Never before seen photos of the Vietnam War, taken by a drafted soldier too traumatized to view them

[snagglepuss]

before now.


The images are the work of Charlie Haughey, a soldier who was ordered to take photographs of the U.S. Army's operations to raise awareness and boost morale.


After returning from the war he had 2,000 negatives, but he stored them in a box, unable to revisit the harrowing memories of his tour of duty.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2303845/Never-seen-images-Vietnam-War-eyes-soldier-hid-photographs-decades.html#ixzz2PX7ltgQo

[Downtown Hound]

1. Bookmarked for later. n/t

[JNelson6563]

2. They're so young!

So sad, that whole debacle. Thanks for posting this great find though! Posts like these, where I see amazing things I may not have otherwise seen, are a big part of what makes DU great.

Julie

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. Yes, although the Vietnam soldiers were my generation, their extreme youth first struck me

in the mid 1980s, when one of my students brought treats for his birthday. When I asked him how old he was, he said "Nineteen," and I remembered that the average soldier in Vietnam was 19.

[Victor_c3]

15. great point

And that is a point that I've made on this forum many times.

First, I served as an Infantryman in Iraq in 2004. I was 24 at the time and most of the guys in my platoon were probably around 20-22 years old - probably a little older than the average age of the guys in Vietnam if I had to guess.

In movies we always see wars fought by manly men who look to be in their late 20s and early 30s. They never display boyish and youthful features like Soldiers in real life. Wars are presented to us as "adult" affairs and we neglect to see them for what they really are. In reality, we send people who are just barely out of childhood to fight and do our bidding.

This is one of the major points Kurt Vonnegut wished to give his quintessential war book when he gave it Slaughterhouse Five the secondary tittle of Or the Children's Crusade.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

20. There were even a few 17-year-old enlistees killed in Vietnam

I remember how after this fact became known, the DoD instituted a policy of sending no one under the age of 18 to Vietnam, as if that was any better.

[pinboy3niner]

21. Some were even younger when they died

Marine, 15, Killed in Vietnam; Enlisted at 14, Lying About Age; MARINE, 15, DIES IN VIETNAM WAR
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50711FE3C5C137A93C1A8178DD85F4D8685F9

[premium]

24. I understand this was a common occurance during WWII,

lying about one's age to enlist.

[freshwest]

27. 'You're old enough to kill, but not for votin''I and others campaigned to get the vote down to 18.

It didn't happen until I was 21. Every young man of my generation had to think about war and make a decision. I fault none for whatever they chose.

[russspeakeasy]

3. We were young once and soilders.

[11 Bravo]

4. I was 19 the first time I saw someone I knew die. He had the back of his skull blown out ...

by an AK-47 round. Some things you never forget.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

11. Damn.

There are no words. I missed that war by 5 years.

[pinboy3niner]

19. I was 20, leading an Infantry rifle platoon (baby-faced platoon leader)

That's me on the left, with Dan (center)and Russ. Russ was KIA the day before I was wounded.

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. The first time you see a dead body

Especially from trauma, you never forget it.

For me it was the urban landscape, but not a bullet.

This sixty something was hit by a taxi at close to 70 MpH. His two leggs were almost completely traumatically amputated above the knee.

We took him to the trauma center. He coded in the ambulance. I could not eat meat for a year...his legs were ground up.

I was 18... Three weeks out of training. Oh and a week later we had the gas explosion to kill all others. People literally were vaporized by the fireball.

[tones fucyes]

5. Amazing photographs.

[spanone]

6. k&r...

[Mr.Bill]

7. To quote a line from the end of the movie Bridge on The River Kwai:

"Madness"

Thanks to the OP for the link.

[littlemissmartypants]

8. Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus. eom

Love, Peace and Shelter.

lmsp

[malthaussen]

9. For a guy who was not a photographer

Charley Haughey is a hell of a photographer.

-- Mal

[The Wizard]

12. Brings me back 45 years (nt)

[Curmudgeoness]

13. Incredible photos

but I am not sure how these would "boost morale". Then again, I am not sure what you could have done to boost morale. That was a dirty war.

[Warren DeMontague]

14. Wow.

[frylock]

16. man these are some fantastic shots

knr

[progressoid]

17. Also here:

https://www.facebook.com/chieuhoiphoto

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chieuhoi/sets/72157632817930862/

http://chieu-hoi.tumblr.com/about


http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022581049

[Canuckistanian]

18. Amazing photos taken during difficult situations

He really is a good photographer.

[premium]

22. Man, those photos bring back memories,

some good, some bad.
I had just turned 18 when I landed in Da Nang Air Base in the RVN in 67. I was a scared U.S. Army private who was trying to figure out just what the hell I was doing here.

I left back for the world in 68 as a Sgt.

Thanks for posting this.

[Bucky]

23. Stealing these for my history class

(it's not really stealing; as an educator I'm covered by "fair use" laws)

[likesmountains 52]

26. Thank you, painful but wonderful to see...I am old enough that I had freinds in that war...

[burrowowl]

28. GOD BLESS HIM!