Posted on 05/15/2009 2:48:29 AM PDT by JoeProBono
Dutch photographer Hugh Van Es, who captured some of the most enduring images of the Vietnam War, has died in hospital in Hong Kong at the age of 67. Mr Van Es' most famous picture showed US citizens queuing on a rooftop to board a US helicopter during the evacuation of Saigon in 1975. The image came to be seen as a symbol of the failure of US policy in the war.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
RIP.
This photo of the evacuation of Saigon in 1975 always reminds me of the leftist movement of that era. They partied and cheered as the US abandoned South Vietnam making way for a communist takeover. It's obvious, with our present federal government, that they are trying hard to set up the same scenario here.
That ladder is now on display at the Gerald Ford Museum here in Grand Rapids (also the late President’s gravesite).
He flew out to the USS Hancock then watch as they shoved his helocopter off into the sea.
They had so many coming they didnt have time to refuel them all before others who were nearly out of fuel needed to land.
Failure of US policy?No left wing bias there.We were already long gone on april 30 1975.
It was the policy of the then Democrat Congress to, against President Fords request, let 5-8 NVA armored divisions roll right down, in the open, South Vietnamese highways.
With US aviation support, logistics support those divisions could of been turned into highway of death hulks in days.
Instead the Democrats turned their backs on them. Much like Truman did to the non-communist Chinese, Kennedy did to the Cubans, Carter to the Shaw, and Obama will to Israel.
Please Do not post Corbis images.
Yep and all those people who helped us ended up in the camps.Sorry assed rat bastards.
Thank you. I have contacted the museum for clarification.
[To the curator of the Ford Museum:]
There is a small controversy between friends regarding the ladder or metal stairs on display in the museum. It is my belief that it is the same one captured in the famous photo (attached) by the late Hubert Van Es, supposed to be on the roof of the embassy, showing evacuees being taken from Saigon by military helicopter.
A friend tells me that is actually the roof of the "Pittman Apartments", which was used as quarters for diplomatic personnel, and not part of the Embassy itself; and that since the late President in his speech of 4/10/99 said that the museum ladder came from the Embassy itself, it cannot be the one in the Van Es photo.
This same friend also wishes me to believe the helicopter shown in the Van Es photo blonged to the CIA's "Air America" rather than the military.
Would you be so kind as to shed more light on this? Thank you.
[From the curator:]
I am afraid you will have to concede to your friends. The ladder in our museum is from the rooftop of the US Embassy building in Saigon. The famous photo you attached, from Mr. Van Es, is from the Pittman Apartment, which housed the CIA officers. The ladder atop the apartment building was hastily constructed of timber. Ours is made of steel. Perhaps this article will shed more light on the subject:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/may/20/hugh-van-es-obituary-vietnam-war-photography
Our ladder has the virtue of having had more evacuees ascend it; it has the disadvantage of having not been photographed while in use during those last, fateful days. As to the helicopter in the Van Es photograph, I cannot speak authoritatively to that subject, but I rather think your friend is correct.
I hope this answers your questions. Please feel free to contact me should others arise.
Sincerely,
[Curator]
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