The images changed how the world saw Vietnam, but especially how Americans perceived their country, soldiers, and the war itself, which ended 50 years ago this month.
Photography from the Vietnam War captured profound realities that continue to resonate, encapsulated in Tim O’Brien’s poignant statement from “The Things They Carried”: “I survived,” he wrote, “but it’s not a happy ending.”
The war, which formally concluded on April 30, 1975, still evokes grief for the memories engraved in history and reinforced through film.
The era’s most memorable photographs, portraying the grisly and brutal jungle warfare, were taken by a diverse group of photojournalists with varying political views and backgrounds.
Dickey Chapelle, the first female photojournalist to die in Vietnam, was a Midwesterner known for her strong anti-Communist stance. Tim Page, an irreverent Brit, and Henri Huet, of French and Vietnamese descent, were also notable figures, recognized for their humor and kindness.
Together, their images, along with those of many others, transformed the global perspective on Vietnam, particularly influencing American views on the country, its soldiers, and the nature of war itself.