Popular Post Rangefinder Posted December 19, 2016 Popular Post Share #1 Posted December 19, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm new here and if I'm breaking any rules, I apologize. I'll ask the moderators to remove anything that may offend. In 1969, I arrived in South Vietnam and was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division as a combat photographer. These photos were taken with an Army issued M-2R: In those days, I always used Tri-X and shot almost everything at 1/500th at f11 focused to infinity. Mike 31 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 19, 2016 Posted December 19, 2016 Hi Rangefinder, Take a look here Once Upon a Time in Vietnam. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
stray cat Posted December 19, 2016 Share #2 Posted December 19, 2016 An extraordinary insight into an extraordinary time - thank you rangefinder. These must bring with them some fairly complex thoughts and memories for you? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bscott Posted December 19, 2016 Share #3 Posted December 19, 2016 Thanks for posting and I enjoyed viewing. Post more if you still have them. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted December 19, 2016 Share #4 Posted December 19, 2016 Michael - Welcome to the Forum. I look forward to seeing many more of your photos. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangefinder Posted December 20, 2016 Author Share #5 Posted December 20, 2016 An extraordinary insight into an extraordinary time - thank you rangefinder. These must bring with them some fairly complex thoughts and memories for you? Thank you for the kind comment. You're right, those were some extraordinary times, indeed. Being a photographer, I could go anywhere in our area of operations. Saigon was within that territory and, when going there for film resupply, I'd go by the Continental Hotel. While there, I met a British photographer, Larry Burrows. He was a real gentleman and I was sure sorry to learn of his death after I'd gone home. I was lucky while there and met some of the finest people I've ever known. I'm still in contact with some of them to this day. Yes, the memories are still there but the ghosts no longer haunt. Mike 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Poole Posted December 20, 2016 Share #6 Posted December 20, 2016 Thanks for sharing. Think I'll dig out Vietnam Inc from the bookshelf. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangefinder Posted December 30, 2016 Author Share #7 Posted December 30, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) I dug around and found a few more Vietnam photos. When I wasn't in the field, my buds and I would head down to An Lac to an orphanage run by Madame Vu Thi Ngai. I was privileged to meet this fine humanitarian who had worked with Dr. Tom Dooley back in the '50s. I also met an American there, Betty Tisdale, another humanitarian extraordinaire, who would travel back to the US raising funds for the orphanage. In April of '75, Saigon was about to fall and Betty managed to secure a plane from none other than Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. She got 219 out. The following photos I took and printed for Betty's fund raising efforts: More in the next post . . . . . 11 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangefinder Posted December 30, 2016 Author Share #8 Posted December 30, 2016 This is Betty Tisdale opening the gate for us at An Lac: I spent all the time I could at An Lac but it wasn't enough. A few weeks after I took these photos, I was transferred up north and never returned to the orphanage. In 2005, I reconnected with Betty and sent her some 40 photos from the negative I still have. She returned to Vietnam to attend a reunion with the "kids" she had to leave behind. She handed those photos out and told me they were the only photos those people had from their youth. This is a photo of me and a little girl named Xin Mai: This is Mai (white blouse) in 2005 at the site of the An Lac Orphanage: Today, she owns a clothing store and has two daughters, on a merchandise manager for a department store, the other a physician. We correspond occasionally. Betty Tisdale passed away last in 2014. I was fortunate to attend a memorial for her at the Old Chapel at Arlington Kodachrome memories. Mike 14 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stray cat Posted December 31, 2016 Share #9 Posted December 31, 2016 The power of photography... to keep alive the presence of these people (or at least to perpetuate the memory of them) and the times. Stunning work. Thank you for the kind comment. You're right, those were some extraordinary times, indeed. Being a photographer, I could go anywhere in our area of operations. Saigon was within that territory and, when going there for film resupply, I'd go by the Continental Hotel. While there, I met a British photographer, Larry Burrows. He was a real gentleman and I was sure sorry to learn of his death after I'd gone home. I was lucky while there and met some of the finest people I've ever known. I'm still in contact with some of them to this day. Yes, the memories are still there but the ghosts no longer haunt. Mike Thank you, Mike, for your thoughtful response and apologies for my tardy reply. I love what you said at the end there: the memories are still there but the ghosts no longer haunt. And to have had the opportunity to meet a great photographer in Larry Burrows... These are such powerful visions and memories, even to one whose experience of it was just through pictures and TV news reports. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangefinder Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share #10 Posted December 31, 2016 Stray Cat, thank you, again. I appreciate your response. You know, I was such a kid in those days. I was on an op with an infantry unit when I ran low on film. We had a news crew with us and one of their photographers gave me a few rolls of Tri-X. We kind of bonded and he invited me to visit him in Saigon. I went to the Continental Hotel where I knew lots of civilian news people stayed. That's is where I met Larry. I wanted to work for a news agency after completing my military commitment and mentioned that to him. He gave me encouragement and introduced me to Horst Faas. He said, "Come see me when you get out." I know he was just being polite but, dang, I really wanted to do just that! Anyway, I invited Larry to join me on an upcoming operation and he showed up! He was with us for a couple of days and moved on. That was the last I saw of him. A long time ago . . . . . . Mike 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Poole Posted December 31, 2016 Share #11 Posted December 31, 2016 Stray Cat, thank you, again. I appreciate your response. You know, I was such a kid in those days. I was on an op with an infantry unit when I ran low on film. We had a news crew with us and one of their photographers gave me a few rolls of Tri-X. We kind of bonded and he invited me to visit him in Saigon. I went to the Continental Hotel where I knew lots of civilian news people stayed. That's is where I met Larry. I wanted to work for a news agency after completing my military commitment and mentioned that to him. He gave me encouragement and introduced me to Horst Faas. He said, "Come see me when you get out." I know he was just being polite but, dang, I really wanted to do just that! Anyway, I invited Larry to join me on an upcoming operation and he showed up! He was with us for a couple of days and moved on. That was the last I saw of him. A long time ago . . . . . . Mike Amazing pictures and an amazing story. Did you end up working in the news? Thanks for sharing. www.robertpoolephotography.com 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangefinder Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share #12 Posted December 31, 2016 Robert, the advice Larry Burrows gave me was to complete my college degree, preferably in journalism, establish a portfolio and to call him when I'd done him. As you probably know, he was killed a couple of years after our meeting in a helicopter crash during Operation Lam Son 719. Well, I got that degree and, for a time, worked at a local TV station. They hired me because they were thinking about sending a local team to Vietnam. For about a year, I worked in their photo lab. Anyway, life bloomed when my wife had our first daughter. The dream went promptly to the back burner and I got a job. Never lost my love for photography, though! Mike 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StS Posted December 31, 2016 Share #13 Posted December 31, 2016 This is an outstanding series, thank you for sharing. Stefan 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangefinder Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share #14 Posted December 31, 2016 This is an outstanding series, thank you for sharing. Stefan Thank you, Stefan. I appreciate you viewing and taking time to comment. Mike 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted December 31, 2016 Share #15 Posted December 31, 2016 This is an outstanding series, thank you for sharing. Stefan Plus 1 from me too. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Poole Posted December 31, 2016 Share #16 Posted December 31, 2016 Robert, the advice Larry Burrows gave me was to complete my college degree, preferably in journalism, establish a portfolio and to call him when I'd done him. As you probably know, he was killed a couple of years after our meeting in a helicopter crash during Operation Lam Son 719. Well, I got that degree and, for a time, worked at a local TV station. They hired me because they were thinking about sending a local team to Vietnam. For about a year, I worked in their photo lab. Anyway, life bloomed when my wife had our first daughter. The dream went promptly to the back burner and I got a job. Never lost my love for photography, though! Mike Thank you for sharing your story it sounds like you've lived in interesting times. I look forward to seeing what you can do with your new M! www.robertpoolephotography.com 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted December 31, 2016 Share #17 Posted December 31, 2016 Thanks so much for being there for the rest of us. When Betty Tisdale's attempt to reach the Sec of the Army failed, she called his mother. That did the trick. Wow. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangefinder Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share #18 Posted December 31, 2016 Thanks so much for being there for the rest of us. When Betty Tisdale's attempt to reach the Sec of the Army failed, she called his mother. That did the trick. Wow. Pico, I'm very curious as to how you know that? You are, sir, quite correct. Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangefinder Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share #19 Posted December 31, 2016 Plus 1 from me too. You are most welcome. sir. Thank you, Mike 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Poole Posted December 31, 2016 Share #20 Posted December 31, 2016 (edited) Mike, you didn't happen to meet a chap called Gary Ayala over there did you? He's a friend of mine from another camera forum. I did a short interview with him for my website https://robertpoolephotography.com/2016/02/04/in-conversation-with-gary-ayala/ www.robertpoolephotography.com Edited December 31, 2016 by Robert M Poole 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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