On June 18, 1965, Horst Faas took this photo of Private Larry Wayne Chaffin of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Battalion. The battalion was defending the Phouc Vinh airstrip in south Vietnam.
This photo captures the young man’s piercing and sincere gaze and the slogan ‘War is Hell’ on his helmet.
Chaffin, a native of St. Louis, MO, had great difficulty readjusting to civilian life. He died at the age of 39, due to an illness that was linked to his exposure to Agent Orange.
People in Vietnam are still suffering from the effects of Agent Orange. In particular, deformed children are still being born due to its effects.
Countless hectares of Vietnamese farmland were contaminated with the dioxins that Agent Orage contained; no one knows how long it will be before that contamination will cease to impact its victims!
