Vietnamese Freelancer Claims Credit for Iconic ’Napalm Girl’ Photo, Sold for $20
in a shocking revelation, Vietnamese freelance photographer Thanh Nghe has come forward too claim that he, not AP photographer Nick Ut, is the true creator of one of the most iconic images of the 20th century—the harrowing photo of Phan Thi Kim Phuc, the “Napalm Girl,” fleeing a napalm attack during the Vietnam War. This claim, made in the new documentary The Stringer, has reignited a decades-old debate about the origins of the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph.
The image, titled ‘The Terror of War’, captured the world’s attention in 1972, depicting a young Kim Phuc running naked and screaming down a road after a napalm strike in southern Vietnam. For years, it was widely believed that Nick Ut, a photographer for the Associated Press (AP), had taken the photo. However, Thanh Nghe, who worked as a stringer—a freelancer assisting journalists abroad—claims he was the one behind the lens.
The Story Behind the Photo
according to Nghe, he was driving a foreign news crew on June 8, 1972, when he witnessed the aftermath of the napalm attack. He recalls seeing Kim Phuc running down the street, crying and naked, with her arms outstretched. Nghe says he quickly snapped the photo and later sold it to the AP for approximately $20.
The documentary The Stringer,which delves into the life and work of freelancers like Nghe,features an interview with Carl Robinson,a former photo editor at AP. Robinson corroborates Nghe’s story, revealing that he was instructed by his superiors to credit Nick Ut as the photographer. “I have worn this load for 50 years and never came out with it,” robinson admits in the film. “Simply put: Nick Ut did not really take that famous photo.”
A Decades-Long Secret
Robinson, now 81, explains that he decided to come forward to apologize to Nghe before his death. However, it remains unclear why Nghe himself waited over half a century to reveal the truth. The documentary’s creators spent two years investigating the photo, interviewing dozens of witnesses and even employing a forensic team to analyze whether Nick ut could have been in the right position to take the shot. The researchers concluded that it was “extremely unlikely.”
Despite the findings, both nick Ut and the AP have dismissed the claims made in the documentary. The news agency conducted its own six-month investigation after learning about the documentary and maintains that ther is “no doubt” about the photo’s origin.
The Legacy of ‘The Terror of War’
The photo,which won both a Pulitzer Prize and the World Press photo of the Year award,has become a symbol of the horrors of war.Its impact on public perception of the Vietnam War cannot be overstated.Whether taken by Nghe or Ut, the image remains a powerful reminder of the human cost of conflict.
| Key Details | Facts |
|——————|—————–|
| Photographer | Thanh Nghe (claimed) |
| Previously Credited | Nick Ut (AP) |
| photo Title | ’The Terror of War’ |
| Year Taken | 1972 |
| Sold For | $20 |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize, World press Photo of the Year |
As the debate continues, one thing is certain: the story behind this iconic image is as complex as the history it represents. for now, the world awaits further clarity on who truly captured the moment that defined a generation.