Vietnam War's "Napalm Girl" 40 Years Later: Kim Phuc

I was nearly fourteen when AP photographer Nick Ut took the Pulitzer-winning picture of nine-year old Phan Thi Kim Phuc, running naked after being stripped of her clothes and badly burned by napalm, an anti-personnel weapon provided by US Forces.

My young emotions went spinning as I witnessed that our country could hurt innocent children, in the name of democracy. This only added to my suspicion of our government's motives. At home, dogs and water hoses turned on peaceful protesters, while foreign babies died abroad. Much for a kid to take in.

It now waters my eyes to know that the little girl in the famous picture survived that hell and went on to realize her dream of love and family.

Those days taught me that war is hell. Time has mercifully offered that the human spirit can triumph, when you least expect it, as well.

James C. Collier

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