The Photo That Ended a War

AP photojournalist Eddie Adams once wrote, “Still photographs are the most powerful weapon in the world”. He took this photo of an officer shooting a handcuffed prisoner at point blank range in 1968. Named “Murder of a Vietcong by Saigon Police Chief “, this photo changed many American’s ideas about the Vietnam War, earning him a Pulitzer Prize in 1969.  Americans saw the real violence and destruction of the war. Even now, 44 years after this photo was taken, it has such a resounding effect on the ideas of war and violence. When one sees what really goes on, the kind of violence that occurs during a war it is sickening. This photo became an icon of the war’s savagery and it shows the terrifying consequences of war. The man who pulled the trigger was General Nguyen Ngoc Loan was from then on was vilified and persecuted for the rest of his life. The photographer felt so bad for taking the photo that he admitted, "The general killed the Vietcong; I killed the general with my camera." This shows just how much impact one photo has on a people and how it really is worth 1000 words.