Many journalists and photographers covered the Vietnam War, bringing news and images of the conflict with a reporting style distinct from previous wars. Professor Susan Moeller, author of Shooting War: Photography and the American Experience of Combat, notes that in earlier wars, the press was heavily influenced by the government. However, in Vietnam, the role of journalism shifted.
“There was no longer an expectation that they had to echo the government’s perspective,” Moeller observes. “In Vietnam, journalists saw their duty as questioning the claims and assertions from the White House and the Pentagon.”
Shocking images of dying soldiers and injured civilians painted a starkly different narrative from official reports claiming U.S. dominance in Vietnam. As the war dragged on and American casualties mounted, these iconic Vietnam War images became catalysts for the growing anti-war movement, while sending shockwaves through America’s power structures.
Monk Thich Quang Duc
On June 11, 1963, Monk Thich Quang Duc sat calmly at a busy intersection near the Presidential Palace in Saigon. Another monk poured gasoline over him. After reciting a brief prayer, Thich Quang Duc struck a match and set himself ablaze, flames engulfing his entire body. This haunting image of his serene self-immolation, captured by AP reporter Malcolm Browne, stunned the world.
Thich Quang Duc sacrificed himself to protest the brutal suppression of Buddhists by South Vietnam’s President Ngo Dinh Diem, a staunch Catholic. Browne’s unforgettable photographs sparked doubts about America’s increasing support for the South Vietnamese regime.
President John F. Kennedy reportedly said: “No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one.” Yet, this event did not alter Kennedy’s stance on America’s role in Vietnam.
The Shocking Execution Photo from the Vietnam War
Over 50 years later, this image retains its power to stun and disturb viewers. Published on the front pages of major newspapers like The New York Times in February 1968, just days after the Tet Offensive—a massive assault by North Vietnam—began, it depicts a South Vietnamese police chief casually executing a Viet Cong fighter on a Saigon street.
This Pulitzer Prize-winning work by photographer Eddie Adams became an enduring symbol of the war’s brutality. Beyond its shock value, it raised profound questions about the morality and legitimacy of the conflict, prompting many Americans to openly oppose U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
The Bloodiest Year for U.S. Soldiers in the Vietnam War
1968 was the deadliest year for American soldiers in the Vietnam War, and a photograph by freelance photographer Art Greenspon vividly captured the steep price young soldiers paid in a war increasingly seen as futile.
The image portrays deep camaraderie tinged with pain and despair. Nearly half the unit had perished in fierce combat, and survivors waited two days for a medevac helicopter. In that moment, a sergeant raises both arms to signal the chopper, a pose resembling a prayer.
Greenspon’s unforgettable photo appeared on The New York Times front page and was nominated for a Pulitzer, becoming an emblem of war’s tragedy.
President Lyndon Johnson and a Personal View of the Anti-War Movement
Yoichi Okamoto, the first official White House photographer, was granted full access by President Lyndon Johnson to capture his everyday moments. One of the most memorable is a photo taken inside the Johnson family bedroom at their Stonewall, Texas ranch.
The image shows President Lyndon Johnson and First Lady Ladybird Johnson watching news coverage of anti-war protests outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. This rare personal moment reveals the tension and pressure on the president amid war and widespread dissent.
The Kent State University Shooting
On April 30, 1970, President Richard Nixon authorized a U.S. military invasion of Cambodia, a neutral nation bordering Vietnam. This decision ignited a wave of anti-war protests across the U.S., especially at universities like Kent State in Ohio, where students rallied and burned the ROTC building.
On May 4, 1970, National Guard forces ordered some 3,000 protesters at Kent State to disperse, but the crowd—students and outsiders—refused, throwing rocks at the troops. No one anticipated what followed: the Guard opened fire, shooting for 13 seconds into the demonstrators.
Four Kent State students were killed, and nine others injured. Student photographer John Filo captured a haunting moment as 14-year-old Mary Ann Vecchio screamed beside Jeffrey Miller’s body. This Pulitzer-winning image turned the Kent State incident into a symbol of America’s deep societal divide, bringing Vietnam War violence home.
“The Terror of War” Photo and Its Timeless Message of War and Peace
The famous “The Terror of War” photo says it all. Vietnamese-American photographer Nick Ut won a Pulitzer in 1972 for capturing Vietnamese children fleeing a mistaken napalm attack on their village. At the center is 9-year-old Kim Phuc, naked and severely burned by U.S. chemical weapons. Recognizing the severity of her injuries, Ut aided Phuc and took her to a hospital. Today, they remain close friends.
“It’s a reminder of the unimaginable cruelties humans can inflict,” Kim Phuc wrote in a guest essay for The New York Times on June 6, 2022, marking 50 years since the photo. “Yet, I still believe peace, love, hope, and forgiveness are stronger than any weapon.”
Operation Frequent Wind After Saigon’s Fall
On April 29, 1975, Saigon’s fall became inevitable. Panic swept the streets of South Vietnam’s capital as North Vietnamese forces encircled the city. U.S. diplomats and journalists were ordered to evacuate immediately, while hundreds of Vietnamese civilians rushed to the U.S. Embassy, hoping to board Marine helicopters and escape.
An iconic photo by Dutch journalist Hubert van Es perfectly captured the desperate, humiliating retreat from Saigon. However, the helicopter wasn’t on the Embassy roof as many assume but atop an apartment building for CIA staff. In the crowd scrambling on the rooftop, only about a dozen made it aboard before the chopper lifted off, never to return.
Conclusion
Through this article on Vietnam War images, Thefactsofwar hopes you gain a comprehensive view of journalism’s role in reflecting historical truth. From photos capturing the sacrifice and suffering of civilians and soldiers to moments of protest and Saigon’s collapse, the press not only illuminated war’s reality but also shaped public opinion and the desire for peace. These are valuable lessons to prevent the world from repeating past mistakes.
Translation by: Minh Tuan
Source: history.com – 7 Iconic Photos From the Vietnam War Era
