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The story of 'Napalm Girl', featured in Vietnam War's defining photo

 The horrifying photograph of little children fleeing the deadly napalm attack became a defining image not only of the Vietnam War but also of the 20th century. 


With dark smoke behind them, the young children’s faces could be seen painted with a mixture of pain, terror, and confusion. Behind them, there were the South Vietnamese army's 25th Division’s soldiers who were following them helplessly.


Officially the photo was titled "The Terror of War," but it is better known by the nickname that is given to the badly burned, and naked 9-year-old girl at the center of the picture: "Napalm Girl".


The photograph was taken outside Trang Bang village on June 8th, 1972. The picture literally captured the trauma and indiscriminate violence faced by the people over there. A million or more civilian lives were lost during the conflict. 


Later on, the girl was identified as Phan Thi Kim Phuc. Luckily, she survived her injuries. Associated Press photographer Nick Ut took this picture and also assisted the children in surviving. 


Even after fifty years, the photographer and the girl in the picture are still in regular contact. They use their story to spread the message of peace. Phuc now lives in Toronto.


The story behind the photograph:


Phuc’s childhood village Trang Bang, which is less than 30 miles northwest of Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, was then occupied by communist forces. The South Vietnamese army spent 3 days trying to drive them out so that the nearby highway could be reopened. 


On that fateful morning, Vietnam’s air force dispatched propeller-driven Skyraider planes to drop a substance on the enemy's positions in napalm that sticks to targets and causes severe burns.


Phuc and her family took shelter in a Buddhist temple along with other civilians and South Vietnamese soldiers. The soldiers heard the sounds of their own army's aircraft overhead. Fearing an attack, they urged everyone to flee. Unfortunately, the fleeing group was mistaken for the enemy.


Suddenly, four bombs landed down and there was fire everywhere. Phuc ripped off the remaining of her clothes and started running down the Route 1 highway. 


Vietnamese photographer Ut, who was 21 at the time, was among those journalists who were positioned outside the village in anticipation of further conflict that day. He snapped the picture, put his camera aside, and started pouring water on Phuc.


Ut took the injured children to a nearby hospital in his van. But the hospital told him that there was no space and that he was asked to take them to Saigon.


Ut was worried that more delay could be dangerous for the lives of the children. So eventually he was able to convince the doctors to take them in by showing his press pass and telling them that the children's image would be seen across the world the next day. 


The photograph is seen across the world:


From the hospital, Ut straight away went to the Associated Press office in Saigon to develop the photographs. His images told the stories of the day. And among them, the 'Napalm Girl' picture stood out.


Later on, Ut was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 in the category of spot news photography. His image was also titled 'World Press Photo of the Year' after it was published on the front pages of more than twenty leading daily newspapers across the U.S.


The Vietnam war continued till 1975 but the photograph became a symbol of anti-war sentiments.


Life of the 'Napalm Girl':


Meanwhile, Phuc spent 14 months in various hospitals for getting treatment for her injuries. Her two cousins got killed in the bombing. But she tried her best to forget everything and move on.

She wanted to become a doctor, but the communist government of Vietnam removed her from medical school and started using her in propaganda campaigns.

Phuc got political asylum in Canada in the year 1992.

She also wrote a book about her experiences and founded Kim Foundation International, a charity set to provide aid to the children of war.

In 1997, she became United Nations, goodwill ambassador. 

Last month, she and her “uncle” presented a copy of the famous photograph to Pope Francis in St Peter's Square.

Even after years of operations and therapies, Phuc still goes through adverse effects from the burns she sustained that day. She recently took laser treatments in the U.S.

She is the mother of two children. And Ut is now leading a retired life.

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