"Still Photographs Are The Most Powerful Weapon In The World."

Not in reference to the recent fiasco pertaining the kinky pics of the HK celebs. "I'm sorry. There are tears in my eyes." - Eddie Adams (June 12, 1933 – September 19, 2004), 1969 Pulitzer-winning American photojournalist, wrote on his obituary to the late General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan (December 11, 1930[1]–July 14, 1998). Without a doubt, one of the most iconic images to ever come out of photojournalism, was taken 40 years ago today, on 1st February 1968. The Pulitzer-winning piece, captioned 'General Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a Viet Cong prisoner in Saigon', illustrates the then Republic of Vietnam's Chief of National Police, General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executing a Vietcong prisoner on a Saigon street, during the opening stages of the Tet Offensive. The exceptionally moving picture, nonetheless helped stir up the already rampant anti-war sentiments back then, thus sealing its iconic fate. But that destiny, might not be what its creator planned. In fact, Eddie Adam regrets its very existence. I won a Pulitzer Prize in 1969 for a photograph of one man shooting another… The general killed the Viet Cong; I killed the general with my camera. Still photographs are the most powerful weapon in the world. People believe them, but photographs do lie, even without manipulation. They are only half-truths. What the photograph didn't say was, "What would you do if you were the general at that time and place on that hot day, and you caught the so-called bad guy after he blew away one, two or three American soldiers?" General Loan was what you would call a real warrior, admired by his troops. I'm not saying what he did was right, but you have to put yourself in his position. …This picture really messed up his life. He never blamed me. He told me if I hadn't taken the picture, someone else would have, but I've felt bad for him and his family for a long time. I had kept in contact with him; the last time we spoke was about six months ago, when he was very ill. I sent flowers when I heard that he had died and wrote, "I'm sorry. There are tears in my eyes."