Photojournalist tells story of working on the battlefield against America

The exhibition “War Reporters” reminds viewers of the heroic years of the anti-American resistance war through the lens of Vietnamese journalists.

The Vietnam War has long been known only through the photographs of Western war correspondents such as Larry Burrows, Don McCullin, Griffiths, Chauvel or Caron. Therefore, the photographic materials of Vietnamese war correspondents are little known to international friends.

With the desire to bring to the public a true view of the great resistance war of the nation from the perspective of domestic journalists and photographers, on the evening of April 14, the photo exhibition "War Reporters" was held at the French Cultural Center - L'Espace, introducing 40 selected works of 4 war photojournalists: Doan Cong Tinh, Chu Chi Thanh, Mai Nam, Hua Kiem.

They were the ones who participated in reporting on the war against America, recording the heroic years of the nation's resistance with authentic historical photos, in difficult and arduous conditions, despite the rain of bombs and bullets.

The achievements and memories of the Vietnam battlefield are still intact in the memories of the soldiers and reporters who fought and worked there.

Uncle Ho's soldiers tried to clear a path through rapids for the logistics units following behind to transport food and weapons. Photo: Doan Cong Tinh

Photographer Doan Cong Tinh became a war correspondent for the People's Army newspaper at the age of 25. He considered himself a soldier. But instead of carrying a Kalashnikov, his main weapon was a camera, with the mission of showing the bravery of soldiers and the struggles of his comrades. It was during the most fierce years of the war, from 1970 to 1972, on the Quang Tri and Thua Thien fronts, that he completed his works.

Photographer Doan Cong Tinh shared: “If soldiers consider guns as wives and bullets as children, then I also consider cameras the same way.” At that time, with two cameras in hand and the enthusiasm of youth, he recorded unforgettable moments in his life as a photojournalist.

Going into the fire and smoke, sticking close to danger to take pictures, he was even buried by bombs 4 times. However, the war was so fierce, but on the battlefield, the photos of artist Doan Cong Tinh were not just scenes of fierce fighting, but he also captured romantic moments of the soldiers. Those were photos of the victorious smiles, of the optimistic spirit of the soldiers when they themselves knew that they were fighting for justice to protect the Fatherland.

“Soldiers take a break to read letters” by NSNA Doan Cong Tinh taken in Truong Son range in 1972

Like many other war correspondents, journalist and photographer Chu Chi Thanh (former photojournalist for VNA) spent most of his youth on the battlefield to report on events. His topical photos focused on content that demonstrated the spirit of determination to fight, determination to win, and the heroic will of the Vietnamese people in the war against the US.

He shared: “In the midst of the fierce resistance war against the US to save the country, I still saw the optimistic and joyful spirit of each soldier after the battles. Compared to the photos of Western journalists, we brought a different perspective on the Vietnam War. The photos are very simple, but show the posture of the winners in the struggle for independence: calm, brave, and extraordinary.”

Journalist - photographer Chu Chi Thanh

Journalist and photographer Mai Nam shared about his wartime work: “Back then, we faced many difficulties. The cameras were not the most modern, usually aided by the Soviet Union or Germany. Each person was only equipped with one camera. Film was very rare. Therefore, when taking pictures, we had to think carefully, count each moment, and only press the shutter when satisfied, unlike today’s digital cameras. In addition, film development, photo printing, and enlargement were all done by the reporters themselves.”

Ha Tinh Province, coastal defense militia of NSNA Mai Nam taken in 1967

The work “Female militia Nguyen Thi Hien is the squad leader of the Yen Vuc militia, Ham Rong district, Thanh Hoa province. She experienced 800 bombing raids and was buried alive four times by B52s in 1966” by author Mai Nam.

During the war, he accompanied the youth units, living and fighting like real soldiers. For photographer Mai Nam, it was the soldiers and young people in the resistance who encouraged and created conditions for him to work. He learned from them the spirit of courage and readiness to sacrifice.

“In war, life and death are very fragile, and who wants to die? But when I went to the battlefield, saw with my own eyes the bravery of the young men, the militia, the soldiers…, I was no longer afraid of anything. You have to have that kind of spirit to work. Therefore, amidst the rain of bombs and bullets, we still worked, still recorded the best images to bring back for propaganda.”

The exhibition “War Reporters” will last until May 10 at the French Cultural Center.

Some other photos in the exhibition:

Tank destroyed by mine, soldiers continue to pursue the enemy (Route 9 Southern Laos, 1971) - Doan Cong Tinh

Male and female militiamen help North Vietnamese soldiers pull artillery to the Hai Duong battlefield in 1972 - Mai Nam

The artillery militia of Trung Giang - Gio Linh commune surrounded the South Vietnamese army entrenched in Con Tien city. Ms. Lan (right in the photo) was the team leader. She died in the war in 1972 - Photo: Doan Cong Tinh

Militiaman Tran Van Ong, Duc Ninh commune, Quang Ninh district, Quang Binh province shot down an F4H aircraft on November 16, 1987 - Chu Chi Thanh

Militia in Do Son, Hai Phong in 1966 - Mai Nam

Female radio operator of the Vietnam People's Army on the Ho Chi Minh trail by author Hua Kiem.

Liberation of Saigon on April 30, 1975, people welcomed the winner - photo: Hua Kiem

In the prison yard at Hoa Lo, Hanoi, American prisoners and pilots play volleyball - photo: Doan Cong Tinh

Repairing power lines to ensure normal life and daily activities after Dong Ha city, Quang Tri province was liberated in 1973 - photo: Chu Chi Thanh

According to VOV