What Was to Happen to the Village Itself?

Task force officers left the meeting with the clear impression that Barker had ordered the destruction of all houses, dwellings and livestock. There is nothing to suggest that Barker explicitly ordered the murder of ordinary people of Me Lai. The entire scorched earth concept of the operation planned to neutralize the area. Drove irresistibly to the conclusion that here was a free fire zone in which even the people were to be eliminated.