My Lai in central Vietnam was the largest of a number of former hamlets in central Vietnam, that together with the lesser hamlets Son My (fig.), Co Luy, My Khe, and Tu Cung, made up a village that during the Vietnam War was known to the U.S. Military as Pinkville, after the reddish-pink colour used on U.S. military maps to denote the more populated areas.

On 16 March 1968, U.S. Soldiers entered the village (fig.) and killed between 347 and 504 unarmed civilians, considered to be Viet Cong or active VC sympathizers, and were ordered to destroy the village. The mass murder became known as the My Lai Massacre (fig.).

See also TRAVEL PICTURE.

15°10'38.2"N 108°52'22.4"E