40th anniversary of Vietnam photo

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Here's a great story on the famous photo from the Vietnam war. Our tour group went down route one this week out side of Ho Chi Minh City this week. Feels weird reading this Washington Post article.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...ave-been-his/2012/06/13/gJQAfoToeV_story.html

 

[rolleiman]

Vietnam was probably the last war when photographers were able to operate with a reasonable degree of freedom. Ironically the famous "napalm picture" was probably instrumental in turning public opinion against America in this conflict.

As a result politicians, aware of the power of photography, now insist that news photographers are "embedded" with the troops if they wish to cover a war situation......"embedded" meaning "you only take pictures we want you to take, otherwise we can't guarantee something nasty won't happen to you."

Photographers in a conflict zone these days, are just as likely to get shot as the fighters.