This is the 6th of June 1944. On the coast of northern France, a military warship is stopped. Men flood into the shallow waves in the rhythm of distant gunfire. Thus starts the world’s most extensive amphibious invasion: D-Day. Eventually, more than 150,000 men would fill the English Channel in Normandy and beyond to fight German invaders. No, it’s not a beautiful view. But it was a catastrophic sight — this is proven by these 40 pictures.
40 Rare Photos Showing What D Day Was Really Like
40. On The March
This would be quite a lovely French sight if it weren’t for the sea of troops. But the truth of the situation here is not ignored. Men of the 50th Division of the Infantry Division of Britain had just reached Gold Beach. You go to the town of Crépon, where they compel the Germans to withdraw to the south. Afterward, the British will continue their progress across the countryside of Normandy — and then victory.
40. On The March
39. Forty Winks In A Foxhole
In his tight foxhole, this GI catches some shut-eye. It is difficult to say, but those are his boots, or are a pal with it stuck in a dugout? Two sets of kits are clearly evident. In any case, there appears to be no opportunity. Just look at the two hand grenades on the edge of this fortune-telling bunker!
39. Forty Winks In A Foxhole
38. Arriving On Juno Beach
The tide is out, and it’s likely easier for these Canadian soldiers to cross the dunes of Juno Beach, one of the five primary landing locations for the D-Day. Bernières-Sur-Mer is the coastal village in the backdrop and is a popular seaside resort in quiet times. And no weapons are pulled, as you can see. It is because only somewhat flippant German fortifications had met the first forces to reach Juno at 6h30.
38. Arriving On Juno Beach
37. Danger
This picture is appropriately described as “Death’s Jaws.” It was captured by Mate Robert F. Sargent, the chief photographer. Quite rightfully, it was one of the most common photographs of D-Day landings. It depicts US Army First Infantry Division soldiers rushing alongside their Omaha Beach landing ship. They had been greeted by heavy gunfire but nevertheless drove the Germans out of defense.
37. Danger
36. Rommel’s Asparagus
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, a highly praised German military leader, was one of the officers on the shot. He was assigned the charge of the Atlantic Wall, which he saw standing defensively along the coast of France, which he saw here. These poles on the beach had been christened by Allied forces as “Rommel’s asparagus.” The date is April 1944, and forces soon stated that the same beaches will be attacked.
36. Rommel’s Asparagus
35. Before The Storm
The G.I.s appear calm when talking to Mary Jane Cooke, the Red Cross worker. But the troops were very quiet. It is impossible to believe. They wait for a day excursion on the English Channel to Normandy. After all, they wait in line. Things are far from calm. There will be things.
35. Before The Storm
34. Taken For A Ride?
These British troops see their bicycles battling in the water and do not land on the banks of Normandy. In fact, this is a practice on the south coast of England on Hayling Island overlooking the English Channel. And while this photograph shows merely the simulated war, these guys are going to fight for real… bicycles and everything in just a few weeks.
34. Taken For A Ride
33. Axis prisoners
In June 1944 in France, this photograph depicted a big crowd of prisoners taken by the Axis. As the Allies struggled to penetrate the French land from Normandy’s beaches, more and more Axis forces surrendered. On the D-Day itself, over 4,000 soldiers were taken. More than 47,000 had raised the white flag by the end of June.
33. Axis Prisoners
32. Assault on Omaha Beach
The troops of the 16th Infantry Regiment came to Omaha Beach, where Germany had heavy opposition. The soldiers take cover at the bottom of some cliffs, no doubt settling their nerves before the battle ahead. And who could blame them for this? At Omaha on D-Day, total US casualties — soldiers who were missing, injured, or murdered – totaled about 2,400.
32. Assault On Omaha Beach
31. Downtime
The Allies battled their way from Normandy beaches and into France, and there was much battle and misery. Nevertheless, the forces were able to delay, albeit momentarily. In the French city of Argentan, some 40 miles from the Normandy shore, these G.I.s of the 80th Infantry Division are located. He and his friends took the town on 20th August 1944, and the accordionist is an H.C. Medley.
31. Downtime
30. Omaha Beach, D-Day+1
These US Army 2nd Infantry Division troops leave behind Omaha Beach as they pass a dropped German bunker. The brutal struggle the previous day was ended, and it’s June 7, 1944. No picnic. It was not. With 2’400 victims being the most significant number in any one of the five amphibious assault areas of D-day, the shoreline was heavily defended against its clifftops.
30. Omaha Beach, D Day+1
29. B-26 Marauder
It is smiling in this July 1944 picture when a bomber crew from the B-26 Marauder is returning from an apparently successful French mission. Of course, aircraft played a significant role in the invasion of Normandy. Some 11,000 allied aircraft performed approximately 200,000 flights from 1 April 1944 up to the D-Day. And these flights in France and elsewhere, with around 195.000 tons of bombs, destroyed vital Axis infrastructure.
29. B 26 Marauder
28. Heading for Sword Beach
This photograph depicts British commandos of the ISB as they get to the Sword Beach in France. In principle, these soldiers were scheduled to come shortly after Germany was removed off the shore and sent inland immediately. They took part in a brutal fight with the German defenders in the tight quarters until they finally overwhelmed them. Indeed, when they landed, combat resumed.
28. Heading For Sword Beach
27. Tidying up at Omaha Beach
225 soldiers from the 2nd battalion of the Ranger assaulted at Omaha Beach the 90-foot cliffs of the Pointe du Hoc under the command of Texan Colonel James E. Rudder. They were to cripple the enemy’s powerful weaponry at the top. Two days of severe struggle took the Rangers to overcome and accomplish their target, the German Resistance. Here, following their triumph, we see the Rangers settling.
27. Tidying Up At Omaha Beach
26. Sherman Tanks
These two M4 Sherman tanks belong to the 741st Tank Battalion of the United States First Army. A transportation boat is loaded to aid with the invasion of Normandy and preparing to cross the English Channel. But what are the odd constructions of steel behind the vehicles? Those are snorkels, actually. They avoid flooding and stalemating their motors as they drive deep water to the beaches.
26. Sherman Tanks
25. Bill Millin And His Famous Bagpipes
By World War II, Scottish troops should not play bagpipes while fighting. They should not play bagpipes. However, when the 1st Special Service Brigade Commandos Private Bill Millin sailed to Sword Beach on the morning, he or she struck his pipes with pride. The Longest Day in the war of 1962 immortalized his courageous – or, as the Germans believed, crazy – act.
25. Bill Millin And His Famous Bagpipes
24. Surrender At The Seaside
An Axis party, including two commanders, is taken over by a Canadian soldier with a fixed bayonet. The prisoners were taken on the D-Day in the coastal city of the Juno Beach area of Courseulles-Sur-Mer. Their captives were Canadian 3rd Infantry Division troops who met solid German opposition when they came to land.
24. Surrender At The Seaside
23. U.S. Rangers Ready For Battle
These four men are on the landing ship of the 5th Ranger Battalion to Omaha Beach, Normandy. The English port city of Weymouth on the South Coast is still in safe shape when photographing. It seems, however, that some guys are pleased than others at the imminent attack. Talk about feelings! Talk about conflicting emotions.
23. U.S. Rangers Ready For Battle
22. Coming Ashore At Gold Beach
The British commandos of the 50th Infantry Division (Northumbrian) waste little time on landing. They came to Gold Beach, the most important of the Allies’ five amphibious attack sites. And while the soldiers greeted the German Defenders with strong early opposition, they set up a solid basis to continue the offensive by the end of the day.
22. Coming Ashore At Gold Beach
21. D-Day Paratroopers
Can severe photograph stress be felt? This is an excellent photo for testing the theory. After all, these paratroopers are on D-Day heading to Normandy on a Douglas C-47 transport. These unbelievably brave men will throw themselves into unknown perils from the relative safety of their aircraft.
21. D Day Paratroopers
20. Huge Operation
This image shows the overwhelming size of Normandy’s D-Day assault. The water is crowded as far as the eye can see with ships and landing boats. Balloons fill the sky with dams. There are people, cars, and goods stacked up on the shore. This chaotic image comes from Omaha Beach a little time after the first assault on the D-Day.
20. Huge Operation
19. Cherbourg Welcomes America
The battling of the Axis soldiers was the first priority as the Allies went ashore on the D-Day. But another very urgent concern was that of supply. The main Normandy port of Cherbourg was needed to satisfy this requirement. But it was fanatically defended by the Germans against the U.S. Army onslaught that began on June 18. Then the Americans dominated after eight days of challenging combat. As you can see, some of the city’s people welcomed the triumphant G.I. more than happily.
19. Cherbourg Welcomes America
18. Operation Tonga
In preparation for Operation Tonga, these four paratroop commanders of the British 6th Airborne Division synchronize watches. It’s 11:00 p.m. on June 5th, and the flights will be taking to Normandy from RAF Harwell. Before the amphibious invasion began, these troops would land in a hostile area, making them one of the first Allies to set foot in Germany.
18. Operation Tonga
17. Arriving at Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer
This is D-Day, which is one of the beachfront villages of Juno Beach, Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer. Canadian soldiers of the 48th Royal Marine disembark at all haste from their landing crafts, understandably anxious to get into the dry country. You can hardly blame guys for getting to the shore and finding shelter. The initial wave of soldiers inflicted heavy german fire losses of up to 50%.
17. Arriving At Saint Aubin Sur Mer
16. A Trip To France
Well, waiting for the war in France seemed to be as good a time to read a Country Guidebook. That is at least what the 51st Highland division of Scotland soldiers chose. And it also appears to be fun reading. It will be June 7, and soon, as a part of the second wave of invaders, these guys will arrive at Gold Beach.
16. A Trip To France
15. Next Stop, Omaha Beach
These G.I.s race across the sea in the D-Day attacks on the Normandy city of Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Omaha Beach. Soon they waded to face a mural of enemy fire. But in the morning of 7 June, the attacking soldiers would ultimately overpower the German defenses. Sadly, the losses will be enormous.
15. Next Stop, Omaha Beach
14. Kindness in Caen
For the Allies, a transportation center with significant highways and inland waterways was a key strategic objective for Caen. The Germans were understood then to protect the city. Six weeks of challenging combat before it was arrested on 19th July 1944 by British and Canadian forces. The town was devastated mainly by intensive bombardment. An elderly lady crosses the wreckage of a British soldier here.
14. Kindness In Caen
13. Disembarking on D-Day
As Allied forces crossed the beaches of Normandy on the D-Day, it was the culmination of careful preparation years. President Franklin Roosevelt and British leader Winston Churchill were the primary political characters in the narrative. Both men understood that only a significant invasion of German-occupied Europe could victory over the Axis troops. And France has to begin that.
13. Disembarking On D Day
12. Surrender at Saint-Lambert-sur-Dive
It was 21 August 1944, and for World War II, these German troops had no longer the belly. Saint-Lambert-sur-Dive, approximately 35 miles from the coast of Normandy. 175 Canadian troops, who took the French city in front of the stout defense, were handed over by the hostages.
12. Surrender At Saint Lambert Sur Dive
11. Eating Time
Napoleon Bonaparte and Frederick the Great have differed from the well-known adage “An army marches on its belly.” Whoever said that knew what they talked about first. And here, around chow time, we see several G.I.S. on a landing ship going to the beaches of Normandy. The possibility of armed fighting does not look as though its appetite was ruined.
11. Eating Time
10. Street fighting in Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer
Struggling amid the rubble of Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, those troops in the North Shore Regime, in the third Canadian infantry division. The heavily fortified city was part of the D-Day operations in the Juno Beach area. The unit experienced severe battles — 124 losses, 34 murders included.
10. Street Fighting In Saint Aubin Sur Mer
9. A Woman Smiles
This is because the day the photograph is 28 May 1944, a little over a week before D-Day, things appear so peaceful here. Thus, these smiling forces are somewhere in England, not in Normandy. That’s also why it seems so clean and smooth. Operation Overlord’s turmoil and bloodshed remain.
9. A Woman Smiles
8. Taking cover at Utah Beach
These 8th Infantry Regiment G.I.s blanket Utah Beach and arrive on the D-Day. Some of their pals push the pitch up. They were pretty fortunate because Utah Beach was not guarded so heavily as other landing places. In comparison to some other beaches in Normandy, the casualties were low.
8. Taking Cover At Utah Beach
7. Enjoying a joke
It’s hard to determine who cracked this joke here, but it must have been an excellent one, whether it’s the military police or the old French woman. You are at the village of Sainte-Mère-Eglise that on D-Day became famous. An American paratroopers company fell on 6 June at around 1:45 a.m. near the town square. They were meant to land somewhere, but the locals seemed to be happy to welcome them!
7. Enjoying A Joke
6. Walking Wounded
These American servicemen are in the group of injured walkers that makes them strangely fortunate. In France, several of her pals were hurt far worse and, of course, died during the D-Day attacks. The troops returned from Normandy through the English Channel and landed at Southampton Port.
6. Walking Wounded
5. Not Too Long Now…
The 18th infantry regiment soldiers come to Omaha Beach’s easy-red area. Soon their door will fall on the sand, and these guys will be plunged into the thick of the action. The location of some of D-most Day’s severe battles was Omaha Beach, you see. It was made perfect by the high rocks that overlooked the beach, a hard nut to crack.
5. Not Too Long Now…
4. The Accordionist
It was evident that the clean-looking G.I.s in France are not at the battle. Actually, it was 22 June 1944, the two soldiers still traveled via England to continental Europe, perhaps waiting for their turn. The woman only known as Mrs. M. Hale is doing the American people with her accordion a good fist. She seemed already struggling in Normandy with her spouse.
4. The Accordionist
Landing on Gold Beach
On D-Day British forces arrive on Gold Beach. These are the soldiers of the 47 Royal Navy Commando, a 1943 elite squad. They landed close to Asnelles, a beach village, and had a challenging time. As you can see, the Germans fell five of their landing craft, while the Marines suffered seventy-six deaths from a force of 420.
3. Landing On Gold Beach
Buying Cigarettes
These British soldiers are obviously not yet in France – just look at their well-shined boots! In a bit of shopping in an English town before D-Day, these intelligent warriors truly blended in. They seemed to be searching for smokes. It is May 28, 1944, the brutality of the invasion of Normandy is about to erupt some pacific days ahead.
2. Buying Cigarettes
Destruction
Soldiers look inside the remnants of a German bunker and gun site – part of the Gold Beach, Normandy defensive system. British infantrymen from the Green Howards Regiment demolished the fortification with the assistance of three tanks. And this achievement was not overlooked. For his gallantry during the attack on the Gold Beach, Sergeant Major Stan Hollis from the Greens Howards earned the Victoria Cross – Britain’s highest military medal. On the D-Day, it was the sole V.C. granted.
1. Destruction
D-Day wasn’t the only significant day in WWII though. VE day is one of the most important days in history, the day that Nazi Berlin fell. Here are some pictures that prove exactly how significant this day was.
Soviet Takeover
It was after nearly four years of intense fighting that Soviet forces finally penetrated Berlin. The date was 16 April 1945, a day that should’ve come a lot sooner. Having invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Nazi Germany had killed an estimated 25 million Soviet citizens. Hitler’s Germany was now weak: depleted, disorganized and heavily surrounded by a stronger enemy. There was a total of 1.5 Million Soviet troops encircling the capital before they eventually attacked.
Soviet Takeover
Not Just A Ground Assault
The Soviet troops entered Berlin not only from the ground, but from the air too. As you can see in the picture below they had small one man warplanes which were used to enter Berlin and secure the takedown of Nazi Germany.
Not Just A Ground Assault
Berlin Residents
Naturally, as Berlin was the base of all of Nazi activity, and the capital, it had to be taken down. With this in mind, of course there was going to be collateral damage with action. As you can see below, terrified civilians flee as what used to be their homes burn and crumble to the ground in the background.
Berlin Residents
Boy Soldiers
After Hitler refused to leave the capital, he spent the remainder of his das in an underground bunker that was later known as the ‘Führerbunker’, in the center of the city. It was on the 20th April, his birthday, that he was last seen in public, awarding medals to those defending the city. Hitler used children and old men to defend the city. Pictured below you can see him awarding boys gold stars for their work.
Boy Soldiers
Outclassed
In the end, a total of 1.5 million Soviet troops encircled and assaulted the capital, Berlin. The Nazi forces were outnumbered, outgunned and purely outclassed. They tried to slow down the Soviet advance but they couldn’t stop it. Hitler killed himself a day after marrying Eva Braun. There bodies were incinerated nearby.
Outclassed
Soviet Berlin
Not long after Hitler’s suicide, Soviet forces took control of the shell-damaged Reichstag. If you look below you will see a famously staged photo of a Soviet soldier lifting the USSR flag above this historic building, truly declaring victory over Nazi Germany.
Soviet Berlin
Surrender
On 2 May, the city officially surrendered. Fighting did continue until the end of the war, which was actually 8 May. Berlin was left in a state of ruin, while Soviet troops gave out bread and essentials, but some also committed atrocities against German civilians. On 8 May, Marshal Wilhelm Keitel formally signed Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender, near Berlin.
Surrender
Devastation
Much of the city’s devastation can be seen by images just like the one below. Prior to the street fighting, Berlin was heavily bombed by both the British and the US. The city was ruined, the people were displaced and chaos had truly ensued as a result of Nazi-controlled Germany.
Devastation
Civilians
After the war had ended, civilians struggled. Soviet troops did help some of them by giving them essentials like bread and soup, which you can see below. Berlin was now occupied by the Allied power, and civilians had already began to clear up the city.
Civilians
Cleanup
The city was in tatters and needed some serious work in order to move forward. As a result of this, the civilians made themselves useful and began a cleanup of the city. As you can see below, they had made progress quite quickly, despite the limited tools and help.
Cleanup
Potsdamer Platz
Nowadays, Potsdamer Platz is an important public square and traffic intersection in the center of Berlin. Can you believe that at one stage it looked like the image below? The area was in ruins and it looks a shadow of what it looks like nowadays.
Potsdamer Platz
Churchill’s Visit
In July 1945, Churchill took a trip to Berlin in the aftermath of everything. I mean after all, how many world leaders can say that they led a major world power to victory over the Nazis? It was a glorious time for Churchill, and pictured below you can see him sitting on a chair outside of Hitler’s bunker.
Churchill’s Visit
An Unsurprising Surrender
People weren’t surprised to hear about Germany’s surrender, it had long been anticipated and the civilians from all over: UK, US etc were waiting patiently to start celebrating. It was formally broadcast on the radio late on 7 May 1945, and the Newspapers ran headlines as quickly as possible.
An Unsurprising Surrender
Early Celebrations
Some people couldn’t wait for the celebrations to begin so started celebrating early, before the official day of celebration. These people had endured years of wartime restrictions, from food and clothes rationing to blackouts and bombing raids. Understandably, they were ready to let loose.
Early Celebrations
VE Day Becomes A National Holiday For Britain
On 8 May 1945, VE day (Victory in Europe day) was officially announced as a national holiday. In the morning of May 8, Churchill was assured that there would be enough beer supplies in the capital and people could purchase alcohol without ration coupons. Some items were hastily made in advance, like VE day mugs.
VE Day Becomes A National Holiday For Britain
Boarding
Soldiers from the United States take to the streets through a southern English coastal town on their way to board landing ships for the invasion of France in late May or early June 1944.
Boarding
English Port
As a result, the Allies opted to invade Europe along the Normandy coast, between Le Havre and Cherbourg on the Cotentin Peninsula, rather than across the English Channel. In the portrait, jeeps are being loaded onto a landing craft, while in the background, larger trucks and ducks are being loaded, in June 1944. This is a general view of an English port.
English Port
Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force
SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force), February 1, 1944. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Air Chief Marshal Arthur Tedder, and General Bernard Montgomery sit in the front row. Lieutenant General Omar Bradley, Admiral Bertram Ramsay, Air Chief Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory, and Lieutenant General Walter Bedell Smith are pictured in the back row from left to right.
Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force
Survivors
On June 6, American troops were assisting those whose landing craft had been sunk off the coast of France. The survivors in the photograph made it to Utah Beach, near Cherbourg, with the help of a life raft.
Survivors
Low-Flying Planes
Nazi soldiers on a beach in France, just before D-Day in June 1944, are frightened by the glimpse of a low-flying Allied plane overhead and rush for cover. It was taking reconnaissance photos of German coastal defenses in advance of the invasion on June 6, which was scheduled for that day.
Low-Flying Planes
Coast Guard Flotilla 10
This is the location of Coast Guard Flotilla 10, which is moored alongside British landing craft, preparing to sail across the English Channel and into Nazi-occupied France. These landing crafts were responsible for bringing American troops to Omaha Beach.
Coast Guard Flotilla 10
Kids Playing
A soldier assisted children in skipping rope in the streets of a town in the south of England where military equipment was being prepared for shipment to France
Kids Playing
U.S Reinforcements
In the days that followed the Allies’ D-Day invasion of France in June 1944, additional troops from the United States wade through the surf as they land in Normandy.
U.S Reinforcements
Heading To Normandy
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, American troops plunge from a Coast Guard landing barge toward the beach at Normandy.
Heading To Normandy
Heavy Smoke
After an explosion near Cherbourg, France, a dense plume of smoke rises from the dunes, which are littered with barbed wire. Two soldiers huddle together behind a brick wall. The photograph was taken during the summer of 1944.
Heavy Smoke
Forming A Breakwater
Thirteen liberty ships, which were deliberately scuttled to serve as a breakwater for invasion vessels touching down on the Normandy beachhead, are lined up off the coast, shielding the ships approaching the beachhead from enemy fire. Artificial harbor engineering installation that had to be towed across the English Channel because it had to be prefabricated.
Forming A Breakwater
Bomb On The Cliff
A German-delivered explosive hangs on the edge of a cliff above Omaha Beach as a protective move during D-Day. If something did not go according to their plan, they have set up safety measures for themselves.
Bomb On The Cliff
Leaving The Coastline
On the 6th of June, 1944, Royal Marine Commandos attached to the 3rd Infantry Division moved away from the coast from Sword Beach.
Leaving The Coastline
The Fallen
In June 1944, American soldiers on Omaha Beach were tasked with recovering the bodies of the fallen during the D-Day invasion.
The Fallen
Bunker To House
Three United States soldiers take a break at the foot of a bunker that the Germans have graffitied and camouflaged to look like a house for their own protection and comfort.
Bunker To House
Here are some awesome images that depict moments from the Vietnam War…
Child Safety
This photograph of a US corpsman carrying a wounded child away from the battle in Hué is a rare opportunity to demonstrate the genuine value of human generosity and manhood. The toddler was discovered walking between the North Vietnamese and American firing lines the night before. His parents were most likely murdered.
Child Safety
Children Fought
It’s incredible to conceive that these three young youngsters would be fighting the Viet Minh army with grenades in their hands. Unfortunately, they most likely died quickly during the conflict. This is a powerful photo that shows the unfortunate consequences of war.
Children Fought
Two Sides Of A Coin
Who is the adversary in this situation? The soldier, viewed from behind, faces a Vietnamese woman cradling a baby and flanked by a half-naked boy? Is it the young woman and her two children who are being accosted by an American soldier? Isn’t it true that every coin has two sides?
Two Sides Of A Coin
Kindness
When American troops landed on British soil, they showered their comrades with chocolates, nylons, and cigarettes. There are stories of children being lined up at the playground and having a tall GI hand them Mars bars. They were suspicious right away. A Mars bar was something truly unique. Why were these uniformed officers simply handing them over?
Kindness
Compassion
This photograph was taken in 1968 in Vietnam during the Battle of Saigon. This isn’t your typical “battle” shot. It’s not often that “enemies” are seen cradling each other. The Viet Cong, on the other hand, were frequently shown sympathy by American troops. This stemmed from a soldier’s admiration for their commitment and bravery, attributes that are hard to find in the regular government soldier.
Compassion
Retreat
Armies in full retreat are rarely seen in photographs.
The photographers who may have taken some of those photos have either bugged out, been captured, or been killed.
In mid-April 1975, commander Le Minh Dao invited a small party of American journalists to fly into the little provincial seat of Xuan Loc, South Vietnam, 35 miles north of Saigon.
Retreat
Bring Them Home
On Nov. 15, 1965, this photograph was taken at [the Battle of la Drang], LZ X-Ray. A GI dashed across the clearing to carry the body of a fallen buddy onto the Huey helicopter that was waiting.
Bring Them Home
Help Your Fellow Comrade
Most photographs capture a fraction of a second, which is just that: a snapshot of a moment in time. Even in combat, that instant can sometimes communicate a complete story, but it can also be confusing.
The portrait of Gunnery Sergeant Jeremiah Purdie, bleeding and bandaged, being dragged down a muddy slope by fellow marines that appeared in LIFE in late October 1966 didn’t really need a caption. Infiltrating forces and efforts to prevent them were described in the written description that accompanied the photograph and a dozen others that brought Operation Prairie to LIFE’s readers. Hills were taken and given up.
Help Your Fellow Comrade
Cover
One of them is this photograph of a haunted-looking young American GI hiding from monsoon rains in the forests west of Da Nang while on patrol in 1972. The soldier’s eyes suggest that he most certainly went through hell along the route, and you don’t need a caption to describe it.
Cover
Freedom
Before “embeds,” this generation’s forced fusion of photographer and military unit, there was a certain sense of independence we had as photographers, being able to go straight to the story. The only significant constraint in Vietnam in the early 1970s was obtaining a ride. However, if a helicopter or truck had a seat open virtually until the end of the US war, they would take you along.
Freedom
A Lonely Helmet
This shot has a weird and deeply melancholy quality to it. In the mild gray light, an empty helmet — is its owner still alive? — is portrayed front and center, laying on the ground like a discarded soup dish or a severed skull. It’s photographed as if it’s the heart of a shattered compass, one with no arms and no direction.
A Lonely Helmet
Return
Because it was the end of the war, the joy of the reunion and the coming together of the family as a visual is spectacular. We were relieved to be done with it.
Return