The true story behind one of the Vietnam War's most famous photographs

Iwas the first reporter to hear the story of Watson Baldwin, the African American Soldier pictured in one of the most famous photos of the Vietnam War.

“I’ve waited a long time to talk about this,” Sgt. Tim Wintenburg said. A tone of relief was evident in his voice. “Watson Baldwin was the finest platoon sergeant I ever served with… It’s him who’s the subject of the photo, other people who have claimed it; look at it and you can see he’s African American. Not white.”

“Help From Above,” was one of the most iconic images of the Vietnam War. The photo was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and served as inspiration for the poster of the Vietnam War movie “Platoon”. It graced the covers of countless books and was printed and reprinted on the front pages of newspapers across the world. No one — including the Associated Press — had, in the intervening five decades, thought to inquire as to the specific circumstances surrounding the photograph. In 2017, I was the first to do so.

https://taskandpurpose.com/history/vietnam-war-help-from-above/