Ernest Medina
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| Ernest Medina | |
|---|---|
| Born August 27, 1936 | |
| Place of birth | Springer, New Mexico |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | U.S. Army |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry of the 11th Brigade, Americal Division |
| Commands held | Company C, 1/20 Americal |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Ernest Lou Medina (born August 27, 1936) was a Captain in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He was the commanding officer of Company C, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry of the 11th Brigade, Americal Division, the unit responsible for the My Lai Massacre of 1968.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Background
Ernest Medina comes from a Mexican-American family in Springer, New Mexico. He was known as a "tough, able soldier" who had excelled as an NCO and graduated fourth in his class of two hundred at Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia.
[edit] Court Martial
According to the 1970 investigation by General William R. Peers, Medina[1]:
- Informed his men that any of the residents in Son My Village might be Viet Cong or sympathizers. This caused many of the men in his company to believe they would find only armed enemy in the hamlets and directly contributed to the killing of noncombatants which followed.
- Planned, ordered, and supervised the execution by his company of an unlawful operation against inhabited hamlets in Son My Village, which included the destruction of houses by burning, killing of livestock, and the destruction of crops and other foodstuffs, and the closing of wells; and impliedly directed the killing of any persons found there.
- Possibly personally killed as many as three noncombatants in My Lai.
- Actively suppressed information concerning the killing of noncombatants in Son My Village.
Captain Medina was court martialed in 1971 for willingly allowing his men to murder My Lai noncombatants. [2] Medina's defense team, led by F. Lee Bailey, alleged that he did not become aware that his troops were out of control until it was too late.
Medina was ultimately found not guilty of all charges relating to the massacre. Nevertheless, his military career was finished.
Lieutenant William Calley, a platoon leader serving in Medina's company during the massacre and who claimed he was following orders from Medina, was found guilty of various crimes. Calley ultimately served 3½ years of house arrest in his quarters at Fort Benning, Georgia and was released in 1974 by a federal judge.
[edit] Post military
After resigning from the Army, Medina went to work at an Enstrom Helicopter Manufacturing Company plant owned by Bailey in Menominee, Michigan.[3].
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Peers Report: Captain Ernest Medina
- ^ http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mylai/MYL_MED2.HTM Judge Howard's summary of the evidence surrounding the crucial question of knowledge in United States v. Captain Ernest L. Medina]
- ^ Biography of Ernest L. Medina
