“One picture is worth a thousand words…”
This idiom was popularized by Fred Barnard of Printer’s Ink in 1927 had its origin in an ancient Chinese proverb claiming, “One picture is worth ten thousand words.” The idiom refers to the notion that a single image can convey the meaning or essence of a complex subject more effectively than a description in words.
It is difficult to argue with that contention when considering the outcome of three iconic Pulitzer prize winning photographs taken during the Vietnam war.
It would be difficult to dispute the impact those famous photos had on America’s collective psyche or how much they influenced public opinion and politics concerning America’s involvement in Vietnam. The dramatic photos elicited strong emotional reactions that rippled through our divisive society. In many cases, the shocking pictures confirmed biases that were used for propaganda to promote an antiwar agenda. During the Vietnam War, the ancient Chinese proverb became a truism.
But, every picture has a backstory. Look into its context. You need to attempt to understand the symbolism, then consider what it was all about. You can’t let emotional responses overwhelm rational thought, deductive reasoning. That process will foster understanding. Things are not always what they seem on first impression and perception does not always correlate with reality. Don’t jump to conclusions, get the facts behind the photograph. And be especially aware that currently available photoshopping of photos might mislead you with clever manipulation.
These three Vietnam photos were authentic, not “fake news.”
The Vietnam War presented a vast collection of images that triggered powerful emotional responses. The brutal nature of war was captured in the following three instances over a decade fifty years ago, 1963 to 1972. Here are what I consider the top three that triggered dramatic responses. They all won Pulitzer prizes and were taken by legitimate press photographers from leading media outlets.
Each of the photos can be accessed by clicking on the blue link in the title of the photos.
Malcolm Browne captured on film the self-immolation of a Buddhist monk on June 11, 1963 on a blocked off intersection in downtown Saigon. As 500 witnesses stood by, an elderly monk, Thrich Quand Duc, in his brown robe and sandals sat on a cushion, doused himself with gasoline, and set himself on fire. He was protesting the Diem’s government’s discriminating treatment of Buddhists. The pro-Catholic regime of Diem had harshly cracked down on Buddhist protests and ignored their pleas for religious freedom.
The photo became front page news overnight, shocking the world and forcing JFK to reassess South Vietnam’s first president’s role, (Diem), in the protests that raged on for the year. Ngo Dinh Diem’s polarizing views towards the monks created more than an awkward political situation. The disparaging remarks of Madam Nhu, the wife of President’s Diem’s brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu made reconciliation difficult. The “Dragon Lady,” the de-facto first lady since Diem lived a life of celibacy, handled the circumstances with all the compassion and delicacy of Marie Antoinette, referring to the immolation protest as “barbecues” and saying “Let them burn. We shall clap our hands.”
Diem, the former Mandarin of the Nguyen dynasty, held strong Catholic beliefs, and ruled as an autocrat. He failed to quell the revolt that spread through South Vietnam. His harsh crackdowns on Buddhist protests caused further unrest among Nationalists, complicating the political situation. This led to a military coup d’etat on November 1st, allegedly with CIA complicity.
Diem and his brother escaped through a secret palace passage and hid in a Catholic church. The next day they were captured and assassinated, shocking the world, including Ho Chi Minh who thought the Saigon Generals made a grave mistake since. Diem had provided stability in South Vietnam for years. Ho understood nationalism, stability, and autocracy and their role in his lifelong quest to unite Vietnam under communism.
That coup/ assassination of Diem set the tone for the the remainder of the war. Inept governance and corruption spawned four more coups over the next twelve years. From the political standpoint, the South Vietnam government was one tent short of a circus, propped up at America’s expense.
During the peak of the ’68 Tet offensive, Saigon was under siege.The Viet Cong did not wear uniforms and blended in with the public before attacking in small numbers. Death squads roamed the streets at night causing chaos. Sporadic battles raged in the Capital’s streets, and there was even an attempt to take over the palace.
The Viet Cong targeted key Saigon officials for assassination, wanting to strike terror in the city. This was all part of North Vietnam’s Tet strategy to get the public to revolt, turn coat, and help the VC drive the Americans out..
In the midst of this anarchic state in February 1968, Eddie Adams was filming the capture of a major Viet Cong terrorist , Nguyen Van Lem, (aka Captain Bay Lop.) This VC operative had assassinated a police officer and his family of seven earlier that day. His death squad’s rampage had targeted and recently killed 35 Saigon security officers and their families. Naturally, he landed on the “Most Wanted” list. Finally the security police caught him.
As Adams filmed the arrest, General Nguyen Nyoc Loan, Chief of the National Police, walked up, and without ceremony, pointed his snub nosed .38 cal pistol at Bay Lop’s head a foot away and executed him summarily. Bay Lop had just killed one of Loan’s best friends and his family. The “no mercy rule” was in effect. Adams captured the execution on film for posterity. Loan had administered wartime justice in his mind without remorse.
When the photo of the execution hit the wires, the graphic nature shocked the world. In 1968 antiwar sentiment was peaking in the States. The photo became a symbol of the brutality and horror of war and galvanized the movement. Adam’s film demonstrated the power of photojournalism. Adams later commented, “Still photographs are the most powerful weapons in the world.”
Years later in an interview, Adams commented that he’d seen so much wartime killing by ’68 that he wasn’t shocked by the execution. In fact, once he heard Loan’s backstory, he understood Loan’s anguish. Many years later he regretted that his photo had ruined Loan’s life and commented- “Two people died that day. The general killed the Viet Cong ; I killed the general with my camera.”
Probably the most emotionally stirring photo taken during the Vietnam war was the June 1972 picture of nine year old Phan Thi Kim Phuc running naked down the street away from a burning village with other terrified, but clothed children. Nick Ut captured the horror of collateral damage in one famous frame.The child had shed her burning clothes and was fleeing the napalm attack ravaging her village known to be harboring VC.
Crying “Too hot!”, she was rescued by Ut and American troops who arranged for emergency American hospital care for her burns covering 30 % of her body. She recovered, but the horrific photo became the symbol of “war atrocities” caused by collateral damage. The horror depicted in the raw interpretation of the photo promoted the impression that “the war was doing more harm than good,”
There’s a fine line defining atrocity vs. collateral damage in war. It revolves around “intention.” One’s perspective, the eye of the viewer, may differ, but the photo is heart rendering. War is indeed Hell. Sentiment changed and support for the war effort waned in 1972. American troops left the following year, 1973. Saigon and South Vietnam fell to the Communist North two years later in 1975, fourteen years after JFK’s commitment of military advisors in South Vietnam.
These three poignant examples capture the pathos, the horror, the brutal nature of war. The power of the images I presented support the ancient Chinese proverb, “One picture is worth ten thousand words.” There’s no escaping the emotional reaction the images evoke.
That is the reason I chose the image of an air medevac Huey helicopter for the cover of RECALL, my historical narrative of the Vietnam War . The sight and sound of the chopper’s rotors meant a lifeline was arriving to wounded combat troops. They will never forget that image. Written by a flight surgeon vet, I invite you to read the story.
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