After more than 40 years, the former US army officer found guilty of involvement in the massacre of women and children in the Vietnamese village of My Lai during the war has made a public apology.
"There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai," former lieutenant William Calley told members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Columbus, Georgia. "I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry."
Mr Calley spoke on Wednesday, but due to a restricted audience his remarks did not become known until now.
Mr Calley (66), was a young lieutenant when a court martial at nearby Fort Benning convicted him of murder in 1971 for killing 22 civilians during the infamous massacre of 500 men, women and children. Though sentenced to life in prison, Mr Calley ended up serving three years under house arrest after then-president Richard Nixon later reduced his sentence.
He did not deny taking part in the massacre but insisted he was following orders from his superior, Capt Ernest Medina. Capt Medina was also tried by a court martial in 1971 and was acquitted of all charges.
He was the only person convicted in connection with the killings, although other soldiers were charged.
After his release Mr Calley returned to civilian life and had until now shied away from publicity and interviews about My Lai.
The killings on March 16th, 1968 in the South Vietnamese hamlet of My Lai prompted widespread outrage around the world when they eventually emerged after an initial attempt to cover them up.
They are also credited with advancing the end of the Vietnam War because they significantly undercut US public support for the war effort.
The massacre began when men of Charlie Company under the command of Lieutenant Calley opened fire on civilians during a "search and destroy" mission in My Lai and neighboring villages.
The targets of the killings were mainly old men, women and children - all unarmed - as most younger members of the community were working in the fields. The exact toll remains in dispute, but US estimates suggest that between 347 and 504 unarmed citizens were killed.
William Eckhardt, the chief prosecutor in the My Lai cases, said he was unaware of Mr Calley ever apologising before.
"It's hard to apologise for murdering so many people," said Mr Eckhardt, now a law professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. "But at least there's an acknowledgement of responsibility."
Agencies