The history of Vietnam in the 20th century is inextricably linked with the war. In these events, not only soldiers were affected, but also a large number of civilians. A photograph taken by British photographer Nick Ut in June 1972, depicting a naked girl, Kim Fook, running and crying out for help, has become one of the most famous symbols of the Vietnam War.
Horrors of War: Napalm
Napalm is the use of thickened gasoline, which is a combustible product that was used to create an incendiary and flamethrower mixture. This is the weapon that marks the history of Vietnam in the 20th century. The use of napalm has been characteristic of American aviation since World War II. But it was especially widely used by the United States Army during the military operations in Vietnam from 1964 to 1973. Many locals suffered from its use. As a result, these weapons claimed a large number of lives. Kim Fook has become an antiwar symbol thanks to the famous photo.
The famous photo of Nick Utah
Civilians, including a nine-year-old girl named Kim Fook, left the territory of their village and marched toward the position of the government army (because their locality was already under enemy control). It seemed to the pilot of South Vietnamese aviation that they were soldiers of North Vietnam, because of which people were attacked by napalm bombs. One of the moments that followed after their discharge was captured by journalist Nick Ut: several small Vietnamese fled against the backdrop of puffs of smoke, and among them it was hard not to notice a naked girl (her clothes caught fire and she had to be torn off), whose face was distorted by pain. The correspondent brought the children who suffered from the attack to the hospital.
Napalm girl
The girl pictured was from the Vietnamese village of Changbang, which was located northwest of Saigon (present-day Ho Chi Minh City). On June 8, back in 1972, there were fights between the forces of North and South Vietnam, which were witnessed by photographer Nick Ut. Not far from the place where the napalm bombs were dropped, there were members of the crew. It was they who saw the children running along the road. Little Vietnamese did not scream until they noticed that adults were nearby. In addition to the nine-year-old Kim Fook, the film crew also saw her older brother of twelve - Fan Thanh Tama, the youngest Fan Thanh Phuoka, five years old, cousin Ho Wan Bo and sister Ho Thi Ting. Kim squealed in pain and tried to wave her hands. This moment was recorded by Vietnamese correspondent Nick Ut. Photographs of the photographer today tell the story of those days to people around the world. If someone doubts how terrible the Vietnam War was, the photo proves this.
Help for a Vietnamese girl
A member of the crew, Chris Wayne, the girl was stopped and doused with water. It was clear that she needed urgent help. Later, Nick Ut recalled that at that moment the stocks of the film were almost exhausted and cameraman Alan Downes was asked not to waste it in filming terrible scenes that, he believed, would never be shown to the general public. However, the television company for which they worked subsequently dared to take this step. By Nick Ut, the girl was taken to a British children's hospital in the city of Saigon.
In a short time, the photo of the correspondent became shockingly famous in the Western world, and many became interested in the fate of Kim. After a few days, Chris visited her in the hospital. According to his recollections, there were unsanitary conditions there when Kim was sent to the hospital. When the correspondent asked the nurses about the condition of the girl, then after her examination he was informed that the baby would not survive until the next day. Christopher realized that urgent action needed to be taken. At a British hospital, doctors had experience in treating bronchitis, but not burns of this degree. Kim was taken to another hospital. There she was assisted by experienced plastic surgeons, and the girl’s life was saved. She was in the hospital for more than a year, and the number of operations reached seventeen.
The fate of Kim Fook
Years passed, the war in Vietnam ended . The photo continued to symbolize how terrible those events were and how they affected the lives of thousands of ordinary people. The Vietnamese government subsequently used the girl as an anti-war symbol, and she did not have the opportunity to study at the university. The situation changed only in 1986, when she was allowed to continue her studies. Kim Fook was educated in one of the institutions of Cuba, where she met her future husband. Already in 1992, they asked the Canadian government for refugee status when they escaped from an airplane at Newfoundland Airport. Today, Kim and his family live in this country, in the province of Ontario (a suburb of Toronto). She established an organization to provide medical and psychological assistance to those who became victims of the war.
Photo recognition
For this shot, Nick won the Pulitzer Prize, which is the most prestigious for journalists.
The photograph “Napalm in Vietnam” became one of the most famous photographs reflecting the events of that war. She shocked the American population and influenced the change of mood in the country towards anti-war. The photo is on the list of the most influential photographs of the 20th century (according to the list of Columbia University).