Two famous photos from the time of the war against America.

(Baonghean) - The American aggressors escalated their attacks on the socialist North with the aim of returning our country to the "Stone Age." They mobilized modern aircraft such as "Thunderbolt," "Phantom," and even B52 bombers, carpet bombing day and night to destroy our lives. Our soldiers and people bravely fought, shooting down many planes and capturing many enemy pilots. During that fierce period, Phan Thoan was present in the mountains of Huong Khe (Ha Tinh). When an American plane was shot down by our anti-aircraft fire, the pilot parachuted to the ground and immediately used a telephone to call for help.

The helicopter flew into an area with cell phone coverage, searching for the pilot. It circled around before descending into the dense forest and was shot down. Our forces quickly surrounded and captured the tall American soldier, William Adraw Rovinson, who was operating the machine gun on the helicopter. Escorting him out of the forest were a soldier and a petite female militia member representing our armed forces. Phan Thoan managed to capture this miraculous moment in his camera. That night, he quickly developed the film and sent the photos to Hanoi for publication in newspapers and an exhibition. The poet To Huu came to see them and, deeply moved, wrote a few lines of poetry as a gift:

The young guerrilla raised his gun high.
The lanky American walked with his head bowed.
It turns out that being bolder is better than having a big belly.
Heroes don't have to be men!
January 1967 (Tố Hữu)

Initially titled "The Might of the US Air Force!", the photograph was later cropped and titled "Oh, Little Guerrilla" thanks to a poem by Tố Hữu. It won a Gold Medal in Sofia (Bulgaria) in 1968 and was selected for display at the 9th World Youth and Student Festival in Bulgaria, with 138 participating countries. The photograph was enlarged to 8 meters and displayed in Havana (Cuba).

The Little Guerrilla Fighter (photo by Phan Thoan) and The Heart of the Vietnamese People (photo by Tu Tien)

Indian writer Pondra Cacti commented: “I have seen many photographs of humanity, but none have moved me as much as this one… From this photograph, the world has not only gained a deeper understanding of the heroic struggle of the Vietnamese people but also expressed profound admiration!”

Based on this photograph, Japanese filmmakers collaborated with a Vietnamese film studio to invite Mr. Robinson, the former guerrilla fighter, to visit Vietnam and meet the young female guerrilla fighter, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lai, who was escorting him back to the prison camp.

This reunion is fascinating; Phan Thoan once again becomes a character in a thrilling story caught between two extremes, enemy and friend! A humane act in the Vietnamese tradition.

In 2007, "The Little Guerrilla" by photographer Phan Thoan was awarded the State Prize for Literature and Arts.

On May 19, 1972, our anti-aircraft positions were ready to celebrate President Ho Chi Minh's birthday. That afternoon, an F4, also known as the "ghost," flying into Ha Tinh to attack the city, was shot down by the Ru Nai anti-aircraft position in Ha Tinh town. The plane burst into flames, and its parachute ejected and fell into the Thach Trung field. Tu Tien was present at the scene when nurse Tran Thi Sam was bandaging the American pilot named Opranicon. With the sensitivity of a professional, Tu Tien took a photograph and silently preserved the memory of the war.

On the day of national reunification, when the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh merged, we learned that nurse Tran Thi Sam sold rice at the Ha Tinh market. Thanks to Mr. Binh (from the Ha Tinh Provincial Military Command) who guided us, we found her. Tu Tien gave her a photograph of her bandaging an American pilot, and only then did she realize someone was taking her picture.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists, the Association organized an exhibition of previously unpublished photographs. Tu Tien submitted his work, "The Heart of the Vietnamese People," to the competition and was awarded a Gold Medal. Looking closely at the photograph, we see a beautiful nurse with a kind face bandaging a missile wound on the face of an enemy pilot, who is in pain and despair, by the entrance to the A-shaped bunker. Later, many journalists sought out Ms. Sam at her home for interviews. She simply replied: "The pilot parachuted to the ground, bleeding profusely. As a nurse, I was ordered to treat him. As a medical professional, I must save him. A good doctor is like a loving mother…"

These two famous photos from the war against America are a source of pride for us in our struggle against the US to save the country!

Photographer: Bui Xuan Luong