In 1972, Nick Ut captured one of the most defining images of the Vietnam War—a naked, nine-year-old girl, her body seared by napalm, running down a dirt road screaming in pain. The photograph shocked the world, instantly becoming a symbol of the inhumanity of war. But what few people knew at the time was that the man behind the camera, Associated Press photographer Nick Ut, did more than just document the horror—he saved her life.
That young girl was Kim Phuc Phan Thi, and Nick Ut was more than just a photographer on that fateful day; he was her guardian angel. After snapping the image that would win him the Pulitzer Prize, Ut set down his camera, scooped the burned and terrified Kim into his arms, and rushed her to a South Vietnamese hospital. His quick actions saved her from what would likely have been fatal injuries.
Now, over 50 years later, Kim Phuc has completed her final major skin treatment—an effort to relieve the lasting scars and physical pain caused by the napalm that day. Her journey from the horrors of war to becoming a global peace ambassador is one of extraordinary resilience, hope, and healing.
A Moment That Changed Everything
On June 8, 1972, a South Vietnamese plane dropped napalm on the village of Trang Bang, mistakenly targeting civilians instead of enemy soldiers. Amid the chaos, Kim Phuc, along with other children and villagers, fled the blazing inferno. Ut, stationed nearby, had his camera ready, unaware that he was about to capture a moment that would forever alter the course of photojournalism and the world’s perception of the Vietnam War.
“It was so quick—I just kept shooting, shooting, and shooting,” Nick Ut recalled in a recent conversation with Steve Ciaschi, head of the AP news photography archive department. “But when I saw her skin peeling off, I knew I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing.”
After capturing the iconic image, Ut threw down his camera, wrapped Kim in his raincoat, and drove her to the nearest hospital, demanding that they treat her immediately. Doctors initially refused, believing her injuries were too severe. But Ut, insistent, pleaded with them until they relented, saving her life.
The Unbreakable Bond
Kim Phuc spent over a year in the hospital and endured 17 surgeries just to survive the burns that covered more than 30% of her body. But her survival wasn’t just a medical miracle—it was the result of one man’s courage and compassion.
In the decades that followed, the two stayed connected. Kim Phuc, who later resettled in Canada, has often spoken of Nick Ut as her second father. “He didn’t just take my picture—he gave me a chance to live,” she said in interviews, reflecting on their lifelong friendship.
Nick Ut, now retired, remains deeply humbled by the photograph’s legacy. “It wasn’t just a picture; it was about humanity,” he has said. For him, the real story isn’t the prize-winning photo—it’s the life he helped save that day.
A Life of Healing and Peace
Kim Phuc’s journey from war victim to peace advocate has been one of healing both physically and emotionally. After years of living with pain and the memory of that traumatic day, she has used her platform to promote reconciliation, forgiveness, and the end of violence. In 1997, she founded the Kim Foundation International, a charity that provides medical and psychological assistance to children who have been victims of war.
Recently, Kim Phuc received one of her final major skin treatments—bringing to a close a long chapter of suffering caused by the napalm attack. After five decades of surgeries and treatments, the scars that once defined her physically are slowly fading, though the emotional scars of war remain.
“I am so grateful for this day,” Kim Phuc said. “The pain will be gone soon, but the lessons of that day—the lessons of war, of forgiveness, and of peace—will stay with me forever.”
A Legacy Etched in History
The image of “Napalm Girl” continues to resonate with generations, serving as both a reminder of the atrocities of war and a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Through the lens of Nick Ut and the life of Kim Phuc, the world was given a chance to see the human toll of conflict up close.
As Kim Phuc Phan Thi continues her mission for peace, and Nick Ut reflects on the impact of his work, their story reminds us that even in the darkest moments of history, acts of kindness and courage can transcend pain.
For Kim Phuc, who once ran from the fire, and Nick Ut, who stopped to save her, their intertwined legacy of survival, compassion, and peace endures—a message the world can never forget.
This article honors both the image that defined war and the remarkable bond between Nick Ut and Kim Phuc, highlighting the human element behind one of the most famous photographs in history.
Nick Ut (*1951)
“The Terror of War,” also known as the “Napalm Girl,” is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph taken by photojournalist Nick Ut, a Vietnamese American photographer working for the Associated Press at that time. Nick joined AP in 1966 after his brother died in 1965 at 27. He worked in the darkroom and later became a combat photographer like his brother.
The photo “Napalm Girl” is a wake-up alarm for many Americans as the main subject where your eyes go is a little girl running to get away from more harm.
This nine-year-old girl was Phan Thi Kim Phuc, who Ut initially brought to the hospital and then to an American care center, which saved her life.
Napalm, sometimes known as “liquid fire,” was first synthesized in 1943 at Harvard University under the supervision of chemistry professor Lous F. Fieser. Both allied and axis powers used a primitive version of Napalm during the first World War; true Napalm appeared first in combat until World War II.
We reviewed this photo today because our friend works at Associated Press. This photo is now 51 years old, and the subject has a name, forgiveness, and mission. Phan Thi Kim Phúc and her family were residents of the village of Trảng Bàng in South Vietnam. My friend at AP met with the photographer to review his work, and later met the subject, Phan Thi Kim Phuc. We include videos to catch you up with the photo subject and the photographer. This historical image still has a significant impact, and we ask all to pause over its drama in big and intimate ways. Many news outlets struggled with its publication in 1972 due to nudity and the subject’s young age. It was considered an essential image documenting the costs of war. The image of the napalm girl was horrifying then and is horrifying now. Let’s not forget the impact it had then so that we keep our focus on that same fight for non-violence as it unfolds.
Leica Q2 Monochrom Compact Digital Camera
The photo we are looking at was taken with a Leica M2 on Kodak 400 tri x film, as only 400, and 200 versions were available in Vietnam. The camera still exists and is stored in a museum in Washington, DC.
Story Behind The The Terror of War: Nick Ut’s “Napalm Girl” (1972)
“I wanted to stop this war; I hated war. My brother told me I hope one day you have a picture to stop the war” – Nick UT
On June 8, 1972, Nick Ut took just a picture like that. The picture that stopped the war. The photograph is said to be one of the most memorable photographs of the 20th century.
Check out Nick Ut’s photos here: https://www.instagram.com/utnicky/
Vietnam ‘Napalm Girl’ receives final skin treatment 50 years after war-defining photo | ITV News
Kim Phuc Phan Thi, the subject of the infamous Napalm Girl photograph from the Vietnam war, has finished one of her final major treatments for the burns she sustained as a result of the bombing.
Just nine years old when the image was taken, 50 years later Ms. Phan Thi received her final skin treatment after decades of pain from the intense scarring the Napalm caused.
The photograph, taken on June 8, 1972, won a Pulitzer Prize for Associated Press photographer Nick Ut and became a defining image of the war.
The Gift of One Picture: Nick, Kim and the Napalm Girl
This minidocumentary traces the origins of one of the most famous photographs of the 20th century, Nick Ut’s “Burning Girl,” taken on June 8, 1972, during the Vietnam War. Recent interviews with Nick Ut and Kim Phuc touch on the friendship that developed between a wounded child and her photographer. As Nick Ut tells Kim “You had a picture and we were there.”