Execution of a Viet Cong Guerrilla 1968
This picture shows Nguyen Ngoc Loan, South Vietnam’s national police chief, executing a prisoner who was said to be a Viet Cong captain. The picture was captured around the time North Vietnam’s Tet Offensive was beginning and Loan, being the national police chief, was doing all he could to keep Viet Cong guerrillas from Saigon. Photographer Eddie Adams was able to capture this picture just as Loan was executing the prisoner. Once this picture hit national news, it played a key role in turning public opinion against the war. Adams later won a Pulitzer Prize for the picture. Loan later came to the United States, but he could not escape the notoriety that followed him because of the picture, no matter where he moved. He constantly received death threats and was labeled a monster. However, after Loan’s death, Adams felt that many misinterpreted the scene and came out with the statement, “The guy was a hero. America should be crying. I just hate to see him go this way, without people knowing anything about him.”
Although American intervention is not always the best or most pragmatic solution, this was one of the cases where it was, It is very interesting to see how one photo can sway the tide of public opinion, and this is a prime example. Adam’s regret, however, did surprise me; maybe there was something more to Loan after all
I’ve heard so many Vietnam war stories growing up, that it was strange growing up and learning about it in history classes. Even now, I’m disappointed that our nation was so easily swayed into leaving Vietnam but I also understand the conflict with sending your closest friends and family into bad situations, especially ones such as war. There were so many misconceptions that were construed by news sources; I’m glad the photographer made a statement to correct a fallacy and stigma of the Vietnamese the media created.
I think the American people were just looking for an emotional appeal to stop supporting the war. This picture makes it seem like everything is going wonky. The mindset was “how can we support a war where OUR hard working soldiers are turned into brutal murders.” Soldiers were executing innocent men in the streets. While pictures say 1,000 words, sometimes the truth is still hidden. This image simply reinforces my belief that you should always double check your information before trusting it.
This photograph definitely makes a statement. It’s amazing how a simple picture can be used as propaganda that completely changes the world’s view on a certain situation. Propaganda and the media can turn things around and make them appear in whatever way they want, so it is great that the photographer made his own statement to correct any fallacies made by the media.