Varnado Simpson
Encyclopedia
Private First Class
Varnado Simpson (October 7, 1948 - May 4, 1997) was an American soldier of the US Army who participated in the My Lai Massacre
, murdering, torturing and mutilating Vietnamese
villagers. He claimed to be wracked with remorse after the killings, eventually committing suicide
nearly 30 years later.
Simpson joined the U.S. Army in 1967, at the age of 18, and the following year was posted to South Vietnam
. He was assigned to Second Platoon, Charlie Company, under the command of Captain Ernest Medina
, and participated in the massacre at the village of My Lai, where he reportedly killed at least eight unarmed villagers, including a mother and her baby (I shot them, the lady and the little boy. He was about two years old.). His official statement on the event was succinct: I killed about eight people that day. I shot a couple of old men who were running away. I also shot some women and children. I would shoot them as they ran out of huts or tried to hide.http://star.vietnam.ttu.edu/cgi-bin/starfetch.exe?f6oiEwsr3jFA3vblix8NMeDLJ6Hv8p1tuauLrSCAnbvk6bDyr.G5od@AYqtUqqnWsVhQ0wfs8eyzY@2PjeEQJWU3frLl.mUol@ijrh8tf.o/1540148004.pdf
In 1977, Simpson's 10-year-old son was accidentally killed by a random shot fired by some neighborhood teenagers. Simpson recalled the day later by stating He died in my arms. And when I looked at him, his face was like the same face of the child that I had killed. And I said: This is the punishment for killing the people that I killed. Simpson's daughter died of meningitis a few years before he died.
In 1982, he was admitted to a Veterans Affairs
hospital in Jackson, Mississippi
, where he was diagnosed with chronic and severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
after recounting his actions in the village, as well as his recurring fears that the dead villagers would come back for vengeance upon him.
In 1989, in an interview for the British documentary "Four Hours in My Lai", Simpson claimed to have killed about 25 people and added scalping
and bodily mutilation
to his description of events. The baby’s face was half gone, my mind just went…and I just started killing. Old men, women, children, water buffaloes, everything… I just killed… That day in My Lai, I was personally responsible for killing about 25 people. Personally. Men, women. From shooting them, to cutting their throats, scalping them, to...cutting off their hands and cutting out their tongues. I did it., he said. At this point he was being heavily medicated for psychological disorders, and it is unclear which memories of the events are more accurate.
For years Simpson had lived with all his doors and windows locked and shuttered. After three unsuccessful attempts, he committed suicide in his home on Sunday, May 4, 1997, at the age of 48, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
Varnado Simpson (October 7, 1948 - May 4, 1997) was an American soldier of the US Army who participated in the My Lai Massacre
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai Massacre was the Vietnam War mass murder of 347–504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968, by United States Army soldiers of "Charlie" Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the Americal Division. Most of the victims were women, children , and...
, murdering, torturing and mutilating Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
villagers. He claimed to be wracked with remorse after the killings, eventually committing suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
nearly 30 years later.
Simpson joined the U.S. Army in 1967, at the age of 18, and the following year was posted to South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. He was assigned to Second Platoon, Charlie Company, under the command of Captain Ernest Medina
Ernest Medina
Ernest Lou Medina is a former captain of infantry in the United States Army. He served during the Vietnam War and was acquitted in a court-martial of war crimes charges in 1971...
, and participated in the massacre at the village of My Lai, where he reportedly killed at least eight unarmed villagers, including a mother and her baby (I shot them, the lady and the little boy. He was about two years old.). His official statement on the event was succinct: I killed about eight people that day. I shot a couple of old men who were running away. I also shot some women and children. I would shoot them as they ran out of huts or tried to hide.http://star.vietnam.ttu.edu/cgi-bin/starfetch.exe?f6oiEwsr3jFA3vblix8NMeDLJ6Hv8p1tuauLrSCAnbvk6bDyr.G5od@AYqtUqqnWsVhQ0wfs8eyzY@2PjeEQJWU3frLl.mUol@ijrh8tf.o/1540148004.pdf
In 1977, Simpson's 10-year-old son was accidentally killed by a random shot fired by some neighborhood teenagers. Simpson recalled the day later by stating He died in my arms. And when I looked at him, his face was like the same face of the child that I had killed. And I said: This is the punishment for killing the people that I killed. Simpson's daughter died of meningitis a few years before he died.
In 1982, he was admitted to a Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs is a term of the business that deals with the relation between a government and its veteran communities, usually administered by the designated government agency. It might refer to:*Department of Veterans' Affairs...
hospital in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, where he was diagnosed with chronic and severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Posttraumaticstress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity,...
after recounting his actions in the village, as well as his recurring fears that the dead villagers would come back for vengeance upon him.
In 1989, in an interview for the British documentary "Four Hours in My Lai", Simpson claimed to have killed about 25 people and added scalping
Scalping
Scalping is the act of removing another person's scalp or a portion of their scalp, either from a dead body or from a living person. The initial purpose of scalping was to provide a trophy of battle or portable proof of a combatant's prowess in war...
and bodily mutilation
Mutilation
Mutilation or maiming is an act of physical injury that degrades the appearance or function of any living body, usually without causing death.- Usage :...
to his description of events. The baby’s face was half gone, my mind just went…and I just started killing. Old men, women, children, water buffaloes, everything… I just killed… That day in My Lai, I was personally responsible for killing about 25 people. Personally. Men, women. From shooting them, to cutting their throats, scalping them, to...cutting off their hands and cutting out their tongues. I did it., he said. At this point he was being heavily medicated for psychological disorders, and it is unclear which memories of the events are more accurate.
For years Simpson had lived with all his doors and windows locked and shuttered. After three unsuccessful attempts, he committed suicide in his home on Sunday, May 4, 1997, at the age of 48, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.