A powerful side-by-side black-and-white montage honoring French war photographer and photojournalist Catherine Leroy during the Vietnam War. On the left, Leroy is captured in action aboard a military helicopter or transport aircraft, preparing to parachute, wearing equipment and a parachute harness. Her intense, determined expression is framed by blonde hair under a white headscarf, with cameras and gear strapped across her chest as she grips her equipment amid the chaos of war. On the right, one of her iconic photographs shows a dramatic aerial view of U.S. paratroopers descending under open parachutes during an airborne operation over Vietnam, with dozens of chutes dotting the hazy sky and a helicopter visible above. The image captures the raw danger and courage of Leroy’s frontline work, including her historic 1967 parachute jump into combat with the 173rd Airborne Brigade—the first female civilian journalist to do so—highlighting her fearless commitment to documenting the human cost of war.
#OTD in 1967, war photographer & photojournalist Catherine Leroy became the first accredited journalist to participate in a combat parachute jump during the Vietnam War joining the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Operation Junction City.
#photography #photojournalism #personalhero
