35 years since the end of the vietnam war

Its an interesting subject - probably the first war where the media shaped and formed public opinion which ultimately decided the outcome of the war.

Very intense and powerful images there - you can see how it all fell apart...
 
A very sad waste of life.
Obviously Philip Jones Griffiths "Vietnam Inc." is a classic along similar lines. But his "Agent Orange – “Collateral Damage” in Viet Nam" is horrible. The ongoing birth defects associated with the use of dioxins is truly appalling.
 
Quite a few famous pics in there and some I have never seen before.
All very dramatic and thought provoking.
 
I was in Vietnam earlier this year. Our visit to the War remnants museum in Saigon was very distressing, all so unnecessary. The Americans have alot to answer for...
 
desantnik said:
I probably the first war where the media shaped and formed public opinion which ultimately decided the outcome of the war.
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Probably the last war too. They don't give the media such access these days do they? And what they are allowed to shoot can be heavily censored.
 
Excellent set of images from a truly horrific war, I think this really shows the advancement of war photography compared to previous wars
 
Very powerful images, Im pretty speechless TBH.
 
Ya...its pretty thought provoking.

Like how is the world a better place because of it?:thinking:

Interestingly I read that the amount of money the americans spent on arms in that conflict,could have bought every man,woman and child in vietnam the best quality of life in the world!.
They also left their southern allies to go it alone when they withdrew leaving the north viet cong a clear and easy target. so what did it achieve?

North & south korea will be next? odds on noses will be stuck in that one too:cuckoo:.
 
Try getting shots like that now - it's almost impossible... and believe me, I've tried...

500 reporters were embedded with the military in the Iraq invasion, and despite all the predictions of a whole new war experience, there is not one iconic image from the Iraq War, with the exception of Saddam’s statue being torn down by civilians, which later turned out to be largely staged.
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Anyone interested in the photographic side should see Eddie Adams excellent book simply called "Vietnam"..........."link"

I worked in Vancouver for a consulting engineering company
one project was to adapt helicopter cargo hooks for selective release in "drop-zones"
on visits to Washington State , it was heart-breaking to see the great number of young men in wheelchairs following mine-field trauma

these people received little help from the US and scant sympathy from the public
movie "Born on the 4th of July" is accurate to a fault
 
You mean they won't napalm villages for you so you can get your shot? :D

Whatever has the USAF come to :D
 
They do, you just can't get close enough to see anything...
 
You need a bigger lens... or more napalm :D
 
Arkady said:
Try getting shots like that now - it's almost impossible... and believe me, I've tried...
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Too right pal...but that's because we have to look good in front of the media...soldiers are no longer able to do there jobs without watching over there shoulders in case they are being filmed and it becomes front page news
 
Voyager said:
Probably the last war too. They don't give the media such access these days do they? And what they are allowed to shoot can be heavily censored.
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actually alot of the vietnam stuff were heavily censored, cameras were provided by the army themselves for use of press however that could only shoot the good things that happened (as in the US army doing really well) however alot of photographers snuck in there own cameras to uncover horrifying truths. those who were caught suffered terrible consequences.
 
SMT said:
I was in Vietnam earlier this year. Our visit to the War remnants museum in Saigon was very distressing, all so unnecessary. The Americans have alot to answer for...
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Went to the same museum last year, everyone walking around in total silence taking in the photos. Some brilliant photography work but displaying horific scenes.
 
I'd also suggest that whilst the media images were horrific (insert your preferred word) I don't see how they can have altered the course of the war. The US went in @ 1962(?) and didn't pull out until over a decade later.
 
Vulkan75 said:
Its all an atrocity.....and all parties to blame.

Media censorship just compounds the problem.....providing a convienient cloak to exercise the art of inflicting human suffering.
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So there's no such thing as a justified war then?
 
Arkady said:
So there's no such thing as a justified war then?
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Not in some peoples eyes pal..they would rather criticize our troops and welcome the enemy over to England
 
No not really.....no amount of human suffering is justified.

Im not going to get into a political discussion.....but seeing people burned to death or having their limbs blown off doesnt rank highly on my ideas of prefered methods of resolution.....whatever the problem.
 
I have sympathies with both sides of this argument, however, the original post was just an interesting series of photos on a (clearly!) very emotive topic.

Do people mind staying on topic, and discussing either the photos or the vietnam war specifically, rather than the general ethics of all wars, perpetrated by all men in all countries and of all religions, since the dawn of time, and doubtless 'til its dusk?

Thanks :)
 
Snap_Happy said:
Do people mind staying on topic, and discussing either the photos or the vietnam war specifically, rather than the general ethics of all wars, perpetrated by all men in all countries and of all religions, since the dawn of time, and doubtless 'til its dusk?

Thanks :)
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couldnt have said it better..

I've removed the off-topic posts.. Lets get back to discussing photography
 
Snap_Happy said:
I have sympathies with both sides of this argument, however, the original post was just an interesting series of photos on a (clearly!) very emotive topic.

Do people mind staying on topic, and discussing either the photos or the vietnam war specifically, rather than the general ethics of all wars, perpetrated by all men in all countries and of all religions, since the dawn of time, and doubtless 'til its dusk?

Thanks :)
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Gary said:
couldnt have said it better..

I've removed the off-topic posts.. Lets get back to discussing photography
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Thanks:thumbs:
 
some amazing images in there, its a look I've tried recreating for the first helicopter image (number 3?) with some shots of RAF heli's on dartmoor
 
dan_yorkshire said:
Went to the same museum last year, everyone walking around in total silence taking in the photos. Some brilliant photography work but displaying horific scenes.
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It was so awful. For us, particularly the sections about the massacre at Mai Lai and the ongoing effects of Agent Orange to this very day. It brought tears to our eyes...
 
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