Napalm Girl Photo An Account Of Vietnams War Defining Picture

May 2024 · 3 minute read

The napalm girl photo that came out 50 years ago was an accurate depiction of the cruelty and inhumanity of the Vietnam war. The photo features a 9-year-old girl Phan Thi Kim Phuc, fleeing a deadly attack. 

The photo became a defining moment of the 20th century as it highlighted an unfortunate occasion. 

Taken outside the village of Trang Bang on June 8, 1972, the picture shows dark smoke billowing behind the running victims. The young subjects’ faces are painted with terror, pain, and confusion.

The South Vietnamese army soldiers can be seen running helplessly behind innocent children. 

Though officially titled “The Terror of War,” the photo is better known by the nickname given to the badly burned, naked 9-year-old running in the center: “Napalm Girl.”

Phan Thi Kim Phuc, more commonly known as the Napalm girl, ultimately survived her injuries, but her photo profoundly impacted the entire world. 

This photo was shockingly horrifying because the Napalm girl running naked was merely skin and bones. The picture unveiled the nasty effects of a war on the most innocent members of society. 

Since then, the disturbing image of the screaming and terrified child has become a symbol for anti-war protests worldwide.

Associated Press photographer Nick Ut was behind the camera in capturing the Napalm girl photo. 

Phan Thi Kim Phuc was severely burned when a South Vietnamese Army Skyraider dropped the volatile chemical on civilians like Phúc and her family after being mistaken for the enemy.

Another picture of the Napalm girl standing in a puddle of water also surfaced in the media. 

Here’s what the Napalm girl said on the 50th anniversary of the iconic photo

“I will never forget that moment,” Phuc said in a video call from Toronto, where she is now based.

“That picture has become a powerful gift for me,” Phúc told CNN ahead of the photograph’s 50th anniversary in 2022, “I can (use it) to work for peace, because that picture has not let me go.”

Phuc also spoke to David Ono in 2012 and expressed how she was embarrassed by the photo when she first saw it. But today, that picture fuels her mission as an ambassador of peace.

Phuc is grateful to the photographer who recorded that moment of history and the horror of war. The picture speaks volumes about the detrimental effects of war on children. 

She proudly embraces the Napalm girl photo and believes it can change the world’s perception of war. 

Talking about the most horrific yet most memorable moment of her life, Phuc said that moment changed her entire belief system and attitude. 

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