Have you ever heard the famous saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words?” The pictures taken during the Vietnam War would put that quote to shame; it would produce much more words. The Vietnam War lasted from 1957 to 1975. Ho Chi Minh, the nationalist leader of North Vietnam, strived to make the country communist. However, Hgo Dinh Diem, the autocratic leader of South Vietnam, pushed against Minh to make Vietnam anti-communist. With America being extremely anti-communist, the US government gave aid to South Vietnam. This decision plunged the US into the longest war the nation had ever been involved in; the Vietnam War. With many men being forced to the draft, and large amount of Americans being killed, the American home front was beginning to dislike the war. In addition, the photos released to the public about the Vietnam War had a powerfully negative impact on the home front’s opinion.
One photograph that shocked the nation was the “Burning Monk,” taken by Malcolm Browne on June 11, 1963. The photo was of Thuc Quang Duc, on older Buddhist Monk, igniting himself on fire in the form of a protest. Surrounding him are the other Buddhist monks who were wailing and crying for their beloved friend, for many of them knew him. Malcolm speaks of how horrified he was, seeing the monks and nuns form a circle around the old monk, watching him pour the gasoline on himself, sitting down, and lastly pulling out a matchbook. He quickly lit it, dropped the match into his lap, and Malcolm watched how the vehement flames engulf the old man. He describes the situation as having an overwhelming smell of joss sticks, gasoline, diesel, and the repugnant smell of burning flesh. This protest was made because of Diem’s outlaw of every religion in...
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...ers were treated badly when they came home. The photos influenced America’s support for the war negatively, which became a huge factor in America and South Vietnam losing against the Viet Cong. Photojournalism has changed drastically since 1975. Government photos have become heavily edited, leaving America to rely on the facts only the government gives them. The truth has been more concealed in photos, therefore, not letting people see the whole picture. More and more we find that images have been cropped and censored to show only what wants to be seen. However, photos still have a impressive influence on the public opinion today. People believe what they see, and photos show physical evidence, which sways public opinion strongly. Photographs were a huge significance during the times of the Vietnam War, and will still be of great importance now, and in the future.