Napalm Girl (#4)

Serving as one of the most iconic photos of the Vietnam War, "Napalm Girl" taken by photographer Nick Ut shows the true horror and devastation of the war. The title and photograph is centered around a girl by the name of Kim Phuc, a 9 year old Vietnamese citizen whose village, Trang Bang, was just accidentally bombed by the South Vietnamese air force. Kim Phuc is seen running naked as her clothes were burned off by the flames of the napalm. Surrounding her from left to right are Phan Thanh Tam, younger brother of Kim Phuc, who lost an eye, Phan Thanh Phouc, youngest brother of Kim Phuc, and Kim’s cousins Ho Van Bon, and Ho Thi Ting.

This photo speaks volumes for the atrocities that occurred during this war. Due to the nature of the fighting horrible scenarios like this were not uncommon, it was often unknown whether or not a village was friendly or hostile until it was too late. Soldiers often panicked and fired without considering the consequence. Gratefully Kim Phuc although severely burned did survive and is still living today. Many others however were not as lucky. With civilian deaths ranging from 250,000-500,000 its clear to see that this war affected far more than just the soldiers, there were those who lost their lives in the heat of battle, fighting for what they believed in, and then there were those who simply got in the way.