Sơn Trà massacre
{{Short description|Vietnam War atrocity}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = Sơn Trà massacre
| image =
| caption =
| location = Sơn Trà, Bình Sơn District, Quảng Ngãi Province, South Vietnam
| coordinates = {{Coord|15.386|N|108.778|E|type:event|display=inline,title}}
| target =
| date = 28/9 June 1968
| time =
| timezone =
| type = Massacre
| fatalities = 88
| injuries = 103
| perps = Viet Cong
}}
{{Campaignbox Vietnam War massacres}}
The Sơn Trà Massacre was a massacre of South Vietnamese civilians committed by the Viet Cong (VC) during the Vietnam War, in Sơn Trà village, Bình Sơn District, Quảng Ngãi Province, South Vietnam on 28/9 June 1968.
Background
Sơn Trà was a fishing village located approximately {{convert|5|mi}} southeast of Chu Lai Base Area. It had a population of approximately 4,000 people, including many resettled refugees. The village was defended by 14 United States Marines of a Combined Action Platoon (CAP) and 30 Popular Force troops and there were also about 35 Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS) workers and a small group of People's Self-Defense Forces. The villagers had previously refused to provide aid and recruits to the VC who had threatened to burn the village down.{{cite book|title= Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 90th Congress Second Session, Volume 114, Part 15|publisher=United States Congress|year=1968|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=NXHtiSJ9WcIC&q=%22son+tra%22+massacre&pg=PA20268|page=20268}}
Attack and massacre
The attack began at 23:10 on 28 June 1968 with a mortar attack. Many of the civilians took shelter in their defensive bunkers and then between 75 and 300 VC moved through the village throwing satchel charges into bunkers killing their occupants and starting fires. Other villagers fled toward the CAP position, blocking the forces there from engaging the attackers. Soldiers from the 198th Light Infantry Brigade were landed at the CAP position by helicopters approximately 30 minutes after the attack began but they waited until dawn to move into the village.{{cite web|url=https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/reports/images.php?img=/images/1683/168300010773.pdf|title=Headquarters MACV Monthly Summary June 1968|publisher=Headquarters United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam|date=26 October 1968|accessdate=18 June 2020|page=33}}{{PD-notice}}
Aftermath
73 civilians and 15 CORDS workers were killed in the attack and a further 103 civilians were wounded. 570 homes were destroyed in the attack and the resulting fires leaving almost 2,800 people homeless. The defenders claim to have killed 4 VC.{{cite book|last=Lewy|first=Guenter|title=America in Vietnam|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1980|isbn= 9780199874231|page=276}}{{cite news|title=Model Village Set Afire By Viet Cong— 88 Civilians Slain For Co-operating With Americans|publisher=Pittsburgh Press|date=29 June 1968|page=1}}{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UqIgAAAAIBAJ&pg=4512,7893730|title=Reds Attack Villagers with Satchel Charges|newspaper=The Lewiston Daily Sun|via=Google News Archive Search|date=29 June 1968}}
See also
{{Portal|Vietnam|United States}}