This war crime , which was later called Name_conferral `` the most shocking Body_movement episode of the Vietnam War '' , took place Process_start in two hamlets of Sơn Mỹ village in Quảng Ngãi Province .

These hamlets were marked Recording on the U.S. Army topographic maps as Mỹ Lai and Mỹ Khê .

The U.S. Army slang name for the hamlets and sub-hamlets in that area was `` Pinkville '' , and the carnage was initially referred Adducing to as the `` Pinkville Massacre '' .

However , over 50 of the hamlets were soon infiltrated Becoming_a_member and easily taken over Conquering by VC who killed Killing or intimidated village leaders .

As a result , South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem ordered Request bombing raids Attack against suspected VC-controlled hamlets .

Following the air strikes South Vietnamese light tanks pushed Motion into the hamlets to sweep Motion out rebels .