Yul Kwon:
Thirty-seven years ago this month, Saigon fell to communist forces during the Vietnam War. Two combat photographers documented the war from opposing sides. And both took prize-winning photos. In 1972, Nick Ut took this picture of a nine-year-old girl fleeing her village after a napalm attack. It won him a Pulitzer Prize. Doan Cong Tinh also took iconic photos as a photographer attached to the Vietnam People’s Army. The two men are now close friends. VTV4 caught up with them recently.

Reporter:
These two famous photographers used to work for rival news agencies during the Vietnam War. Doan Cong Tinh, photographer of the Vietnam military newspaper, is famous for his photos featuring the smiling face of a Vietnamese soldier during the fierce 81 day battle at the Quang Tri Citadel. Nick Ut became a world-famous photographer for the AP due to his Pulitzer Prize-winning napalm girl image. Despite having known of each other for more than 40 years, the two photographers only first met in 2010. They have become good friends, and whenever visiting Vietnam, Nick Ut tries to arrange time to meet with his Vietnamese colleague.

Doan Cong Tinh, Former Photojournalist, Vietnam People's Army Newspaper:
I took the photos at the moment of the defining Quang Tri battle. The soldiers read books, wrote letters, and cut hair. The photos were in many international newspapers, they made the world understand the war in Vietnam.

Nick Ut, AP Photojournalist:
I still remember the napalm girl photos, which were broadcasted around the world, and reprinted many times. The photo was on the front page of many newspapers. Many protests were held in many countries to oppose the war in Vietnam. Finally, the American soldiers had to return back to the US.

Reporter:
The war has long since passed, and journalists who used to belong to opposing sides are now friends. They are satisfied that their photos have become part of the history that reflects the cruel nature of the war and united people worldwide to protest against the war.

Yul Kwon:
Nick Ut actually saved the life of the girl he photographed that day. She’s now living in Canada. That’s our show for this week. For LinkAsia, I’m Yul Kwon. Thanks for watching.