Vietnamese-American photojournalist Nick Ut received the National Medal of Arts from President Donald Trump this week for his work during the Vietnam War. He spent his entire career of 51 years with AP until his retirement in 2017 and currently resides in LA.
The National Medal of Arts is an award and titled created by the US Congress in 1984 as the highest honor given to an artists and arts patrons by the US government. In giving him the award, President Donald Trump noted in the announcement:
" .....for his decades of contributions to wartime photojournalism. Through his lens, Ut captures moments in time that remind us of the horrors of conflict. His most famous photograph, “The Terror of War,” is a permanent reminder of the past and an inspiration for a peaceful future...."
Nick Ut, 69, is best known of his Pulitzer Prize winning photograph titled " Terror of War" capturing children fleeing a napalm bombing mistakenly dropped by the South Vietnamese Air Force near a Trang Bang during the Vietnam War. The burned and screaming naked 9 year-old girl, Phuc Kim Phan, became known as " Napalm Girl".
The image, taken on June 8, 1972, became a symbol of brutality of war and US involvement in VN. It is considered one of the most memorable and iconic photographs of the 20th century. In 1973, the Pulitzer committee awarded him its prize and made him the first Vietnamese to win a Pulitzer Prize award. His picture is viewed by those who supported the Vietnam conflict as a symbol of anti-war. In the same year, the US ended its involvement in Vietnam.
Before he submitted his picture to the office, he took the girl to the hospital. She survived the third - degree burn and they became long time friends. She immigrated to Canada with her husband in 1992.
Shortly after his retirement, Nick donated his famous photo to Vietnamese Women's Museum in Ha Noi, along with a Nikkomat camera he used during his time covering the Vietnam War.
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