Dang Van Phuoc
Dang Van Phuoc | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 2, 1935 Quảng Ngãi Province, Annam, French Indochina |
| Died | May 23, 2026 (aged 90) |
| Occupation | Photojournalist |
| Spouse | Pham Thi Hoa |
Dang Van Phuoc (October 2, 1935 – May 23, 2026) was a Vietnamese-American photojournalist.
Early life and career
Phuoc was born in a village near Quảng Ngãi Province in the South Central Coast. At the age of ten, his father was buried alive in sand and killed by the Viet Minh. He moved to Saigon, and worked as a volunteer in a film studio. While working as a volunteer, he taught himself photography.[1][2]
In 1965, Phuoc was hired by the news agency Associated Press (AP), working as a photojournalist and capturing photos during the Vietnam War. He was referred as the "secret weapon" by Horst Faas.[3] In 1968, he earned a commendation from the 9th Infantry Division of the United States Army, "for carrying a wounded soldier through fire".[1][2][4] In 1969, he lost his right eye when a grenade exploded near him in Da Nang.[5] In the same year, The Greenville News reported that he had been wounded four times during the war.[6] After the Vietnam War ended, he briefly worked for AP in Hong Kong. He emigrated to the United States and settled in Southern California with his family, where he worked as a portrait photographer in Orange County, California.[1][2][4]
Personal life and death
Phuoc was married to Pham Thi Hoa. Their marriage lasted until Phuoc's death in 2026.[2]
Phuoc died in Newport Beach, California, on May 23, 2026, at the age of 90.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 Flaccus, Gillian; Schoenbaum, Hannah (May 27, 2026). "Dang Van Phuoc, combat photographer who lost an eye in the Vietnam War, dies at 91". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Sandomir, Richard (May 30, 2026). "Dang Van Phuoc Dies at 90; Intrepid Photojournalist in Vietnam War". The New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Hamill, Peter". Vietnam: The Real War. ABRAMS, Incorporated. October 2013. p. 32. ISBN 9781613125663 – via Google Books.
- 1 2 Flaccus, Gillian; Schoenbaum, Hannah (May 26, 2026). "Dang Van Phuoc, AP combat photographer who lost an eye in the Vietnam War, dies at 91". Associated Press. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Cameraman Loses Eye In Vietnam". The News. San Antonio, Texas. February 24, 1969. p. 19. Retrieved May 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Tough Vietnamese". The Greenville News. Greenville, South Carolina. March 18, 1969. p. 4. Retrieved May 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1935 births
- 2026 deaths
- People from Quảng Ngãi province
- Vietnamese emigrants to the United States
- Vietnamese emigrants to Hong Kong
- Photographers from California
- American portrait photographers
- Photography in Vietnam
- Associated Press photographers
- Vietnamese photographers
- 20th-century American photographers
- 21st-century American photographers
- American photojournalists
- American war photographers
- 20th-century American male photographers