http://wtvr.com/2012/06/14/agent-orange-corn-thrills-farmers-worries-critics/
Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News
SEAFORD, Delaware (CBS News) – There is a controversy in the food industry over so-called “Agent Orange corn.”
The genetically modified vegetable is protected from a herbicide that kills so-called super weeds, but is linked to the notorious “Agent Orange” used in Vietnam.
Many farmers are thrilled with the corn, but many critics think it will lead to more use of toxic chemicals.
Seventy-two-year-old Irvin Handy has been farming in Delaware his whole life. And that’s meant a lifelong battle to kill enemy weeds, without killing his corn and soy crops. Handy has a consultant who advises him on an ever-changing chemical arsenal to keep the weeds at bay.
“Yeah, they’ve been terrible this year. They’ve been the worst I’ve ever seen this year,” said Handy.
But like a lot of farmers, Handy has seen an incredible uptick in super weeds that just won’t die since they are resistant to the chemical herbicides that used to work on them, like Roundup.
READ & WATCH: http://wtvr.com/2012/06/14/agent-orange-corn-thrills-farmers-worries-critics/
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Agent Orange at base in '80s: U.S. vet Nearby residents of Futenma possibly tainted by leaking barrels
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120615a1.html
The U.S. Marine Corps buried a massive stockpile of Agent Orange at the Futenma air http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifstation in Okinawa, possibly poisoning the base's former head of maintenance and potentially contaminating nearby residents and the ground beneath the base, The Japan Times recently learned from interviews with U.S. veterans
READ MORE: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120615a1.html
The U.S. Marine Corps buried a massive stockpile of Agent Orange at the Futenma air http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifstation in Okinawa, possibly poisoning the base's former head of maintenance and potentially contaminating nearby residents and the ground beneath the base, The Japan Times recently learned from interviews with U.S. veterans
READ MORE: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120615a1.html
Wal-Mart says dioxin concern by Auburn group is delay tactic - APACE wants to reopen environmental review at Placer County level
http://auburnjournal.com/detail/210781.html?content_source=&categoryhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif_id=2&search_filter=&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=1&sub_type=&town_id="
AUBURN CA - Wal-Mart attorneys are blasting an Auburn activist group’s attempts to reopen Placer County’s environmental process on the North Auburn project as error-filled and obstructionist.
Citing a state Department of Toxic Substance Control request for Wal-Mart to conduct soil-sampling for dioxins at the store site, the Alliance for the Protection of the Auburn Community Environment (APACE) has called on the county to reopen the environmental impact process.
But Wal-Mart attorneys Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton of San Francisco, has responded that the store project does not require any further environmental review.
Judy Davidoff, a land-use attorney with the firm, said that APACE’s contentions on dioxin and furan levels have previously been considered and the state toxic substance control department has issued a “no further action” letter.
“After the no further action letter was issued, APACE began lobbying to revisit the soil-contamination issue and mandate additional testing and cleanup at the project site,” Davidoff said. “The department has consistently refused to do so.”
APACE member Victoria Connolly, said Wednesday that Wal-Mart is taking a lackadaisical approach to the group’s effort to revisit environmental issues at the site.
“We are attempting to get the Board of Supervisors to be concerned about the health and safety of residents in the area and reopen the EIR to allow public comment on the section that deals with hazards and toxins,” Connolly said. “What is true is that the state is requesting further action and requesting Wal-Mart to enter into a voluntary cleanup-up agreement.”
Davidoff said that, at APACE’s request, the department did agree to ask Wal-Mart to voluntarily conduct soil testing at the project site.
READ MORE: http://auburnjournal.com/detail/210781.html?content_source=&category_id=2&search_filter=&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=1&sub_type=&town_id=
AUBURN CA - Wal-Mart attorneys are blasting an Auburn activist group’s attempts to reopen Placer County’s environmental process on the North Auburn project as error-filled and obstructionist.
Citing a state Department of Toxic Substance Control request for Wal-Mart to conduct soil-sampling for dioxins at the store site, the Alliance for the Protection of the Auburn Community Environment (APACE) has called on the county to reopen the environmental impact process.
But Wal-Mart attorneys Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton of San Francisco, has responded that the store project does not require any further environmental review.
Judy Davidoff, a land-use attorney with the firm, said that APACE’s contentions on dioxin and furan levels have previously been considered and the state toxic substance control department has issued a “no further action” letter.
“After the no further action letter was issued, APACE began lobbying to revisit the soil-contamination issue and mandate additional testing and cleanup at the project site,” Davidoff said. “The department has consistently refused to do so.”
APACE member Victoria Connolly, said Wednesday that Wal-Mart is taking a lackadaisical approach to the group’s effort to revisit environmental issues at the site.
“We are attempting to get the Board of Supervisors to be concerned about the health and safety of residents in the area and reopen the EIR to allow public comment on the section that deals with hazards and toxins,” Connolly said. “What is true is that the state is requesting further action and requesting Wal-Mart to enter into a voluntary cleanup-up agreement.”
Davidoff said that, at APACE’s request, the department did agree to ask Wal-Mart to voluntarily conduct soil testing at the project site.
READ MORE: http://auburnjournal.com/detail/210781.html?content_source=&category_id=2&search_filter=&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=1&sub_type=&town_id=
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
CBS Charlie Rose investigates "Agent Orange Corn"
http://www.examiner.com/review/cbs-charlie-rose-investigates-agent-orange-cornhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Farmers, executive chefs, the food industry and even Vietnam Veterans are speaking out about a farming chemical called 2,4-D, which has gained the name "Agent Orange Corn" by critics. CBS This Morning's anchor Charlie Rose and Sharyl Attkinson, a CBS investigative journalist, looked at the issue from crop to table today and found that although Dow Chemical, the maker of 2, 4-D, says the herbicide is safe and thoroughly tested, there are concerns from all sides of the issue. The moniker, Agent Orange Corn and even the official name of the herbicide, "Enlist," gives some indication of the level of controversy.
Over the years, genetically modified corn fields have become increasingly resistant to weeds after repeated use of herbicides, hence the introduction of a new weed killer, 2, 4-D. The chemical is a component once used in the chemical Agent Orange that was sprayed as a jungle defoliant in Vietnam. Repeated studies show that those exposed to the chemical have increased risk of cancer and numerous other health problems.
Farmers, executive chefs, the food industry and even Vietnam Veterans are speaking out about a farming chemical called 2,4-D, which has gained the name "Agent Orange Corn" by critics. CBS This Morning's anchor Charlie Rose and Sharyl Attkinson, a CBS investigative journalist, looked at the issue from crop to table today and found that although Dow Chemical, the maker of 2, 4-D, says the herbicide is safe and thoroughly tested, there are concerns from all sides of the issue. The moniker, Agent Orange Corn and even the official name of the herbicide, "Enlist," gives some indication of the level of controversy.
Over the years, genetically modified corn fields have become increasingly resistant to weeds after repeated use of herbicides, hence the introduction of a new weed killer, 2, 4-D. The chemical is a component once used in the chemical Agent Orange that was sprayed as a jungle defoliant in Vietnam. Repeated studies show that those exposed to the chemical have increased risk of cancer and numerous other health problems.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Outrage over Olympic corporate sponsors erupting around the world
http://peoplesworld.org/outrage-over-olympic-corporate-sponsors-erupting-around-the-world/
Corporatization of the coming Olympic games in London is under attack from all corners of the world, it seems.
While the American AFL-CIO has joined a movement to stop the alliance between the International Olympic Committee and Rio Tinto - which is to make the Olympic gold medals - and Vietnam and India are up in arms over sponsorship by the notorious Dow Chemical Company.
Both India and Vietnam are united in their desire to remove Dow, which signed a 10-year sponsorship agreement with the International Olympic Committee, from the games, but their reasons are different. For India, the problem is that Dow purchased the company responsible for the infamous Bhopal disaster, while for Vietnam the issue is the corporation's production of Agent Orange used to maim its people and defoliate its countryside during the war in the 1960's and 70's.
The chemical, dropped and sprayed from U.S. planes to kill vegetation and make it harder for Vietnamese resistance fighters to hide, brought major devastation to the country.
READ MORE: http://peoplesworld.org/outrage-over-olympic-corporate-sponsors-erupting-around-the-world/
Corporatization of the coming Olympic games in London is under attack from all corners of the world, it seems.
While the American AFL-CIO has joined a movement to stop the alliance between the International Olympic Committee and Rio Tinto - which is to make the Olympic gold medals - and Vietnam and India are up in arms over sponsorship by the notorious Dow Chemical Company.
Both India and Vietnam are united in their desire to remove Dow, which signed a 10-year sponsorship agreement with the International Olympic Committee, from the games, but their reasons are different. For India, the problem is that Dow purchased the company responsible for the infamous Bhopal disaster, while for Vietnam the issue is the corporation's production of Agent Orange used to maim its people and defoliate its countryside during the war in the 1960's and 70's.
The chemical, dropped and sprayed from U.S. planes to kill vegetation and make it harder for Vietnamese resistance fighters to hide, brought major devastation to the country.
READ MORE: http://peoplesworld.org/outrage-over-olympic-corporate-sponsors-erupting-around-the-world/
US scientists urged to research deeper in AO effects
http://www.tuoitrenews.vn/cmlink/tuoitrenews/society/us-scientists-urged-to-research-deeper-in-ao-effects-1.75357
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has suggested US scientists conduct deeper research to establish concrete data which can be used as a basis to ask for assistance in environmental detoxification and rehabilitation treatment for Agent Orange victims.
Nhan made the proposal at a meeting in Hanoi on June 8 with a delegation of the American public health association under the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign (VAORRC), led by Susan M. Schnall.
He stressed that millions of Vietnamese people were exposed to the Agent Orange sprayed by the US troop during the war in Vietnam and the toxic chemical continues to affect younger generations of the victims.
After the Vietnamese Government and people presented clear evidence on the AO consequences, the US Government has become aware of their responsibility and has taken the first step in overcoming the aftermath of the chemical warfare, but it is not enough, the Deputy PM said.
He went on to say that the Vietnamese Government is implementing community-based rehabilitation projects for AO victims with the aim of improving their living conditions and helping them integrate into the community. However, the work is hindered by limited financial resource while the victims’ need is huge.
For her part, Susan Schnall, who is VAORRC coordinator, said her delegation came to Vietnam to meet AO victims and inspect AO-infected sites.
According to Schnall, the delegation has also got together with a number of US congressmen to draw up a draft bill requiring the US government to pay compensation to Vietnamese AO victims, and deal with consequences on the environment.
READ MORE: http://www.tuoitrenews.vn/cmlink/tuoitrenews/society/us-scientists-urged-to-research-deeper-in-ao-effects-1.75357
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has suggested US scientists conduct deeper research to establish concrete data which can be used as a basis to ask for assistance in environmental detoxification and rehabilitation treatment for Agent Orange victims.
Nhan made the proposal at a meeting in Hanoi on June 8 with a delegation of the American public health association under the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign (VAORRC), led by Susan M. Schnall.
He stressed that millions of Vietnamese people were exposed to the Agent Orange sprayed by the US troop during the war in Vietnam and the toxic chemical continues to affect younger generations of the victims.
After the Vietnamese Government and people presented clear evidence on the AO consequences, the US Government has become aware of their responsibility and has taken the first step in overcoming the aftermath of the chemical warfare, but it is not enough, the Deputy PM said.
He went on to say that the Vietnamese Government is implementing community-based rehabilitation projects for AO victims with the aim of improving their living conditions and helping them integrate into the community. However, the work is hindered by limited financial resource while the victims’ need is huge.
For her part, Susan Schnall, who is VAORRC coordinator, said her delegation came to Vietnam to meet AO victims and inspect AO-infected sites.
According to Schnall, the delegation has also got together with a number of US congressmen to draw up a draft bill requiring the US government to pay compensation to Vietnamese AO victims, and deal with consequences on the environment.
READ MORE: http://www.tuoitrenews.vn/cmlink/tuoitrenews/society/us-scientists-urged-to-research-deeper-in-ao-effects-1.75357
Dioxin suspected as possible cause of bizarre skin disease
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Health/2012/6/101606/
Doctors in the Children Hospital No.2 in Ho Chi Minh City are now suspecting exposure to dioxin as a possible cause of the bizarre skin disease in patients arriving from Ba To District in the central province of Quang Ngai.
Medical workers take samples of water from a stream where residents of Ba Dien Commune draw water for daily use
More than a week back, the hospital had received three patients suffering from the unidentified skin disease, from Reu Village of Ba Dien Commune in Ba To District. Doctors took a biopsy of skin lesions from all the three patients, Pham Thi Tren, 14, Pham Dinh Hieu, 6, and Pham Quoc Bao, 5.
According to the doctors, the skin disease may be reoccurring due to exposure to toxic and harmful substances like dioxin, which can penetrate air, soil, sediments, food and water.
Dr. Ho Thi Kim Thoa, who is directly treating the above cases, said the children all suffered from severe damage to liver, kidney, heart and hearing, and their cohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifndition had not improved, despite blood filtering many times.
The hospital said it had not yet identified the cause of the disease but thinks a possible cause to be dioxin or arsenic poisoning, as hair samples taken from a boy who died at Children Hospital No.1 in HCMC showed high levels of arsenic content. One hair sample contained arsenic levels more than 100 times above normal.
Parents of Pham Dinh Hieu and Pham Quoc Bao said they live in a mountainous region where most of the residents collect stream water for daily use and for growing agricultural produce. Hence, the stream water might be polluted with dangerous toxic substances.
READ MORE: http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Health/2012/6/101606/
Doctors in the Children Hospital No.2 in Ho Chi Minh City are now suspecting exposure to dioxin as a possible cause of the bizarre skin disease in patients arriving from Ba To District in the central province of Quang Ngai.
Medical workers take samples of water from a stream where residents of Ba Dien Commune draw water for daily use
More than a week back, the hospital had received three patients suffering from the unidentified skin disease, from Reu Village of Ba Dien Commune in Ba To District. Doctors took a biopsy of skin lesions from all the three patients, Pham Thi Tren, 14, Pham Dinh Hieu, 6, and Pham Quoc Bao, 5.
According to the doctors, the skin disease may be reoccurring due to exposure to toxic and harmful substances like dioxin, which can penetrate air, soil, sediments, food and water.
Dr. Ho Thi Kim Thoa, who is directly treating the above cases, said the children all suffered from severe damage to liver, kidney, heart and hearing, and their cohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifndition had not improved, despite blood filtering many times.
The hospital said it had not yet identified the cause of the disease but thinks a possible cause to be dioxin or arsenic poisoning, as hair samples taken from a boy who died at Children Hospital No.1 in HCMC showed high levels of arsenic content. One hair sample contained arsenic levels more than 100 times above normal.
Parents of Pham Dinh Hieu and Pham Quoc Bao said they live in a mountainous region where most of the residents collect stream water for daily use and for growing agricultural produce. Hence, the stream water might be polluted with dangerous toxic substances.
READ MORE: http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Health/2012/6/101606/
Thursday, June 7, 2012
US scientists visit Agent Orange victims
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/politics-laws/225715/us-scientists-visit-agent-orange-victims.html
HA NOI — Staff from the American Public Health Association Policy Office on Agent Orange yesterday visited the Viet Nam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin.
The US visitors included medical and chemical researchers and care-givers to people with disability, who wish to learn more about Viet Nam's effort to deal with aftermath of the toxin.
They also plan to work with the Health Ministry and visited dioxin-affected people in several cities including Da Nang, HCM City and Hue.
In other developments, PetroVietnam's Veterans Association has donated VND2 billion (US$95,000) to build a boarding school for AO/dioxin victims in central Quang Binh Province.
The Association also presented gifts worth a total of VND120 million ($5,700) to the relatives of revolutionary martyrs who protected the Truong Sa (Spratlys) Islands. — VNS
HA NOI — Staff from the American Public Health Association Policy Office on Agent Orange yesterday visited the Viet Nam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin.
The US visitors included medical and chemical researchers and care-givers to people with disability, who wish to learn more about Viet Nam's effort to deal with aftermath of the toxin.
They also plan to work with the Health Ministry and visited dioxin-affected people in several cities including Da Nang, HCM City and Hue.
In other developments, PetroVietnam's Veterans Association has donated VND2 billion (US$95,000) to build a boarding school for AO/dioxin victims in central Quang Binh Province.
The Association also presented gifts worth a total of VND120 million ($5,700) to the relatives of revolutionary martyrs who protected the Truong Sa (Spratlys) Islands. — VNS
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
US scientists support claim from AO victims
http://www.tuoitrenews.vn/cmlink/tuoitrenews/society/us-scientists-support-claim-from-ao-victims-1.74856
Vietnam ’s victims of agent orange/dioxin (AO) are hoping to receive more spiritual and material support from US scientists in their fight for justice.
Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA), Tran Xuan Thu, made this remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the American Public Health Association, part of the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign, in Hanoi on June 5.
He applauded the active efforts made by the association in the past to help Vietnamese AO victims.
The delegation, led by Susan M. Schnall, who played an active part in the peace movement that protested against the war in Vietnam , is made up of several specialists with backgrounds in medicine, chemicals or public health.
Some of them have written articles in US newspapers on the impacts of toxic chemicals, particularly agent orange/dioxin. They have also got together with a number of US members of Congress to draw up a draft bill for compensation for Vietnamese AO victims, as well as calling for more support from the American public.
During their stay in Vietnam, the US delegates will also meet with representatives from the Ministry of Health and VAVA branches in Da Nang, Thua Thien-Hue and Ho Chi Minh City as well as visit a number of beauty spots around the country.
Vietnam ’s victims of agent orange/dioxin (AO) are hoping to receive more spiritual and material support from US scientists in their fight for justice.
Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA), Tran Xuan Thu, made this remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the American Public Health Association, part of the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign, in Hanoi on June 5.
He applauded the active efforts made by the association in the past to help Vietnamese AO victims.
The delegation, led by Susan M. Schnall, who played an active part in the peace movement that protested against the war in Vietnam , is made up of several specialists with backgrounds in medicine, chemicals or public health.
Some of them have written articles in US newspapers on the impacts of toxic chemicals, particularly agent orange/dioxin. They have also got together with a number of US members of Congress to draw up a draft bill for compensation for Vietnamese AO victims, as well as calling for more support from the American public.During their stay in Vietnam, the US delegates will also meet with representatives from the Ministry of Health and VAVA branches in Da Nang, Thua Thien-Hue and Ho Chi Minh City as well as visit a number of beauty spots around the country.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Vietnam Women's Union Speaks Out Over Dow Chemical Sponsorship of Olympics
"...the Vietnam Women's Union would like to call upon IOC to reconsider your decision to accept Dow Chemical Corporation as a sponsor of the Olympic events"
(HANOI, Viet Nam) - We received hot off the press, the following letter from the Vietnam Women's Union, courtesy of Agent Orange Advocate Len Aldis in London. The women of Vietnam are raising a voice in objection to the inclusion of Dow Chemical as a sponsor in the upcoming Olympic games.
Long story short, Dow was a primary manufacturer of Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant sprayed over the jungles of Vietnam during the US war there. To this day, Dow has never answered to what amounts in the minds of many, to a decades-long war crime that continues to cripple children today, in the fourth generation since the war. This not only takes place in Vietnam, but also in the US and Australia, and in other places related to Agent Orange use and storage.
Attention: International Olympic Committee (IOC)
On behalf of the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU), I would like to extend my best compliments to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)!
We got to know that Dow Chemical has been made a sponsor of the Olympic Games from 2012 until 2010. Dow Chemical is one of the major producers and suppliers of the Agent Orange which was used by the American Army during the war time in the South of Vietnam for over 10 years from 1961 to 1971. There is no doubt about the horrific damages the dioxin has done to the environment and millions of people from generation to generation in Vietnam, including many women and children who are suffering illnesses, diseases and living in poverty. The Agency Orange has had negative effects on hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese children of the 4th generation who were born with severe congenital deformities.
For decades, international public opinions have denounced Dow's immoral actions and its violations of international laws, demanding it and other companies to compensate the victims of Agent Orange in different countries including Vietnam. However, Dow refuses to accept responsibility or makes compensation to tragic victims.
The Olympic Games are the symbols of the friendship & solidarity between the continents, the fairness, progress and peace in the world. We are concerned that the acceptance of Dow sponsorship will negatively influence the image and reputation of the Olympic Games. With the functions of representing and protecting rights and interests of women in Vietnam, the Vietnam Women's Union would like to call upon IOC to reconsider your decision to accept Dow Chemical Corporation as a sponsor of the Olympic events, thus preserving the good images and reputation of the Olympics.
Success to London Olympic Games 2012!
With kind regards,
Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa
President, Vietnam Women's Union
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june022012/vietnam-women-dow-la.php
(HANOI, Viet Nam) - We received hot off the press, the following letter from the Vietnam Women's Union, courtesy of Agent Orange Advocate Len Aldis in London. The women of Vietnam are raising a voice in objection to the inclusion of Dow Chemical as a sponsor in the upcoming Olympic games.Long story short, Dow was a primary manufacturer of Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant sprayed over the jungles of Vietnam during the US war there. To this day, Dow has never answered to what amounts in the minds of many, to a decades-long war crime that continues to cripple children today, in the fourth generation since the war. This not only takes place in Vietnam, but also in the US and Australia, and in other places related to Agent Orange use and storage.
Attention: International Olympic Committee (IOC)
On behalf of the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU), I would like to extend my best compliments to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)!
We got to know that Dow Chemical has been made a sponsor of the Olympic Games from 2012 until 2010. Dow Chemical is one of the major producers and suppliers of the Agent Orange which was used by the American Army during the war time in the South of Vietnam for over 10 years from 1961 to 1971. There is no doubt about the horrific damages the dioxin has done to the environment and millions of people from generation to generation in Vietnam, including many women and children who are suffering illnesses, diseases and living in poverty. The Agency Orange has had negative effects on hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese children of the 4th generation who were born with severe congenital deformities.
For decades, international public opinions have denounced Dow's immoral actions and its violations of international laws, demanding it and other companies to compensate the victims of Agent Orange in different countries including Vietnam. However, Dow refuses to accept responsibility or makes compensation to tragic victims.
The Olympic Games are the symbols of the friendship & solidarity between the continents, the fairness, progress and peace in the world. We are concerned that the acceptance of Dow sponsorship will negatively influence the image and reputation of the Olympic Games. With the functions of representing and protecting rights and interests of women in Vietnam, the Vietnam Women's Union would like to call upon IOC to reconsider your decision to accept Dow Chemical Corporation as a sponsor of the Olympic events, thus preserving the good images and reputation of the Olympics.
Success to London Olympic Games 2012!
With kind regards,
Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa
President, Vietnam Women's Union
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june022012/vietnam-women-dow-la.php
Friday, June 1, 2012
AP 'napalm girl' photo from Vietnam War turns 40
http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/05/31/2856680/shocking-ap-napalm-girl-photo.html#storylink=misearch
MARGIE MASON - Associated Press
Thursday, May. 31, 2012
TRANG BANG, Vietnam -- In the picture, the girl will always be 9 years old and wailing "Too hot! Too hot!" as she runs down the road away from her burning Vietnamese village.
She will always be naked after blobs of sticky napalm melted through her clothes and layers of skin like jellied lava.
She will always be a victim without a name.
It only took a second for Associated Press photographer Huynh Cong "Nick" Ut to snap the iconic black-and-white image 40 years ago. It communicated the horrors of the Vietnam War in a way words could never describe, helping to end one of America's darkest eras.
But beneath the photo lies a lesser-known story. It's the tale of a dying child brought together by chance with a young photographer. A moment captured in the chaos of war that would serve as both her savior and her curse on a journey to understand life's plan for her.
"I really wanted to escape from that little girl," says Kim Phuc, now 49. "But it seems to me that the picture didn't let me go."
----
It was June 8, 1972, when Phuc heard the soldier's scream: "We have to run out of this place! They will bomb here, and we will be dead!"
Seconds later, she saw the tails of yellow and purple smoke bombs curling around the Cao Dai temple where her family had sheltered for three days, as north and south Vietnamese forces fought for control of their village.
The little girl heard a roar overhead and twisted her neck to look up. As the South Vietnamese Skyraider plane grew fatter and louder, it swooped down toward her, dropping canisters like tumbling eggs flipping end over end.
"Ba-boom! Ba-boom!"
READ MORE: http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/05/31/2856680/shocking-ap-napalm-girl-photo.html#storylink=misearch
Follow Margie Mason on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/#!/margiemasonap
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