doug anderson
New member
No words necessary. I served as an infantry medic in this war, and have a lot of trouble with war being represented by a display of color.
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The Horrors of War! Iconic and mundane, gruseome and thought provoking.
- Thread starter doug anderson
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No words necessary. I served as an infantry medic in this war, and have a lot of trouble with war being represented by a display of color.
doug anderson
New member
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Charlotte Thompson
Well-known member
Doug
war can represent many things to many people-these shots for sure
but was not my intention with my art
I think your response is very inappropriate in my thread- please can some one take these photos out of my thread!
Charlotte
war can represent many things to many people-these shots for sure
but was not my intention with my art
I think your response is very inappropriate in my thread- please can some one take these photos out of my thread!
Charlotte
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
So we moved the pictures from the original thread, here[/.url].
Now we are free to work on this important subject: the horros of war that we both iconize and hide from ourselves. What's going on? And what about so-called "friendly fire" or damage not intended, even in a just war, what then?
Oh, and what camera can one use? No, that's not a mundane question!
Asher
Now we are free to work on this important subject: the horros of war that we both iconize and hide from ourselves. What's going on? And what about so-called "friendly fire" or damage not intended, even in a just war, what then?
Oh, and what camera can one use? No, that's not a mundane question!
Asher
Kathy Rappaport
pro member
Welcome Home
Hey Doug.,
On the net we are the people behind our photographs and that is what we know until we unveil pieces of ourselves.
So first, I will say welcome home. Thank you for what you did. Our courntry did not know what to do with a war fought with all the exposure to the media. We have learned some since then.
Second, I will tell you I ghost wrote for the Khe Sahn Vet newsletter under my former husband's name since he was a Navy Corpsman serving at Khe Sahn with the 3rd Division - 9th Marines at Con Thien, Hue and Khe Sahn and the only suvivor in his group. He had a bunch of snapshots buried away that he could not look at. The demons of that war still live within him.
Thank you for sharing these images and part of your soul with us.
Hey Doug.,
On the net we are the people behind our photographs and that is what we know until we unveil pieces of ourselves.
So first, I will say welcome home. Thank you for what you did. Our courntry did not know what to do with a war fought with all the exposure to the media. We have learned some since then.
Second, I will tell you I ghost wrote for the Khe Sahn Vet newsletter under my former husband's name since he was a Navy Corpsman serving at Khe Sahn with the 3rd Division - 9th Marines at Con Thien, Hue and Khe Sahn and the only suvivor in his group. He had a bunch of snapshots buried away that he could not look at. The demons of that war still live within him.
Thank you for sharing these images and part of your soul with us.
doug anderson
New member
I think these photos are very appropriate to any discussion of images that purport to represent war. This country, as we speak, is in a state of denial about what war is, and that denial has allowed them to be hoodwinked into another dirty war. How we represent this subject is important. The images I posted were a form of criticism of any photography that attempts to prettify something that is ugly and obscene by definition. We need to be in touch with what we vote for. My contention is that if war were seen for what it is, fewer people would be so enthusiastic to get into it. The Europeans tend to be much more mature about this than we are, and that is because they have experienced war on their own turf, and we have not since 1865.
PS: no one is denying your right to see war in your own way, just don't expect all favorable responses. This is the consequence of putting something out there to be seen.
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doug anderson
New member
Kathy, that is amazing. I was a navy corpsman with the First Marine Division, also stationed in I-Corps (but not at Khe Sahn). I usually say "medic" because some people don't know what a corpsman is. I have written a memoir about it that is coming out from W.W. Norton next year. I have a friend who was at Con Thien (nasty place) and is still a mess because of it.
Kathy Rappaport
pro member
Damages of War
The wreckage of war lasts far into the lifetime of many of those who participate. I wrote about it's effects in a few columns about Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome while my former husband was in graduate school to become a Psychotherapist. He is in practice today working with Vets, the chemically dependent and teenagers in crisis.
Small world! I would love to have a copy of your book when it comes out. Congratulations of being published.
The wreckage of war lasts far into the lifetime of many of those who participate. I wrote about it's effects in a few columns about Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome while my former husband was in graduate school to become a Psychotherapist. He is in practice today working with Vets, the chemically dependent and teenagers in crisis.
Small world! I would love to have a copy of your book when it comes out. Congratulations of being published.
doug anderson
New member
It will probably come out in the July run, or maybe even September copy edits, legal particulars have slowed down production).
I think it's great your husband is doing what he's doing, and that you contributed toward the unvarnished truth yourself. Does your husband know about the work of Johnathan Shay? He wrote Achilles in Vietnam and specializes in P.T.S.D.
Gary Ayala
New member
Firstly, I echo Kathy response ... Welcome Home!
Secondly, as a correspondent, I hung out with the Marines at Khe Sahn and Hue. Extreme anxiety is tough individually and tough collectively.
Gary
doug anderson
New member
Hey, Gary. Well, you paid some dues getting those shots. Glad you made it back too.
D
Kathy Rappaport
pro member
Gary...
A hug for you too. Or a terrier kiss...
Do you know which Marines you hung out with at Khe Sahn or Hue?
A hug for you too. Or a terrier kiss...
Do you know which Marines you hung out with at Khe Sahn or Hue?
Gary Ayala
New member
At Khe Sanh various battalions of the 9th Marines. At Hue, the 1st and 5th Marines.
Gary
Gary
Gary Ayala
New member
Thanks Doug ... My brother was in the Army's 25th Division at Cu Chi down in the south.
Gary
Kathy Rappaport
pro member
Wow!
You were probably there with my ex then...3/9...
You were probably there with my ex then...3/9...
doug anderson
New member
Gary: I know some former Viet Cong who were in the tunnels under Cu Chi. In fact, in 2000, I went back to Vietnam and traveled around the country with some of my former enemies. It was an incredible experience.
D
Gary Ayala
New member
Asher-
The top photo is from Nick Ut. He worked for AP. He was using Nikon equipment (F's). Nick lives in LA.
Gary
Gary Ayala
New member
If he was there during the seige, (I use the term loosely because as long as the Marines had a battalion outside the perimeter they felt they were never "under seige"), then yeah ... I probably ran into him at Charlie Med. I also have a book, (unpublished), some notes bring up a Dr. Feldman and a Corpsman Roberts.
At Hue I vividedly remember a quote from a Marine Major (doctor), we poked our heads out a doorway and were looking out over the destruction and an ongoing firefight and he said "... if it's not the incoming ... then it's the outgoing, the only difference is who gets greased and that's no f****** difference at all ..."
Gary
Gary Ayala
New member
I thought about going back a few years ago with my business partner who was a USA Vietnam Vet. He bailed out because of emotional reasons ... and I glad he did because then I didn't have to go.
The reason I brought up Cu Chi was due to you stating you were a medic ... so I figured Army. In any case I'm buying when/if we meet ... I always buy for corpsmen.
Gary
doug anderson
New member
Thanks, Gary, I'll take you up on it. I would recommend going back: it's an astonishing experience. It will let some demons out.
Joe Thibodeau
New member
Testament of a living hell. Millions died behind these walls at Auschwitz and the much larger sister death factory Birkenau. 35mm, 3200 ISO. Designed to be gritty and disturbing I felt it was necessary to capture the coldness of the death camps.
In the most amazing gesture of grace I was pleasantly surprised to experience the tremendous outpouring of respect and love by those who toured this facility the day I was there. It's as if a great healing has taken place and the tortured found peace in spiritual freedom. Not for the weak these sites were left as a reminder of the atrocities of war.
In the most amazing gesture of grace I was pleasantly surprised to experience the tremendous outpouring of respect and love by those who toured this facility the day I was there. It's as if a great healing has taken place and the tortured found peace in spiritual freedom. Not for the weak these sites were left as a reminder of the atrocities of war.
Kathy Rappaport
pro member
Ravages of war
Doug and Gary, I buy too....
Joe,
Thank you for the reminder of the horror of the 2nd World War. This can never happen again. We must repeat these stories over and over again and we must visit these sites so that those who were murdered will be remembered.
Doug and Gary, I buy too....
Joe,
Thank you for the reminder of the horror of the 2nd World War. This can never happen again. We must repeat these stories over and over again and we must visit these sites so that those who were murdered will be remembered.
Joe Thibodeau
New member
Unfortunately it is not you or I that need to be reminded ... the ones who decide for us ... now there's an audience who need to be reminded.
Your signature is hilarious. I got a big belly laugh out of it.
Your signature is hilarious. I got a big belly laugh out of it.
doug anderson
New member
You're right about that.