'Still fresh in minds': Vietnamese community marks 50 years since fall of Saigon
Article content
EDMONTON — Seventy-year-old Tan Hoang vowed he would never return to Vietnam after fleeing the country with his family on a makeshift wooden boat.
Officers in Vietnam remind him of the communist soldiers who once stormed and captured Saigon, the former South Vietnam capital now called Ho Chi Minh City.
The fall of Saigon 50 years ago — on April 30, 1975 — marked the end of the two-decade-long Vietnam War.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
29-05-2025
- Toronto Star
Everyone must see this photo — thousands of lives depend on it
Her name is Ward Al-Sheikh Khalil. She's the silhouette of a 5-year-old girl who was recorded in the early hours of Monday morning as she escaped through the flames of Israel's latest slaughter. An air strike destroyed the school in Gaza City where Ward had sheltered with other Palestinian families who had been forced from their homes. Ward survived. Her mother, and all but one of her siblings, did not, according to reports from Gaza. Sometimes it takes an image, or one story, to grab hold, and to shock the world into caring. Alan Kurdi was the 2-year-old Syrian boy whose body washed up on the sandy shores of a Turkish beach in September 2015. The rubber boat carrying his family to Greece capsized, like so many other boats transporting desperately fleeing refugees had before. That image of the little boy's lifeless body brought the plight of the humanitarian crisis to the world. The attention was too late, too little and short-lived. But his death saved lives. South Vietnamese forces follow after terrified children, including 9-year-old Kim Phuc, center, as they run down Route 1 near Trang Bang after an aerial napalm attack on suspected Viet Cong hiding places, June 8, 1972. Nick Ut AP Kim Phuc was perhaps the most famous image to break through. The 1972 iconic photo of children fleeing a deadly napalm attack, with Phuc in the foreground, became a defining photo of the Vietnam War and helped finally bring an end to the fighting. It too came too late. But her terrible suffering saved lives. Images now are everywhere, for everything, and this saturation means they do not hold the same power as they did a decade ago and certainly not as they did five decades ago. There have been hundreds, if not thousands of photos and videos and testimonials from Gaza, as heartbreaking as this one. Those in power will condemn the atrocity and promise action that never comes. Saying 'it's complicated' has become synonymous with 'look away.' But take a moment and don't look away. Watch this video of Ward — and try to absorb that horror. The footage is on CBC, BBC, CBS and other media outlets that fact-check to the best standards that are possible in a war that Israel has censored. Foreign journalists are barred from entering Gaza and the brave Palestinian journalists who are on the ground have been targeted by Israel and harassed by Hamas. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW On Oct. 25, 2023, Canadian journalist and novelist Omar El Akkad wrote this sentence on X: 'One day, when it's safe, when there's no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it's too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.' Beneath was a video of the destruction with the words: 'This is Gaza.' He wrote that before more than 50,000 Palestinians were killed, almost a third of them children. He turned that 'tweet' into a book that is a searing indictment of the West's 'institutional gutlessness.' It's not 'complicated.' And it's too late. But let the image of Ward grab hold and save what lives we still can.
Winnipeg Free Press
16-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Photo group says it has ‘suspended attribution' of historic Vietnam picture because of doubts
An organization that honored The Associated Press' Nick Ut with its ' photo of the year ' in 1973 for a picture of a girl running from a napalm attack in the Vietnam War says it has 'suspended its attribution' to Ut because of doubts over who actually took it. World Press Photo's report Friday adds to the muddle over an issue that has split the photographic community since a movie earlier this year, 'The Stringer,' questioned Ut's authorship. The photo of a naked and terrified Kim Phuc became an iconic symbol of the war's tragedy. After two investigations, The Associated Press said it found no definitive evidence to warrant stripping Ut's photo credit. The AP said it was possible Ut took the picture, but the passage of time made it impossible to fully prove, and could find no evidence to prove anyone else did. World Press Photo said its probe found that two other photographers — Nguyen Thanh Nghe, the man mentioned in 'The Stringer,' and Huynh Cong Phuc — 'may have been better positioned' to take the shot. 'We conclude that the level of doubt is too significant to maintain the existing attribution,' said Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of World Press Photo. 'At the same time, lacking conclusive evidence pointing definitively to another photographer, we cannot reassign authorship, either.' World Press Photo, an organization whose awards are considered influential in photography, won't attempt to recover the cash award given to Ut, a spokeswoman said. Ut's lawyer, James Hornstein, said his client hadn't spoken to World Press Photo after some initial contact before 'The Stringer' was released. 'It seems they had already made up their mind to punish Nick Ut from the start,' he said. Gary Knight, a producer of 'The Stringer,' is a four-time judge of the World Press Photo awards and a consultant to the World Press Photo Foundation. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The AP said Friday that its standards 'require proof and certainty to remove a credit and we have found that it is impossible to prove exactly what happened that day on the road or in the (AP) bureau over 50 years ago.' 'We understand World Press Photo has taken different action based on the same available information, and that is their prerogative,' the statement said. 'There is no question over AP's ownership of the photo.' Meanwhile, the Pulitzer Prize that Ut won for the photo appears safe. The Pulitzers depend on news agencies who enter the awards to determine authorship, and administrator Marjorie Miller — a former AP senior editor — pointed to the AP's study showing insufficient proof to withdraw credit. 'The board does not anticipate future action at this time,' she said Friday. ___ David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at and
Toronto Sun
07-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Cops hunt killer in bizarre crucifixion murder of Arizona preacher
'Honestly, I was shocked because New River is so small. It's quaint. I leave my keys in my vehicles, don't lock my door' Get the latest from Brad Hunter straight to your inbox VIETNAM VET: Rev. Bill Schonemann, 76, was murdered. Photo by FACEBOOK The preacher was lying dead on his bed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account His arms were spread out, and his hands were pinned to the wall in a faux crucifixion that sickened even veteran homicide detectives. Now, Arizona investigators are hunting the killer of Rev. Bill Schonemann, 76, whose mutilated body was discovered around 7:30 p.m. on April 28. The victim reportedly had 'significant injuries.' 'There are specific and unique circumstances to this case that we are not at liberty to discuss to ensure we keep the integrity of the investigation,' the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office told the Daily Mail. Tight-lipped cops have so far not indicated whether they have any suspects or persons of interest. Nor have they revealed an official cause of death, although it has been classified as a homicide. Schonemann — a Vietnam War veteran — had been a preacher at the New River Bible Chapel for more than 25 years. New River is a town of about 17,000 residents about 60 km north of Phoenix. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Rev. Bill Schonemann, 76, served in the Vietnam War. FACEBOOK Local police have told the community there is no threat. They described Schonemann's murder as an 'isolated incident.' But despite cops' assurances, the lack of information about the slaying has led to widespread speculation, rumours and gossip in the tiny town. On Schonemann's property, there are a slew of unfinished and partially built vehicles and parts laying around the yard. Neighbour Mike Anders said as the police presence continued at Schonemann's for more than 10 hours, he knew 'something bad' had happened. 'We locked our doors last night, which is something that we are not used to doing,' Anders told Fox 10. 'We don't know if it was a family member. We don't know who could do this to him.' Neighbour Emily Brean added: 'Honestly, I was shocked because New River is so small. It's quaint. I leave my keys in my vehicles, don't lock my door. Why are you gonna murder a pastor or a minister? You know, for what?' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Residents of New River are now on a knife's edge. Neighbours said Schonemann was a friendly man who waved at passersby and enjoyed rebuilding old trucks. He was known as 'Pastor Bill' in New River. His son Randall wouldn't comment on the investigation, but told AZ Central his father had attended the New River Bible Chapel before becoming pastor. The dead man served in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam. When he returned from the killing fields of Southeast Asia, he found religion, his son said. His wife of 49 years died in 2022, and Schonemann doubled down on his church work. Friend Eric Archer told AZ Family: 'I'm just wondering, was it some random person? Was it someone he knows? I'm just curious what happened and why. I just can't imagine someone hurting Bill, in any matter for any reason.' bhunter@ @HunterTOSun Columnists Canada Sunshine Girls Toronto Blue Jays Editorial Cartoons
