A bit of a nonsequitur post, but I saw a classic Viet Nam War documentary last night on Netflix called The Anderson Platoon. It was shot in 1966 by French filmmaker Pierre Schoendoerffer for French television, his second attempt at a documentary about that extended conflict. (His first documented a French platoon during that nation’s Indochina war, but all of his cinemagraphic efforts were confiscated by the Viet Minh at Dien Bien Phu.)
Long story short, I came across this war protest photo while poking around the Internet after watching the film. I don’t remember seeing it before and had to share it. Perhaps it’s a famous photo and I simply never saw it. If not, it should be.
The Anderson Platoon was named, incidentally, for platoon leader Joseph B. Anderson, Jr., a black West Point graduate who has gone on to be one of the most successful business executives in America. He is currently Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of TAG Holdings, LLC. If you have Netflix, it is very much worth watching. It is raw and extraordinarily filmed. Mr. Schoendoerffer clearly had guts.
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