Vietnam massacre ex-soldier 'sorry'

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William Calley broke his long silence after accepting a long-time friend's invitation to speak at a meeting of a local community club.

He reportedly told members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Columbus, Georgia: "There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai."

"I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry," the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer quoted him as saying.

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 in Vietnam.

Frustrated US troops came to My Lai on a "search and destroy" mission, looking for elusive Vietcong guerrillas.

Although there were no reports of enemy fire, the troops began mowing down villagers and setting fire to their homes.

The incident shocked Americans and undermined support for the war.

Though sentenced to life in prison, Calley ended up serving three years under house arrest after President Richard Nixon later reduced his sentence.

After his release, Calley stayed in Columbus and settled into a job at a jeweller's shop owned by his father-in-law before he moved to Atlanta a few years ago.