got LOST Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

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got LOST

This is one of the pictures I shot while covering the retaking of Quang Tri City in the DMZ during one of the most fierce and bloody battles 35 years ago. My military unit broke up as Danang city fell on March 29, 1975 when I was on the streets taking pictures of the turmoil for the Associated Press. A friend of mine who — with me — was in charge of the battalion's darkroom knew that I have no way to return to pick up my belongings. Before surrendering all equipments to the winners, he evacuated my films and prints and relocated to a strange village where nobody could recognize him, making himself a farmer. Under the new regime, he destroyed anything that could cost him his life and even changed his name. We got lost each other for 31 years until a few months ago, he found my address from another friend. He wrote me that he is fine, and he regrets that he had burned all my prints and negatives — except one; this one — because he could not predict President Clinton will arrive to Vietnam in November 2000 to turn enemy into friend.

Last December, I posted the B&W print made from the recovered negative, and sent him a hard copy since he knows nothing about computer or photoshop (no email, no internet, no digital). He then wrote back to me with his critique that the B&W copy looks too new and doesn’t represent a past of three and half decades. He recommended me to buy chemicals to dye it into sepia tone and asked me to send him such a copy.

My poor friend! He got lost again. He doesn’t realize that turning a B&W photo into sepia only requires a few quick clicks, so today is a repost dedicated to my friend who saved the original negative. I am going to see him in ‘Nam in the next few weeks and will bring an enlargement to him — hopefully this time he will smile.

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TRASH, PSYOPS, simpatico, mikecone, jaywalker, Serendipity, Richard1, sadeik trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

vagabondtravels (6115) 2007-02-10 6:30

Hey Thanh

Great documentary image. That must have been an experience.
Good note and that you connect with your friend. TFS
Ben

TRASH (0) 2007-02-10 6:42

I agree that your friend got lost on several sides of life but he was accurate on many other things:
- Got rid of his name and all your photos but not this one, even though it was dangerous. That verifies he is a real artist who understood the value of a historic photo.
- He was behind the speed of techniques but he was correct as he critiqued that the photo should be in sepia tone.

When you meet him, please relay my regards and thanks.

MQ

PSYOPS (0) 2007-02-10 6:57

You described your friend as a man who got lost track of technology's change or improvement but I found out that he was absolutely correct when he asked you to "dye" the photo into sepia tone. For this, he is ahead of us.
It's good that you took his advice.
Please say hi to him. Thanks.
Take care. George.

mikecone (15) 2007-02-10 8:43

Marines — it was my uniform during the war.
Vietnam — it was the war where and when I contributed my own blood.

For those simple factors, I feel like this photo reflects my past and my youth.

Don't know what else to say to the photographer than "thanks".

Mike

jaywalker (12276) 2007-02-10 8:48

Hi Thanh, A very powerful & dramatic photo made ever more so in B/W, the quality is very good, sharp & wonderfully clear, excellent POV & TFS, kind regards Wilson.

Serendipity (1045) 2007-02-10 8:51

WOW ! Great war picture and great note. Thanks a lot to sharing !

Richard1 (0) 2007-02-10 10:47

I already said about this shot, but I would repeat the same:

This is a very intense shot. I can't even begin to imagine the danger that you and your country men were in.
It's a curious thing about war photographs, it really doesn't matter which era they are taken in, I'm sure if we were able to photograph George Washington's troops or even Julius Caesar's battalions we could see the same expression on the men's faces as you were able to capture on your fellow country men over three decades ago. You have a gift with the camera.

In these troubled times, we need to pray for the whole world.

Richard

sadeik (3159) 2007-02-10 10:52

Very good documentry photo and an excellant shot, nice to see these old ones put on

Simon

Yuanclarkson (38) 2007-02-10 12:28

War destroyed many things but to me, the worst "crime" of war is it destroyed human beings and photographic evidences that show the real horrible faces of war.
My thanks to your friend who was so courage and wise to save this historic capture.
Regards,

norenastramus06 (1224) 2007-02-10 12:29

Hello Thanh,
Good compo,Great documentary image.
You do a good job. Congratulations.
TFS
H.Ayhan

Captain (509) 2007-02-12 21:06

Excellent docu image. Brings back memories of the pictures I saw on the TV at the time. Ian

ChristineLe (59) 2007-02-16 15:43

I was young during the war to be able to imagine the face of it. Reading the newspaper and novels about war didn't help much.
This picture gives me an accurate description of WAR. Period.

Thank you so much.

CL

baronb (245) 2007-02-20 11:03

Hi Thanh-

I just left Vietnam today, and along with what I saw and your incredible photograph, I am having to reassess my understanding of the conflict. Talking to 50+ year old people in Saigon and people in Hanoi, it is no longer as clear cut as it once seemed. The only thing I can say is that at least now things seem to be better for everyone than they used to be.

From a photographic standpoint, your shot poignantly captures the essence of combat. It is of great value.

My compliments,

Baron

Tango7174 (0) 2007-05-07 9:47

This might be your unique photo saved from the War era, but what a picture! From the soldiers' expression, we can feel the danger they - and you the photographer - were in. Looking at all the debris and the wholes in the walls, we can almost hear the crackling of gunfires and explosions... A true 3D image!
It also brings back lots of memory from my childhood...
Congratulations and thank you Thanh!

Thành.

Alex61 (736) 2009-04-13 14:35

What a great story and what and historical picture. I'm really glad you met each other again. Could be the subject of a new movie resembling the old one about the Cambodian holocaust "The killing fields".
Kind reagrds from Italy
Alessandro