William Laws Calley Jr., the only U.S. soldier convicted in the infamous My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War, passed away at the age of 80 in Gainesville, Florida, as confirmed by his Florida death record. Calley, who was living in an apartment in Gainesville, had been living in obscurity since his court-martial and conviction in 1971. He led American soldiers in the killing of 504 Vietnamese civilians, mostly women, children, and elderly men, in My Lai and a neighboring community on March 16, 1968. News of the massacre became public more than a year later, shedding light on the brutal reality of the U.S. ground war in Vietnam, where estimates suggest civilian deaths ranged from 1 million to 2 million. Calley was convicted for the murders of 22 people during the rampage, sentenced to life in prison but served only three days due to a reduction ordered by President Richard Nixon. He later served three years of house arrest, reflecting on the massacre's legacy without apologizing for his actions. After spending years avoiding publicity and turning down interviews, Calley broke his silence in 2009, expressing remorse for the lives lost in the tragic event.