'Napalm girl' Kim Phuc receives German prize for peace work Activist honoured decades after she wa

[niyad]

'Napalm girl’ Kim Phuc receives German prize for peace work

Activist honoured decades after she was photographed fleeing naked in Vietnam war

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Kim Phuc, known as the “napalm girl” after a well-known photo of her from the Vietnam war, has received an award in Germany for her work for peace.

Organisers of the Dresden prize say the 55-year-old, who lives in Canada, is being honoured for her support of Unesco and children wounded in war, and for speaking out against violence and hatred. She received €10,000 (£8,800).

. . . . .

Phuc was nine when a South Vietnamese plane dropped napalm bombs on her village in 1972, believing it harboured North Vietnamese troops. The scene of Phuc running down a road in tears, naked and severely burned was captured by the Associated Press photographer Nick Ut, who won a Pulitzer prize for the image in 1973. Ut, then 21, drove Phuc to hospital where he demanded doctors treat her. “I cried when I saw her running,” said Ut in 2012. “If I don’t help her and if something happened and she died I think I’d kill myself after that.”

Days after the image shocked the world, another journalist found out Phuc had survived. Christopher Wain, a British television journalist, fought to have her transferred to a US-run unit equipped to deal with her severe injuries. “I had no idea where I was or what happened to me,” Phuc said. “I woke up and I was in the hospital with so much pain, and then the nurses were around me. I woke up with a terrible fear.”

Phuc sustained third-degree burns on 30% of her body. She began scar treatment in 2015.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/11/napalm-girl-kim-phuc-prize-peace-work

[lpbk2713]

1. A classic news pic.

I don't remember ever hearing that part about the photog taking her to get medical care.
I'm glad he cared enough to do that. Her pain must have been beyond unbearable.

Thanks.

[niyad]

2. it is a truly amazing story.

[underpants]

3. What an incredible story and journey

I saw this this morning but forgot to post it. Glad you did.

My phone froze up when I was trying to reply earlier.

[SeattleVet]

4. Nick Ut had a huge impact with that single photo.

http://www.forbesindia.com/article/recliner/i-took-the-picture-that-changed-the-war-nick-ut/51441/1
-----
Q. What happened after you took the Napalm Girl photograph?
When I took that picture, I was really happy. Because it changed the war. After that picture was published, the world became angry about what America was doing in Vietnam. US President Richard Nixon saw it, and knew that they had lost the war. He said it was a fake photograph. But there was video footage of the napalm bombs coming down on the village, and I said you can talk to Kim Phuc.

I was also lucky that I could save Kim’s life. There are a lot of journalists who take pictures and then walk away. I knew that if I did not help her, she would die. There was smoke coming out of her body, it was so hot. I put her in the car; she sat on the floor, as she could not sit anywhere else because her skin was falling off. And she kept saying, “Brother, I’ll die, I’ll die.”

We drove for about 40 minutes to the hospital, and pleaded with the doctors and nurses to help. But they refused, because she was a local, and wanted me to take Kim to Saigon, which was two hours away. But I knew she would die in that time. So, I told the doctors that if she died, the news would be on the front page of all newspapers. Only then they agreed to help.

But, in the next few days, when the picture was out, the best doctors from Germany, Japan and France came to help Kim.
-----

[smirkymonkey]

8. What an incredible story.

And what a courageous, decent man. I am so glad he was there to fight for her. And I am so glad she made it.

Thank you for posting this.

[SeattleVet]

9. He retired from AP just 2 years ago.

Here's a very good story on his retirement, and his friendship with Kim Phuc:

What an amazing photographer, and person!

[dalton99a]

12. +1

[niyad]

10. a truly amazing story. thank you so much for posting this.

I have never understood medical personnel who refuse to treat civilians in war.

[Beringia]

5. With her baby

[niyad]

11. thank you. I tried to post that, but could not.

[bluescribbler]

6. Good for her.

That was a horrific image. Unfortunately, there were many more who weren't as lucky as she was.

[bobbieinok]

7. I've never been able to forget that picture!!

[hfojvt]

13. I remember a boy from that picture

Granted, he was not burned or naked, but has a look of anguish on his face, was just made homeless or orphaned.