En-route to Son My (My Lai)  people work in the fields close to the road

Teams of oxen ploughing the fields are a common sight.

Before too long  work is abandoned in order to take a closer look at the visitors.

Even the livestock are curious.

This young girl took her duties as guardian of the ox very seriously.

These beauties came to see the bubbles, balloons and other small gifts we had brought with us.

They were joined by the labour force who were quite happy to pose for portraits.

Having had a very pleasant time here by the roadside we got back in our bus to  proceed to the memorial at Son My.

Half a mile down the road, passing through the gate to Son My (My Lai), we were very much aware of that other March day almost 30 years ago when these were the "killing fields"

Memorial Sculpture Garden 

The Son My Memorial stands  in a park, on the site of Xom Long hamlet, scene of some  of the worst  atrocities of what is known as the My Lai Massacre,

In front  of a ditch where 170 villagers died on a March morning in 1968,  stands a memorial stone.  In the fields and woods around it  are the graves of the victims, buried in family groups.  Before the day was over 504 villagers in  Xom Long and surrounding hamlets had died.

A guide tells the story of the village.  On the table under glass are business card left by visitors, many of whom are veterans.  There is also a very moving visitors book to read and sign.