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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA soldier's eye: rediscovered pictures from Vietnam
He shot nearly 2,000 images between March 1968 and May 1969 before taking the negatives home. And there they sat, out of sight, but not out of mind, for 45 years, until a chance meeting brought them out of dormancy and into a digital scanner. At first, it was very difficult for Haughey to view the images and talk about them, especially not knowing the fates of many of the subjects of his photos. When the digitization hit 1,700 negative scans, Haughey put them on a slideshow and viewed them all at once, and didnt sleep for three days after. Hes slowly getting better at dealing with the emotional impact of seeing the images for the first time in decades.
A team of volunteers has worked with Haughey to plan a 28-image show, titled A Weather Walked In, which opens April 5th in the ADX art gallery in Portland, Oregon. The difficulty of keeping notes in a war zone along with the passage of decades has faded the details behind many of the images, and the captions reflect this fact, with many shots of unknown people in forgotten locations at unspecified times. It is hoped that publication of the pictures can yield more information. More images from the collection will be released as the project progresses. You can follow the progress on facebook and Tumblr. Thanks to Chieu Hoi project volunteer Kris Regentin for preparing much of this introduction and the accompanying captions. -
See more at: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2013/03/a_soldiers_eye_rediscovered_pi.html#sthash.AC9s9Kl5.dpuf
https://www.facebook.com/chieuhoiphoto
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chieuhoi/sets/72157632817930862/
http://chieu-hoi.tumblr.com/about
Bowed head in truck: Soldier and location unidentified. Charlie's first response to this photo: "It was not uncommon to find anyone with a head bowed for a moment, more often when we were heading out than when we were coming back. Interesting that he has a flak jacket, he's taking precautions on both sides of the fence. M16, a steel pot, a flak jacket, and a prayer."
U.S. soldiers patrol through a ghostly, defoliated rubber tree plantation. Date and location unknown.
A specially adapted armored personnel carrier, known as a flame track, clears ambush positions on the side of a supply route road. Names, date, and location unknown
An unidentified soldier pauses for a cigarette. Name, date, and location unknown
Soldiers board a Chinook. Names, date, and location unknown
Haughey poses with camera and light meter. Location and date unknown
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)I'm sure once these get out into the public, some people in the know can fill in the details...
But is more detail even needed? These shots tell their own story...
demosincebirth
(12,518 posts)Such brave men and the lousy treatment they got when they came back.
libdude
(136 posts)was being drafted with no way out. It was and is a shitty way to to screw over so many young men over some bullshit political theory. The basis for my disdain for Mitt Romney is his absolute hypocrisy on avoiding the draft using his religion and then protesting in favor of the war while safe in France.
Xin loi
Wilms
(26,795 posts)DollarBillHines
(1,922 posts)"Give Up"
Yeah, that worked out real good. Watching some FNG running around yelling "Chieu Hoi!" was hilarious. They had actually been taught that it would be productive.
Thanks for the post.
DemoTex
(25,371 posts)I found - now that my parents are both gone - all my letters to them from me in Viet Nam. Heavy, heavy shit my friends. I shit you not. It really clarifies the foggy timeline in my mind. Those letters will go to the wilderness lookout tower with me this summer for some serious writing.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)this guy really made cabinets for all of his adult life?? Wow...He should have been at Time-Life, UPI, SI, Nat Geo, someplace, anyplace...His stuff is *that* great...
justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)was enough time behind the camera for him.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)I would completely understand if he never wanted pick up a camera after coming home, but it would have been a loss for all of us because there is a definite artistic value in his work...
progressoid
(49,827 posts)I had a uncle (RIP) that wrote for Stars and Stripes in Vietnam. He had a hard time continuing his journalism back in the states. He was a little too acerbic for the local papers.
He ultimately found solace in wood carving.