struggled to punish servicemembers who tortured, murdered, or raped civilians and enemy combatants during the invasion of Iraq and the Global War on Terror. The conflict in the reactions of the American public and their political leadership is best typified by their responses to the My Lai Massacre and the cases of First Lieutenant Clint Lorance, Major Mathew Golsteyn, and Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher for murders committed during their tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In the case of My Lai, reactions ranged from praise for Lt. William Calley for his service in Vietnam, which included the release of popular songs, including the “Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley” which reached #37 of the popular music charts in the United States and solid out its pressing of singles. Calley’s conviction received criticism from supporters of the war and reinvigorated the American anti-war movement. Protests over Calley’s court-martial led President Richard Nixon to order his sentence be changed from imprisonment to house arrest. Lorance, Golsteyn, and Gallagher similarly received presidential support when Donald Trump pardoned them.

This paper explores the complex reactions of Americans when confronted by war crimes committed by U.S. troops against non-white, non-Christian civilians and prisoners, from 1864 – 2020 with a focus on the nexus of condemnation and support for their actions. This reveals deep conflicts between public perceptions of acceptable behavior in irregular warfare and the prosecution of these conflicts.