Pictures+2

Photographer: Cheryl Walsh Bellville //**[] []

Young-Sun, Nick, Christian**//

These two photographs vividly show the American citizens’ reactions to the Vietnam War. Lots of people opposed the war and the pictures clearly show their anger and their strong desires for ending the war as soon as possible. Also, the protests represent the split in US sentiment; the hawks and the doves. The images show the doves, who advocated peace, rather than violence when dealing with foreign affairs. This group of people showed their stance by protests and group walks, as shown in the images. Therefore, I learned that people in the 60’s and the early 70’s were very powerful, brave, and free-willed. They openly showed their opinions and anger to the public without any hesitation.

The Vietnam War (1959-1975) was bloody, dirty, and very unpopular. In Vietnam, U.S. soldiers found themselves fighting against an enemy they rarely saw, in a jungle they couldn't master, for a cause they barely understood. Reporters and photographers went through a big change in the Vietnam War and changed the style of reporting the war for future journalists. They went from reporting directly off of press releases and forming happy, enthusiastic stories to investigative reporting and writing cold, hard truthful stories. The stories coming from Vietnam and the photos coming from the front line did more than sway public opinion, they helped end the war. @http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/454065/how_media_coverage_of_the_vietnam_war.html  This picture was taken by, Associated Press photographer, Eddie Adams on February 28, 1968. It shows Vietnamese general Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executing Viet Cong Captain in the streets during the infamous Tet Offensive. The picture has an eerie vibe due to the fact that it was this is the man’s last moment. The bullet was actually passing through the man’s brain at the time the picture was taken. The general who was executing the man is made out to be a monster in the picture, but despite popular belief he was not. The man being executed was accused of assassinating Vietnamese police officers and their families.

When this picture was brought back to the states it brought with it a wave of anger towards the war. People began to question what we were doing in Vietnam. It had become one of the biggest symbols of the atrocities of war. The photo won the 1969 Pulitzer Prize.  http://metropolitician.blogs.com/scribblings_of_the_metrop/_maps_vietnam_vietphotos_18.jpg.jpg