Echoes of Vietnam
The dramatic photograph, taken by Life magazine photographer Larry Burrows, shows helicopter crew chief James C. Farley shouting to crew as wounded comrades James Magel and Billy Owens lay dying at his feet.
The story behind the photograph can be heard on the blog USMC81
I also wanted to paraphrase a few comments I got from former colleagues who generally agreed that withholding the AP photo was not an effort to sanitize war, but to spare his family additional pain.
Still some were questioning if there wasn’t a double standard. One cited a CBS 60 Minutes piece with an embedded reporter, that showed graphic images of enemy casualties. Is that okay? As long as they’re “bad guys?”
Another asked what to me is the key question: Do the wishes of one family outweigh the potential or assumed benefit to American society as a whole from seeing this photo? That really IS the question. And in this case I believe the reality could be conveyed without this painful image. But I also understand, as one reporter said to me privately, what happens on the battlefield is not a private matter. It’s very public.
The Life magazine photo was arguably more important, journalistically speaking. It brought the reality of war home to a generation of Americans who did not have the internet, or 24/7 cable news. And it didn’t stop the war. 160,000 U.S. troops went to Vietnam after its publication, and 58,195 died.
Tags: Vietnam Afghanistan Photographs
Comments (23)
0
NS Webster · 196 weeks ago
I've embedded three times as a freelancer in Iraq, in 2007, 08 and 09.
Mostly, I'm aggravated at the AP for spending so much time and effort justifying the photo. I don't know what kind of internal or external debate occured with the Life photo, but I doubt there was a lot of "soul-searching" and rationalization by Larry Burrows, as we saw in the AP's package.
A photograph should not need justification, or the audience walked through what they're seeing and why. The Life photo is summed up perfectly - "With a brave crew on a deadly flight."
Had the AP simply released the Cpl. Bernard photo with the simple caption, "Cpl. Bernard receives treatment from fellow Marines after an RPG attack. He later died," wouldn't that have been much more powerful than the pages of justification they added to the image?
Mostly, I'm aggravated at the AP for spending so much time and effort justifying the photo. I don't know what kind of internal or external debate occured with the Life photo, but I doubt there was a lot of "soul-searching" and rationalization by Larry Burrows, as we saw in the AP's package.
A photograph should not need justification, or the audience walked through what they're seeing and why. The Life photo is summed up perfectly - "With a brave crew on a deadly flight."
Had the AP simply released the Cpl. Bernard photo with the simple caption, "Cpl. Bernard receives treatment from fellow Marines after an RPG attack. He later died," wouldn't that have been much more powerful than the pages of justification they added to the image?
0
NS Webster · 196 weeks ago
I think the self-serving journals of Julie Jacobson put the emphasis on
the reporter, where it shouldn't be. The pre-publication notice to the
photo guaranteed controversey. Now, the family feels ignored and
betrayed, along with horrified and in a state of loss. All for what?
I've maybe made the wrong choice. Once, I had begun taking pictures of wounded Iraqi policemen coming in on an ambulance, being offloaded by their fellow officers. Nobody was going to stop my picture taking - but I didn't want to be "that guy," photographing somebody bleeding on a stretcher. So I stopped. Now there's no pictures at all - but they were men enough to go out there, and get shot doing battle - so couldn't I have been tough enough to take pictures of their blood and effort? Burrows and Jacobson wouldn't have stopped shooting.
I've maybe made the wrong choice. Once, I had begun taking pictures of wounded Iraqi policemen coming in on an ambulance, being offloaded by their fellow officers. Nobody was going to stop my picture taking - but I didn't want to be "that guy," photographing somebody bleeding on a stretcher. So I stopped. Now there's no pictures at all - but they were men enough to go out there, and get shot doing battle - so couldn't I have been tough enough to take pictures of their blood and effort? Burrows and Jacobson wouldn't have stopped shooting.
0
NS Webster · 196 weeks ago
The photo of Cpl. Bernard should have remained the same as Burrows'
Life cover, a hard photo to look at, of what war is all about. And
that's it. But if you're justifying and rationalizing, then you're not
really just a reporter anymore, and the photo becomes a tool to an end,
and that's not right. It's not at all fair to Cpl. Bernard.
0
NS Webster · 196 weeks ago
PS - while trying to edit my long comment because it was too long, I
cut out a primary opinion. I believe in "do no harm," and with no
compelling and timely requirement to release the photo now, the family's
request should have been honored.
NS Webster, thanks for giving the embed perspective. I agree with your perspective here
"I believe in "do no harm," and with no compelling and timely requirement to release the photo now, the family's request should have been honored."
It seems heartless to me to not at least give the family a grieving period before release. I understand the complexities of the issue and that Iraqis have been photographed in similar ways with no similar deferences.
It is a good debate and if nothing else will bring much needed attention to the heros on the front line.
/web/20130617030928/http://www.hooahnews.com
"I believe in "do no harm," and with no compelling and timely requirement to release the photo now, the family's request should have been honored."
It seems heartless to me to not at least give the family a grieving period before release. I understand the complexities of the issue and that Iraqis have been photographed in similar ways with no similar deferences.
It is a good debate and if nothing else will bring much needed attention to the heros on the front line.
/web/20130617030928/http://www.hooahnews.com
0
Sebastian Sicari · 196 weeks ago
This is only My opinion. Vietnam as haunted Me for 43 year's My friends
died in My arms and When I got home i was treated less then a dog. I
was no ones Hero. But I will honor the boys out in battle and they are
now My hero's. So show all the photos let them show the world that our
troops never run. and When they come Home thank them for giving us all
the freedom that we have.
0
Bruce · 196 weeks ago
I remember the picture series from lifr magazine. There where about 8 more photos of the light inside the issue.
0
MadYank · 196 weeks ago
All I have to say is this. I went to Vietnam in 1971, where I lost my
illusions about patriotism and "fighting for freedom" and all those
other wonderful images, and discovered the reality of beating a
determined enemy who was trying to win a war in his own backyard. And
with a Draft Lottery number of 321, you can tell that I was a REAL
volunteer.
We didn't belong in the deals that got us in SEA, but once we were there, we should have fought to WIN. We never really did. Blame that on political expediency. We won every battle and still lost the war.
Now we're in another war that's going the same way, for the same reasons; political expediency. The Soviet Union lost in Afghanistan because they were fighting both the mudjahedin and Us; now we're fighting the mudje/Taliban/al Qaeda, armed with leftover US and USSR equipment, and unless the politicians in DC and in Kabul decide to WIN this war, we will once again win every battle and LOSE the war.
And once again, our warriors will go from heroes to villains, because of the media.
I never got MY parade; if the media screw the returning heroes out of theirs, then it's time to take the media down.
We didn't belong in the deals that got us in SEA, but once we were there, we should have fought to WIN. We never really did. Blame that on political expediency. We won every battle and still lost the war.
Now we're in another war that's going the same way, for the same reasons; political expediency. The Soviet Union lost in Afghanistan because they were fighting both the mudjahedin and Us; now we're fighting the mudje/Taliban/al Qaeda, armed with leftover US and USSR equipment, and unless the politicians in DC and in Kabul decide to WIN this war, we will once again win every battle and LOSE the war.
And once again, our warriors will go from heroes to villains, because of the media.
I never got MY parade; if the media screw the returning heroes out of theirs, then it's time to take the media down.
0
Raymond · 196 weeks ago
It sounds like our military in Iraq/Afgan may be getting into another
Vietnam. If the history of the Vietnam war is correctly depicted in
Dereliction Of Duty - fought based on political poll numbers and
restrictions on effective engagement of the enemy - I'm afraid we're
headed that direction. The press seems to want our men and women on the
front lines to fight a "nice" war. There's no such thing. If we truly
plan to stay in Afganistan, then remove the imbedded press and get on
with cleaning house. It isn't fair to our forces to restrict their
fighting ability by keeping their actions under a microscope while
dodging bullets and IEDs. If the US isn't willing to go that direction,
then I agree with George Will: bring the soldiers home and fight with
technology.
0
rick · 196 weeks ago
I do not think the US government should be responcible for the saftey
and well being of reporters. I honestly believe thier presence put the
military personnel they are covering in more danger. I also believe that
thier companies and not the taxpayers should be responsible for any
injuries, treatment , and transportation necessary to get them where
ever they want to go.
0
Ivan Cohen · 196 weeks ago
In 50 years or less, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are going to be
chronicled in American History books. Hopefully the input of veterans of
both wars will be sought before the books go to press. In this day of
technology(i.e. the internet, e-mail, etc.) no purpose is served by
sugarcoating war. Lives get lost, individuals get maimed. Do not forget
the munitions makers, manufacturing the guns, bullets and armored vests
help put food on their tables. World War II on television was referenced
with McHales' Navy, 12 O' Clock High, Combat and Garrison's Guerrillas.
Not to mention the wartime comic books (Fighting Army, Fighting Navy,
Fighting Marines, Easy Company with Sgt. Rock and the Haunted Tank) The
Korean War was referenced with M.A.S.H. which my grandfather( a veteran
of World War II) hated because he felt it made fun of the Army. Will
there be any dramas or sitcoms about Iraq or Afghanistan? That will
probably depend on the market forces and how receptive the public would
be. Unlike the 20th century, movie companies don't fall all over
themselves to make war films. No epics like "The Longest Day". Then
again they don't exactly make movies based on novels anymore.
0
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the
Front: 09/09/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the
home front.
0
Richard Hammill · 196 weeks ago
Like Viet Nam the politicians are fighting to lose... A Marine General
in Afghanistan states it is not his job to kill Taliban... The Air Force
General in charge of the airwar in Iraq and Afghanistan now has the Air
Force do flyovers of enemy combatants to "scare them away" instead of
bombing them... Soldiers in Iraq are not allowed to use the 40mm grenade
and are not even issued the rounds for the weapons any longer but still
required to carry the now useless weapon on their M-4... A sure recipe
for continued loss of American lives and an emboldening of our sworn
enemies...
0
Julio Vidal · 189 weeks ago
I would like to buy the documentary about vietnam veterans "The haunted heroes", someboy can help me?
my mail is jacaranda0@hotmail.com , thanks and best regards.
Julio Vidal.
my mail is jacaranda0@hotmail.com , thanks and best regards.
Julio Vidal.
0
T1Brit · 151 weeks ago
I found out who made it : /web/20130617030928/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/228506?view=credit
It was made for BBC films by a producer called Tony Salmon for the documentary series 'The world about us'.
It was made for BBC films by a producer called Tony Salmon for the documentary series 'The world about us'.
No comments:
Post a Comment