BLACK & WHITE VIETNAM 1970-71
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Most of these images were shot on TRI -X film. Many of them have a graininess or fine crackling texture. This was caused by developer that was too hot. When processing the film in the field keeping the chemicals at proper temperature was always a big problem.
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When the film emulsion is developed in chemical that is too hot the emulsion cracks apart or reticulates. Nowadays the effect can be created digitally with filters in Photoshop.
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It seems like the kids never got enough of us GI's.
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Our base camp Lai Khe had been home to the 1st Infantry division which stood down and returned to the U.S. early in 1970 and an ARVN unit took over their duties. The base camp was located in a rubber tree plantation.
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Local population was employed for all kinds of work, a relationship that was beneficial for both parties. Here a worker is cleaning jungle boots.
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A typical shot of workers in the rice paddies.
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Providing Support on the Road - south of An Loc. My unit was building Highway QL-13 from Saigon to An-Loc, just south of the Cambodian Border.
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A group of Vietnamese with the women wearing the Traditional Ou Dais - Lai Khe
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These girl band shows were always a welcome treat. Not quite as spectacular as the big USO show in Apocalypse Now, but a treat, nonetheless, for weary GI's.
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Typical of the countryside around Lai Khe. Lai Khe was approximately 40 miles NW of Saigon
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Setting up along QL 13 these soda pop "vendors" had a captive audience of engineers.
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From time to time we could come under fire while on the road. Usually a helicopter assault by ARVN rangers would be the response.
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After the assault, choppers and rangers prepare to return to base.
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A Mama-San and her grand children. Lai Khe was a "pacified" area meaning there was little or no VC activity- at least that was known to us.
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The market was the hub of everyday life in Vietnam. For a curious GI with a camera and some free time it was always a place of wonder.
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The older girl here worked as a launderer at our base camp. I often wonder what became of her and her cousin.
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Possibly my favorite image of the "children". Compositionally the image really works and the various expressions and different directions of vision add a nice visual tension to the image.
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Typical of the landscape around the area of Lai Khe. These pacified areas were relatively safe during the day. However, when possible, we engineers were always back inside the wire before dusk.
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Bringing in the remains of a destroyed Huey
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Four boys in front of destroyed railroad tracks.
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Getting ready to fly from Lai Khe to An Loc along HW-13
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The VC would mine the area in which we were rerouting HW-20. Each morning before the crews went out mine sweeping teams would clear the way.
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The rerouting of HW-20 required all the skills of road building including surveying.
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The area of Bao-Loc about 50K south of Da-lat is known for its beautiful landscape. Mountains, cliffs, large bouder formations and waterfalls all made the area more visually interesting than the plains and rice paddies of Lai - Khe
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This is possibly my favorite image from Vietnam. The negative was long gone and the print had darkened so badly it was almost illegible. Thanks to modern technology I was able to breathe life into it once again. At the same time I decided that a sepia tone would be the appropriate finish.
