The Nguyen Ngoc Loan reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Nguyen Ngoc Loan

Nguyen Ngoc Loan (1931? - July 14, 1998) was a South Vietnamese chief of police. He was depicted summarily executing Nguyen Van Lem, a Vietcong agent, in front of an Associated Press cameraman and photographer Eddie Adams in 1968. The photo and film would become two of the most famous images in journalism and started to change the American public's views on their involvement in Vietnam.

Loan, as the director of the South Vietnam's police, wanted to destroy the forces of the Vietcong guerrila. The Vietcong captain that Loan executed had been seen killing a policeman and his family. Nguyen Van Lem was captured, his hands bound, he was brought in front of a group of journalists. Loan pulled out his revolver and immediately executed the prisoner. Loan's actions were misinterpreted, the public was shocked by this scene which had a huge negative impact on its opinion.

After the war, Loan left Vietnam in 1975 when the communists overran the country. He moved to Virginia and opened a restaurant. He died of cancer in 1998 in Washington. This article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

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