The experiences of Charlie Company leading up to the My Lai massacre and the circumstances of the event make the tragedy seem almost inevitable but for a few heroic souls who tried to stop it. Following a detailed account of the event, American Experience examines the Army cover-up, the subsequent investigation and the defacto cover-up after the release of Lt. Calley. Soldiers involved in the massacre and survivors describe their experience and how they later dealt with their memory of the tragedy.