Saigon (today Ho Chi Minh City), February 1, 1968: The police chief, General Nguyen Ngoc Loan, shoots a bullet in the head of the arrested Viet Cong guerrilla Nguyen Van Lem on the street, almost in passing. At this moment 55 years ago, Eddie Adams, a photographer for the US news agency Associated Press (AP), presses the shutter button.
The photo of the man on the brink of life and death went around the world, emblazoned on front pages around the globe, received numerous awards and is now one of the most iconic images in photojournalism. Time Magazine named it one of the 100 most important photos of all time.
Eddie Adams was not the only reporter on site, NBC even broadcast footage of the arbitrary execution.
The archives of the US news agency AP contain the photos that document what happened in the minutes before and after the moment. The star shows the pictures. They are a reminder against war and its brutality:
