William Calley, a former US Army officer and convicted mass murderer who was the face of My Lai massacre during Vietnam War, has died at the age of 80. He was considered the face of My Lai massacre, one of the most horrible&nbsp;episodes in America's futile invasion of Vietnam at the height of Cold War in the 1960s.

Calley died on Sunday (July 28) after leading a relatively obscure life since being released from house arrest in the 1970s. Here is the story of My Lai massacre, and the only man held accountable for it.

<h2>What was My Lai massacre?</h2>

My Lai massacre, which took place on&nbsp;16 March 1968, was one of the biggest killings carried out by the US Army during the Vietnam War. At least 504 people were killed in two places My Lai and My Khe in southern Vietnam, according to Vietnamese records while the US recorded 347 killings, only in My Lai. 
 
William Calley was the only American convicted in the massacre, which is considered a war crime.

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During the massacre, scores of innocent civilians were shot down in the Son Tinh district and their homes burnt by the American forces.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Many of the My Lai massacre victims were women and children. It is estimated that out of the 504 killed, there were 282 women including 17 who were pregnant, 173 children including 53 infants and 60 elederly men.

<h2>Who was William Calley?</h2>

William Laws Calley Jr, the Florida native was the only American army officer convicted for the My Lai massacre.&nbsp;

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Born in Miami in 1943, Calley started his military career after basic combat training, and was soon deployed in Vietnam in 1967. He was considered an average officer who could not even read maps. He was involved in fights with fellow soldiers, as per records, including one with US Marines in which shots were fired.

<h2>The My Lai Murder trial of William Calley</h2>

The murders came to light after being concealed from the world for 13 months, when the GI Ron Ridenhour described it in his letters to&nbsp;the US president and the top army brass the atrocities committed by the US troops in Vietnam. After an investigation, Calley was put to trial. 
 
Initially during the trial, Calley claimed that the deaths in My Lai were a result of an air strike. Soon, with more testimonies against him, Calley was charged for murdering 109 South Vietnamese people, but was eventually convicted for only 22 murders.&nbsp;

Calley told the court that he had instructions to shoot everyone in the village, as they were all part of the rebel militia, Viet Cong.

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Calley was sentenced to life in prison for 22 counts of premeditated murder and assault with intent to commit murder. But his sentence was commuted twice, to 20 years first and then to 10 years. It was then commuted to three years of house arrest by then president Richard Nixon. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

William Calley, a former US Army officer and convicted mass murderer who was the face of My Lai massacre during Vietnam War, has died at the age of 80. He was considered the face of My Lai massacre, one of the most horrible episodes in America's futile invasion of Vietnam at the height of Cold War in the 1960s.

William Calley, a former US Army officer and convicted mass murderer who was the face of My Lai massacre during Vietnam War, has died at the age of 80. He was considered the face of My Lai massacre, one of the most horrible episodes in America's futile invasion of Vietnam at the height of Cold War in the 1960s. Calley died on Sunday (July 28) after leading a relatively obscure life since being released from house arrest in the 1970s. Here is the story of My Lai massacre, and the only man held accountable for it. What was My Lai massacre? My Lai massacre, which took place on 16 March 1968, was one of the biggest killings carried out by the US Army during the Vietnam War. At least 504 people were killed in two places My Lai and My Khe in southern Vietnam, according to Vietnamese records while the US recorded 347 killings, only in My Lai. William Calley was the only American convicted in the massacre, which is considered a war crime. Also read: My Lai massacre photographer laments US 'carnage' fifty years on During the massacre, scores of innocent civilians were shot down in the Son Tinh district and their homes burnt by the American forces. Many of the My Lai massacre victims were women and children. It is estimated that out of the 504 killed, there were 282 women including 17 who were pregnant, 173 children including 53 infants and 60 elederly men. Who was William Calley? William Laws Calley Jr, the Florida native was the only American army officer convicted for the My Lai massacre. Also read: Venezuelans clash with police following disputed election results Born in Miami in 1943, Calley started his military career after basic combat training, and was soon deployed in Vietnam in 1967. He was considered an average officer who could not even read maps. He was involved in fights with fellow soldiers, as per records, including one with US Marines in which shots were fired. The My Lai Murder trial of William Calley The murders came to light after being concealed from the world for 13 months, when the GI Ron Ridenhour described it in his letters to the US president and the top army brass the atrocities committed by the US troops in Vietnam. After an investigation, Calley was put to trial. Initially during the trial, Calley claimed that the deaths in My Lai were a result of an air strike. Soon, with more testimonies against him, Calley was charged for murdering 109 South Vietnamese people, but was eventually convicted for only 22 murders. Calley told the court that he had instructions to shoot everyone in the village, as they were all part of the rebel militia, Viet Cong. Also read: Teen arrested after stabbing incident in UK's Southport; two children killed Calley was sentenced to life in prison for 22 counts of premeditated murder and assault with intent to commit murder. But his sentence was commuted twice, to 20 years first and then to 10 years. It was then commuted to three years of house arrest by then president Richard Nixon. (With inputs from agencies)

Who was William Calley, the only US Army officer convicted of My Lai massacre during Vietnam War?

Fifty years after taking photos of an American massacre of Vietnamese villagers, a former US army photographer said he is sorry for the &quot;carnage&quot; his countrymen unleashed in one the war&#39;s worst atrocities.

Ronald Haeberle told AFP he started snapping instinctively, capturing the chilling photos that would later expose the full extent of the My Lai massacre: 504 Vietnamese dead in a single day, mostly unarmed women, children and older men.

&quot;I wanted to remember what was happening there, I wanted to capture a moment in time, and I did,&quot; he told AFP while touring the My Lai massacre museum in the village on Friday, the 50th anniversary of the killings.

His images, some of which were published in Life magazine in 1969, would eventually help to blow the lid on the cover-up of the massacre, as controversy over the killings cascaded up military ranks and eventually embroiled then-US President Richard Nixon.

The gruesome pictures, some depicting bare-bottomed babies face down in a ditch alongside piles of corpses, added fuel to a mounting anti-war movement in the United States and eventually led to several charges against military officers.

Haeberle was in My Lai, known as Son My by Vietnamese, with US troops on that day in 1968 for what he was told was an ambush to clear Viet Cong rebels from the rice-growing hamlet in central Vietnam, which was believed to be a hotbed of communist resistance.

But as he toured the village with another reporter, he realised most of the dead weren&#39;t armed enemies.

&quot;It was complete carnage what we witnessed inside the village, but it happened,&quot; he said after a sombre ceremony Friday attended by hundreds of mourners, including massacre survivors, officials and American veterans of the Vietnam War.

&quot;It was a tragedy, something happened that should not have happened. There was no combatants, they were all civilians,&quot; he said.

Only one man was ever convicted for the murders -- former lieutenant William Calley -- who said he was following orders from his superiors on the &quot;search and destroy&quot; mission. Calley publicly apologised for the killings in 2009.

Haeberle said he was brushed off by some of those military officers on March 16, 1968, when he pressed them on what happened.

He recalled how a Vietnamese interpreter pleaded with the American army captain in charge of the battalion that carried out the murders.

&quot;He kept saying &#39;Why are they shooting my people? Why? These are civilians&#39;. He was visibly upset,&quot; Haeberle recounted.

Like hundreds of US war veterans who have returned to Vietnam since the war ended in 1975, Haeberle -- who has previously visited My Lai -- came back to Son My to repent for the horrors of the war&#39;s deadliest massacre.

&quot;I&#39;m able to pay my condolences to the survivors and the ones that were deceased... hopefully they accept my apology for what happened on March 16,&quot; he said.

Ronald Haeberle told he started snapping instinctively, capturing the chilling photos that would later expose the full extent of the My Lai massacre: 504 Vietnamese dead in a single day, mostly unarmed women, children, and older men.

Fifty years after taking photos of an American massacre of Vietnamese villagers, a former US army photographer said he is sorry for the "carnage" his countrymen unleashed in one the war's worst atrocities. Ronald Haeberle told AFP he started snapping instinctively, capturing the chilling photos that would later expose the full extent of the My Lai massacre: 504 Vietnamese dead in a single day, mostly unarmed women, children and older men. "I wanted to remember what was happening there, I wanted to capture a moment in time, and I did," he told AFP while touring the My Lai massacre museum in the village on Friday, the 50th anniversary of the killings. His images, some of which were published in Life magazine in 1969, would eventually help to blow the lid on the cover-up of the massacre, as controversy over the killings cascaded up military ranks and eventually embroiled then-US President Richard Nixon. The gruesome pictures, some depicting bare-bottomed babies face down in a ditch alongside piles of corpses, added fuel to a mounting anti-war movement in the United States and eventually led to several charges against military officers. Haeberle was in My Lai, known as Son My by Vietnamese, with US troops on that day in 1968 for what he was told was an ambush to clear Viet Cong rebels from the rice-growing hamlet in central Vietnam, which was believed to be a hotbed of communist resistance. But as he toured the village with another reporter, he realised most of the dead weren't armed enemies. "It was complete carnage what we witnessed inside the village, but it happened," he said after a sombre ceremony Friday attended by hundreds of mourners, including massacre survivors, officials and American veterans of the Vietnam War. "It was a tragedy, something happened that should not have happened. There was no combatants, they were all civilians," he said. Only one man was ever convicted for the murders -- former lieutenant William Calley -- who said he was following orders from his superiors on the "search and destroy" mission. Calley publicly apologised for the killings in 2009. Haeberle said he was brushed off by some of those military officers on March 16, 1968, when he pressed them on what happened. He recalled how a Vietnamese interpreter pleaded with the American army captain in charge of the battalion that carried out the murders. "He kept saying 'Why are they shooting my people? Why? These are civilians'. He was visibly upset," Haeberle recounted. Like hundreds of US war veterans who have returned to Vietnam since the war ended in 1975, Haeberle -- who has previously visited My Lai -- came back to Son My to repent for the horrors of the war's deadliest massacre. "I'm able to pay my condolences to the survivors and the ones that were deceased... hopefully they accept my apology for what happened on March 16," he said.

My Lai massacre photographer laments US 'carnage' fifty years on

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Who was William Calley, the only US Army officer convicted of My Lai massacre during Vietnam War?

My Lai massacre photographer laments US 'carnage' fifty years on