Recently on TOP was one of the "Random Excellence" posts, highlighting a series of Vietnam war shots published by the Boston Globe. looking through them I realised that this shot
From Boston Globe's "The Big Picture"South Vietnamese marines line beaches and swim out to ships, fleeing from the northern port city of Da Nang on March 29, 1975 before its fall to the Viet Cong and north Vietnamese. This picture was taken as some marines successfully fled, abandoning scores of weapons, vehicles and even a helicopter. In the foreground, men on LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank) prepare to throw rope to marines coming up on inner tubes. Only a fraction of the city's 100,000 defenders were evacuated before its fall. (AP Photo)
was taken on the same day as this one:
The latter being me, taken a few hours later and half way around the world.
Rather sobering.
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That is rather sobering. My, aren't you a young one. I was just past my 13th birthday at that time.
ReplyDeleteI was in Viet Nam in 1969 with the US Marines, very sad to see when it all fell apart.
ReplyDelete2 comments come together. Paul, first time in a while I've been described as young. On that note, Don - one thing I noticed was the youth of the USMC pictured: were you really all that young and yet World weary?
ReplyDeleteIf so, a pictorial indictment of warfare.
According to the picture they were not US Marines but were Vietnamese marines.
ReplyDeleteThe US Marine was normally 18 and up, I was 21 and they called me old man.